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Technology Stocks : Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Marc Schiler who wrote (11269)	12/31/1997 1:41:00 AM
From: pat mudge	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 77400

Time for some comic relief???? <<< Tuesday 30 December 1997 Rival Tries In-Your-Face Tactic to Entice Nortel Staff to Defect Andrew McIntosh The Ottawa Citizen <Picture>Patrick Doyle, the Ottawa Citizen / Workers install a Cisco Systems recruiting billboard in fertile territory -- directly across from Nortel's property at Baseline and Merivale roads. Cisco Systems Inc., the giant San Jose-based rival of telecommunications equipment maker Northern Telecom Ltd., is using a cheeky billboard as it trolls for top engineers to staff its new and expanding Ottawa affiliate. The billboard went up late yesterday afternoon directly across the street from Nortel's huge complex at Baseline and Merivale roads. It depicts a group of happy, young and funky-looking male and female engineers wearing cool sun glasses and the Cisco corporate logo. The message, "We know where your friends are!" will be visible to hundreds of top Nortel engineers arriving for work each morning for the next six months. Cisco bought Ottawa-based Skystone Systems earlier this year for $90 million U.S. Now, Cisco plans to double the workforce of its newly acquired Ottawa affiliate to 100 people in 1998. Hiring 50 top engineers will be a challenge. There is intense competition among Ottawa companies looking for skilled workers, and many large U.S. high-tech companies also come here hunting for talent. There are an estimated 3,000 jobs locally and 20,000 jobs across Canada that can't be filled because of a shortage of skilled workers. That's why Cisco decided it had to do something a little unusual to get people's attention, Ottawa human resources manager Randy Baker said. "We're trying to make sure people know about us and that they know we're in town," Mr. Baker said. "Cisco realizes there are really good people around here who don't want to go to San Jose to make it. We also want people to realize there are opportunities here other than at Nortel and Newbridge." Cisco's billboard message is two-pronged, Mr. Baker explained. First, it alludes to the fact that Cisco-Skystone was started by several former Nortel employees, including founder Antoine Paquin. Several of its senior executives defected from Nortel over the past year, straining a number of personal and professional relationships. It also alludes to Cisco's innovative "friends" staff recruitment program. Anyone considering a job at Cisco can use the Internet to speak to real Cisco employees, not a recruiter, to talk about anything inside the company, such as working conditions and compensation. There's even a "panic button" on the screen so those investigating the world of Cisco on its web site can "conceal" their job-hunting activities if their boss should by. Mr. Baker said Cisco-Skystone offers its employees the security, stability and resources of a large corporation. Cisco employs 12,000 people worldwide and will have revenues exceeding $6 billion this year. "We're going to have significant growth in the Ottawa group," he said, "and we're looking for top people willing to get in on the ground floor. Their total compensation package will make them want to stick around for a while." Nortel, the region's largest employer, is an easy target for any fast-growing and aggressive high-tech company looking for solid talent. It employs almost 10,000 people. Mr. Baker said he resorted to a billboard after finding Nortel's "star engineers" are a happy lot who don't go to job fairs or read career advertisements in newspapers or actively seek out job opportunities. But they do drive cars to work, he added, so the billboard tactic is a perfect way to get their attention. It will cost Cisco tens of thousands of dollars to have the billboard up for the six-month period. Nortel spokesman Jacques Guerette was amused by news of the ad campaign. He countered that the engineers at Cisco-Skystone have friends too -- they're all working at one of Nortel's 16 or 17 locations across Ottawa. "The ad is cute, but it won't cause us much difficulty (in terms of losing people)," Mr. Guerette added. Cisco's attempts to lure away key Nortel engineers have been relentless, aggressive and often quite creative over the past six months. Mr. Baker confirmed the company sends congratulatory gifts to Nortel employees who receive promotions. Tucked inside a gift basket is information about Cisco and opportunities with the San Jose giant. >>>>