Jobs for the Boys

The Sunday Times appointments section last week had 10 pages of jobs - not bad for a recession. Look more closely and you will see that of the 60 or so jobs advertised only 3 were in the private sector and 2 of those arose because of a Local Authority contract. This is disturbing on lots of levels. The tensions in Lincolnshire provide some clue as to how this recession might shape up - with anger and resentment from people who feel that they are being unfairly treated. In the world of tourism there has been a broad acceptance that the public sector and its many organisations will employ people who develop strategy and work on long term issues like sustainability. The private sector will contribute, but mainly get on with the job of running a business or making a living. So what happens when that living is threatened? How much resentment will there be towards the latest initiative or the new Chief Executive on a Local Authority pension? Fortunately it looks like tourism will do better than many industries this year, but it is going to be tough - especially in the shoulder periods. As those running businesses watch their cash balances run down and face having to cut costs - including staff - the potential for deteriorating relationships increases. Those in the public or semi public sector need to think about this now and demonstrate that they have noticed that the world has changed. The alternative is an industry that turns in on itself and misses the real opportunities to win business and survive.