Leapfrog

Wake up.

 

When it comes to solutions for Talent problems we in the west are not necessarily proposing the best solutions. Other parts of the world may leapfrog U.S.

 

Read on...

 

Headline: Reuters

"Kenyans Text Messaging Their Way to Jobs"

Tue Apr 19, 8:47 AM ET

By George Obulutsa 

NAIROBI, Kenya

In the rural parts of Kenya, jobseekers wishing to use the Internet used to have to travel long distances to the nearest town with a cyber cafe.

That changed last year with the creation of OneWorld International, a Kenyan firm offering a mobile phone text messaging service that advertises jobs and allows candidates to apply from wherever they are.

"It's relatively easy. All you need is access to a mobile phone with a Safaricom connection," said Anthony Mwaniki, OneWorld International's business manager.  

OK....text messaging is not new...not my point. Just as Asia has a much wider and deeper usage of the cell phone than the West and

South Korea has 76% of their population on broadband to our 43% it is apparent other parts of the world are using technology to solve problems while we may be just using technology.

And what about China?  Masses of their population are moving from farm to city. The need to match workers to jobs begins with a hawker in a mall in Zhingtou looking for talent from the passers by. Do you think companies will move to a reliance on newspaper classifieds and paper resumes? Doubt it. They will move straight to Internet phone interaction based on personalization, immediacy and results....Leapfrog!

A friend just got back earlier this year from two weeks in Thailand and her immediate exclamation..."they're so advanced...so far ahead of us...phone use, Internet, technology - they believe they can accomplish the next big thing...whatever that is!"

Really? Probably can...and will.

And when it comes to Talent how are other parts of the world dealing with the problem? They are quietly and effectively developing talent for their growing economic needs. Good friend Kevin Wheeler made me aware recently that the 10 fastest growing Universities in the world are in India, Pakistan,  Africa, etc. ...and that all have student populations over 100,000 and that all are using distance virtual learning techniques. Mmmmmmmmm…

Note: Interesting education solution on our shores...check out Acton MBA

Text messaging...maybe not the ultimate panacea....or maybe it is. In  Kenya it radically changes the recruitment supply chain, making the country more effective and productive. The results....more people find work faster...economy begins to thrive...consumers have the money to consume...more goods are produced...and so on and so on.

Is there room for optimism on our side of the pond? Of course. There are new ideas and models popping up everyday. I hope they are designed to solve real problems - big problems and are not just attempts to automate pieces of the existing recruitment supply chain…in hopes of garnering immediate riches and the second home in Cabo. Bless you if you do, just understand the rest of the world can and will meet their challenges head on with no legacy of process or method...a clear deck as it were.

We would be well served to clear our own.

So, where are the dreamers in our space? They are all over the world.

Wake up!