The company's hiring push is only expected to step up, as Sprint plans to begin a period of high growth much like its start-up days, says Ms. Fox. Professionals who can manage people and processes and have telecommunications, network, systems engineering and sales and marketing backgrounds are especially desirable. The internal talent we have just isn't enough. In its quest to hire middle managers, Sprint is hardly alone. In virtually every section of the country and industry, mid-management and upper management positions are going unfilled.
Low unemployment is one reason why middle managers are scarce.
Another is the lack of internal employees in the pipeline who are promotable. This is due to cutbacks and a lack of training at entry levels in the early 1990s. Shorter job tenures also mean positions are vacated faster, says Mr. Webb. That's shrunk to about 3.5 years, which is a dramatic change. At the mid-level, companies seem to want applicants with remarkably similar credentials, according to recruiters.