Recruiting the Top Players

Just for fun, let’s say you’re a high school basketball player being recruited by colleges and you’ve narrowed it down to two schools that want you to play for them.

You like both of the schools and could see yourself being a student at either one. The difference between the two choices is the coaches. One of the coaches is old school and doesn’t relate to you, while the other is new school and understands you very well.

Basically, it’s classic rock versus hip hop, and for the sake of argument, you’re hip hop. (Remember, you’re 18.)

In the business world, this is analogous to new–school companies embracing the latest workplace philosophies and technologies, and old–school companies shying away from them.

The fact is, while the younger generation might be ahead of the pack with regard to work–life balance and technology use in today’s workplace, the rest of society isn’t far behind. In the real–world recruiting scenario, pretty much everyone is hip hop these days.

For companies, that means embracing new philosophies and technologies to show you’re a part of the evolution and not the past. For you, the basketball player, it means choosing the coach you want to play for. For you, the HR professional, it means choosing between being old school and new school.