Do you belive in Miracles?

During the past week, I have been preparing for a presentation that I will be giving to undergraduate and graduates students studying Human Resources at Texas A&M. I have decided to speak on what makes a good recruiter in today's market and while I was developing the "back-story" I across some interesting facts that I thought worth sharing.

• 1.3 million - the number of jobs added to the US 2007
• 166 million - the number of jobs in the US by 2016
• Currently 3,700 students are in petroleum engineering programs down from 11,000 in 1986
• From May, 2003, to May, 2006, U.S. petroleum engineers enjoyed a 17% pay increase, compared with 9% for electrical engineers and 11% for civil engineers

To me, these statistics along with others show that we are in store for some rough roads ahead in finding, training and retaining talent, especially in regards to petroleum engineers.

Later in my presentation I speak about a recruiter’s role in assessing the right candidates for an organization. I wanted to emphasize this point as I see a key role in the partnership we share with our hiring managers. As I was getting ready for work one morning, I turned on the TV while having my morning cup of caffeine and there I saw on HBO a documentary on the "Miracle on Ice". This brought back many feelings and emotions as I looked back on that fateful day during the winter of 1980. Herb Brooks coached a group of college students to a victory over the Russians in hockey. This victory was not only important because the United States won an important victory on the ice as well as in the Cold War, it showed that goals and objectives can be achieved if the right team is put in place.

The following quote to me sums it up best on assessing candidates.

Patrick: "You're missing the best players."

Herb Brooks: "I'm not looking for the best players, Craig, I'm lookin' for the right ones"

Craig Patrick, the US Assistant Coach, said this to Herb Brooks when discussing who would be chosen to represent the United States. Herb Brooks believed it was not about selecting the best players; it was about assessing each player’s strengths and weaknesses and then selecting players that complimented each other so they could play as a cohesive unit.

I will never forget that day, when Al Michaels bellowed "Do you Believe in Miracles" during the last seconds of the United States game versus the Russians. To me and most Americans it truly was a miracle. To Herb Brooks........... it was inevitable.