ClickZ article by Zachary Rogers on the conundrum of agencies finding good people.
The mid-level missing link appears to be late-arriving fallout from the dot-com bubble's bursting. People were laid off or left the business when its prospects didn't look very bright. A few recruiters have been trying to track down the former interactive pros, but they're coming up empty-handed. Not surprisingly, many went into other lines of work, becoming kindergarten teachers or bakers. Some haven't worked on an interactive campaign in two or three years.
The article talks a lot about people who left the business, but I think there are other important issues left off the table, not the least of which is the ability to find talented people to enter the business in the first place.
The entire agency business needs an extreme makeover and arguably there is an acute need for a major marketing/publicity campaign to shore up the jaded/tarnished image of the biz.
I also think there is the problem of SSDD (same shit; different day)...iow, when you find the elusive mid-level manager, what are you doing to keep them? What are you doing to make sure when the cycle repeats itself you won't be in the same position (or worse?)
With agencies famous for overworking and underpaying, have we learnt our lessons from the past or will we just repeat 'em over and over again (kind of like Groundhog Day, but with spreadsheets)
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