Best Blogs of January

The nights are cold and long, meaning more time for you to curl up with your favorite electronic device for some good reading!

Right now, you need reading material more than ever, and our best blogs for include stories on adapting to the new realities of temporary staffing, emotional intelligence and on-boarding in the era of COVID-19.

Like Rock ‘n’ Roll, COBOL Will Never Die

COBOL (Common Business Oriented Language) is a computer programming language developed in 1959, and in tech industry terms, that’s basically just after the Big Bang. While the ability to program COBOL is so anachronistic, it’s almost a punchline, the strong need for COBOL programming ability is no laughing matter.

COBOL was vital to the creation of legacy business tech systems that are still in place today. It’s widely believed that 70 to 80 percent of all business transactions are based on COBOL code. Clearly, this language is still necessary, but because other languages are used to build new systems – very few people have bothered to learn COBOL in the past few decades. The result is a massive COBOL skills gap in the tech workforce. Also, the COBOL workforce is relatively old, on average, and getting older.

COBOL isn’t going away anytime soon and its irrelevancy with most of today’s programmers is creating a uniquely challenging situation.

Read the whole story here.

COVID Impacts Developer Hiring

Like everything else, the entire field of human resources was flipped on its head 2020, as a result of COVID-19, lockdowns and shifting attitudes around race. There has been a shedding of outmoded methods, reduction of geography as a hiring factor, increase in need for developer abilities, renewed scrutiny of bias and adoption of hiring tech that makes for a better experience for everybody involved.

Since COVID-19 hit, 42 percent of companies that weren’t using assessment tools as part of their hiring process have started using one, according to a recent survey. For developer applicants, this means a very strong chance running into coding assessment tool in an online interview. These tools have become preferred for their potential to eliminate bias from the hiring process.

Even though COVID-19 has basically eliminated workplace culture, cultural fit is still a high priority for hiring managers. Developers trying to find work right now shouldn’t expect any less focus on their soft skills.

One thing that hasn’t changed is the strong demand for AI and machine learning skills. These skills have only increased in importance due to COVID-19.

Read the whole story here.

Managing Up

The saying, “People don’t quit jobs, they quit bosses,” may have a lot of truth to it, but that saying diminishes the employee side of the equation.

When it comes to the manager-employee relationship, employees aren’t passengers and the term “managing up” refers to the notion that employees need to meet their manager halfway in terms of galvanizing a productive working relationship.

Managing up is an important but somewhat nebulous term, covering everything from developing a rapport, to decision-making, to time management.

Read the whole story here.