Instead of Griping About Difficulty of Luring Executives Here, Firms Should Recruit Locals

The Feb. 16 story, “It’s Hard to Draw Executive Talent to the Southland,” missed some very important points. The main one is that there is a large and growing pool of unemployed executives already here as a result of the numerous plant closures, reorganizations and consolidations in recent months.

These displaced executives already have homes here that they purchased before the most recent rounds of skyrocketing real estate prices. They also have adjusted their psyches to the traffic, earthquakes, culture and politics, and their lungs to our air. They don’t require $50,000 relocation packages.

Being one of these displaced executives, I can fully understand why the article implies that the only worthwhile talent exists outside our area and doesn’t want to come here. The writer may have felt that this was the case, having been so informed by the headhunters he interviewed.

Headhunters seem to avoid anyone who is unemployed as being some kind of a burned-out loser, especially if he or she is 50 or older. Their mode of operation seems to be to raid the client’s competitors. Perhaps this builds their business since each time they fill a job they create an opportunity for another headhunter. That way they perpetuate the game of musical chairs indefinitely.

The Southland’s chief executives would be well advised to eliminate these relocation problems and hire the top executives that are readily and locally available.

KENNETH A. PINKHAM

San Juan Capistrano