I just completed a search for a Director of IT for Union Telephone in Mountain View Wyoming. Union started as a local telephone company but now offers Internet, cable, and most importantly, wireless. It has become a sophisticated regional company with great growth prospects.

Mountain View’s population is 1258. It is 125 miles east of Salt Lake City, and the nearest city is Evanston Wyoming (pop. 10,000) about 45 miles west. This is beautiful country but hardly a center for high tech or any kind of big business. In communicating and posting the opening, applicants were told thatthe job offered stability and challenge, with the location being a plus to those who valued outdoor and small town living.

There were some striking events in this search, and a few surprises.

The first was the number of applicants. How many resumes would you guess that I received from posting alone?

I anticipated 50-100 responses because it was, after all, rural Wyoming. I got over 1000 resumes! This was scary, but a lot of people seemed willing to go to places they wouldn’t normally think about to find work.

The second was the flexibility of the applicants. It was a buyers’ market and candidates demanded less compensation than they had in previous positions.

Of course, many (perhaps 20%) dropped out when considering the location more carefully.

This quantity of response didn’t make the project easier. Quantity doesn't equal quality.The pool had to be searched carefully to identify candidates who offered real talent and who fit my client’s profile

The third wasn't a surprise.

In a recent issue of the Wall Street Journal, Daniel Henninger’s Wonder Land column was “This Economy’s Worst Sin Is That It’s So Dull. I quote: “The phrase ‘dot-com bubble’ is supposed to be shorthand for something that at bottom was mostly nothing. I don’t believe that. Whatever its undeniable miscalculations and excesses, the ‘dot-com’ era, broadly defined, unlocked, animated and excited more smart young minds than any one event I’m familiar with.” “It is not just ROI but ROEPFI—the return on emotional, physical and financial investment.” I find his point about the excitement of challenge to be true for any results-oriented person with high standards.

The job gave applicants a chance to enter the passionate world of family business and an opportunity to build a department in a growing company.

Many privately held businesses feel that people with Fortune 500 experience wouldn’t be interested because of size or corporate culture. In reaching this conclusion they forget how bureaucracy can stifle and the joys of having the opportunity to be influential and build.

If you are considering building your management team, this is the time!