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6AM to Chicago
Dec 6I’m flying to Chicago tomorrow on a 6AM flight. It always amazes me how many business people are in airports at that time of day. My sense: There are a lot of driven, talented, and engaged superstars on those planes. Wouldn’t it be cool to interview everyone on a plane like that and synthesize their stories into a book about real employee engagement? No one has to tell people who take 6AM flights what to do or how to do it. They know.
About the Author
Frank Roche
Frank started IFRACTAL over 7 years ago with Sarah Chambers. Together, they've created HR communications and HR software for some of the world's leading companies. Frank is also studying Flamenco guitar and origami.
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Now we know where all of those talented, self-disciplined and engaged employees are. The next step is to build a recruiting program to go after them.
Maybe a company should open up a Kiosk or just buy the coffee at the airport from 5:30-6:30 AM giving free coffee and do a survey on what has them up in the morning and career goals and objectives.
Very cool, very exciting ideas. But I bet there is another angle too. It’s not just people who are hard-driven in the sense of “gee I wish I had another 20 minutes today to look at the sub-markets in Topeka and Plaino”. It is also hard-driven people who work really hard and are successful but use some of that drive to make time for family and personal pursuits. Some of those people took the 6 a.m., instead of the 6 p.m. the night before (“let’s meet for steaks in Chicago the night before!”) because they were reading “Goodnight Moon” or were out with their partner at the charity ball.
No matter what, I would buy that book.
You are right, the super-early-morning flights do attract a unique subculture (i.e. segment) whose schedules require, or whose opportunities warrant, travel times most Americans avoid.
I’m sure the recruiting opportunities are there…if you have your “runway pitch” down and are capable of smiling before the sun has risen…
Thanks again,
Jaime
Mel, that’s a grand recruiting idea. Wow. Really excellent idea: Recruit the 6AM Road Warriors. Wow.
JT, you always open my eyes. That’s right, there’s that calibration. And that part about “Goodnight Moon” gives me a chill (the good kind). It’s right…they’re Road Warriors, and good eggs. I think everyone has a story…I wonder about them as I get on airplanes. It was a fun idea. Thanks for expanding on that.
Jaime, that’s so true: Smiling before the sun comes up. I might be a good recruiter there…my best work happens early. I wouldn’t be much help at about 3PM.
Now that we have begun to expand on the idea of recruiting road warriors lets look at those people who are on the flights after 6 PM. Have put in a full day and I either trying to get home, but often if it is the middle of the week they are either off to another location or need to be someplace early in the morning and want to make sure they make the appointment and are even giving up their evening at home because the airlines can not be counted on to getting them there even my 10 AM when it is a Houston to Dallas flight and you can catch a plane every 15 minutes starting at like 5:30 AM
Next conversation is how do you attract the group you want to hire.
I would like to know from your research what gives people the energy to be up early enough to catch a 6 am plane and still be effective when they get off at the other end. Is it the rewarding work? Making the sacrifice for family? Personal drive to be successful? Starbucks lattes?
Add that to your interview questions.
Rick, good questions. It does take energy. I might just have to ask you….you’ve been on enough planes to be the Ubiquitous Road Warrior. I know that anyone who will take four airplanes to get to a client meeting is dedicated with a capital “D.”