Dear Career Adviser

by Fran Quittel

June 11, 2001 —

I'm the director of Internet and technology at a consulting firm that's part of a larger organization. I became a manager only recently, and I'm in the awkward position of having to lay off people in my group. Any tips?

-- Mea Culpa Max

Dear Mea Culpa:

Layoffs are gut-wrenching for everybody: the people who lose their jobs, the managers who must make the layoffs and the survivors, says Joseph G. Galuzska, chief morale officer at technology consulting company Scient Corp. in San Francisco. And the process is a lot more complex than it seems: You not only need to let go of staff, but you also need to retain and motivate the people you're keeping.

For one thing, don't go it alone. Ask senior management to get involved, and communicate constantly with the people who are staying as well as those who are leaving. This lets everyone know what's going on and why, and it speaks to the company's true prospects going forward.

If needed, encourage the company to offer outplacement services and provide networking opportunities, perhaps building an active alumni organization and providing links to board members, partners and clients to open up future opportunities. Savvy companies also develop an "elevator speech" for those remaining, so everyone is on the same page.

Finally, no matter how nervous you are, sit down with each employee, and be humane. You never know when the worm will turn and you'll want to rehire an ex-employee ? or when you'll find yourself interviewing with someone you laid off.

Dear Career Adviser:

I'm interested in doing something good for society while growing my career. I've been working as a developer for five years and have two years of experience in Web design, working with CorelDraw, Adobe Photoshop, Macromedia Flash and Dreamweaver. I also have about six months of experience in programming in Active Server Pages, Java and JavaScript, and I developed a small business-to-business exchange for jewelry exporters and online trading.

-- Where Next?

Dear Where:

Don't limit your search to commercial sites; lots of interesting technology is beginning to be used in the nonprofit world.

"Many nonprofits now have Web sites, and more and more are recognizing their need to have a strong Web presence and hire good technology people," says Mark Goldberg, CIO at Goodwill Industries International Inc. in Bethesda, Md.

Nonprofits aren't using the Web just to announce their histories and missions. Goodwill, for example, was the first nonprofit to set up an online auction site. And some of the more sophisticated nonprofit organizations are using technology for point-of-sale systems, fundraising, running all of their operations, training their clients, tracking the people they serve and marketing their services.

In short, nonprofits have found out that investing in technology pays off. For example, Goodwill's auction site (www.shopgoodwill.com) has earned nearly US$2 million in revenue for programs in the U.S. and Canada since its 1999 launch.

Dear Career Adviser:

I'm part of a small start-up that has developed software that we're trying to market to a large company working in the area of handhelds and mobile computing. I'm finding the task of developing alliances with these larger companies very difficult.

-- So Far, No Luck

Dear No Luck:

Although large companies often link with smaller companies so they'll be ready no matter what technology emerges as the accepted standard, forging these relationships is a sophisticated task. "Alliances are easier to develop when you can show [a big company] exactly how your technology integrates with theirs and therefore helps them to extend their market franchise," says Dan'l Lewin, vice president of .Net business development at Microsoft Corp.

You'll need to answer these questions: Does your product or technology integrate easily with the products and technology of your target partner? Does it increase the functionality of your partner's platform? Does it help extend its brand or reach into a channel?

And finally: Do you know exactly what you want? Are you really seeking a partnership, or would you prefer the larger company to simply become your customer or invest in your company?

Particularly in today's market, be sure your presentations address the financial soundness of your organization. Any company that chooses you as a technology partner will want to be sure that your business will continue and that you will further develop the technology you're offering.

Computerworld