by Kevin Coupe
Axios has a story suggesting that "2022 is shaping up to be one of the hardest years ever to run a company — even harder than 2020, when the pandemic first hit."
The reason: "Uncertainty, which CEOs dread, abounds. Supply-chain snarls, lingering COVID disruptions, labor shortages, inflation, rising pay and soaring demands for new benefits and work flexibility are driving up costs and complexity. Toss in a surge in individuals starting their own small businesses —and others simply quitting work altogether — and you see why C-suite anxiety is spreading fast."
Axios notes that in addition, CEOs are coming to thee realization that "they'll have to navigate remote and hybrid work even after the pandemic. That means figuring out new ways to manage teams and rally employees.
"So CEOs are scrambling to bring in talent experts who can answer questions about the future of work. Human resources job postings on Indeed are up 133% compared with February 2020."
Adding to the challenge, Axios writes, is the employees are being poached by competitors: "Outside recruiters are so busy, some are turning away business."
We spend a lot of time here talking about how tough it is to be on the front lines, and so, in the interest of equal time, I though it would be fair to point out that CEOs' lives aren't all stock options and private jets.
Not all, anyway.
