Why Space Sector Recruiting is More Than Recruiting (Part 1 of 2)

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July 20, 2019, marked the 50th anniversary of the first humans landing on the Moon. On that date in 1969, over 500 million viewers worldwide were glued to their television screens as the crew of Apollo 11 made history.

Sadly, in the decades following the Moon landing, public and government support for space exploration dwindled. But these days, governments are no longer the sole funders and developers of ambitious space initiatives. In recent years a commercial space industry has blossomed, making the sector far more accessible to private enterprise and enabling the proliferation of entrepreneurial space companies around the planet. 

At EVONA our sole focus is space sector recruiting in this new and rapidly advancing era of commercial space development. 

But our mission isn’t simply to match great candidates with great job opportunities. 

It can’t be. Because development within the space sector has the potential to radically alter the course of humanity as we navigate through the 21st century and beyond. 

In this industry, we’re not just creating jobs. We’re creating our future. 

Not All Recruiting is Equal

No matter the industry, the basic goals of recruiting are the same. A recruiter is fundamentally a match-maker; someone who helps organizations with open positions find candidates who fit the part. The goal is to make the match in a way that saves time, money, and effort for employers and is a positive experience for candidates. 

Good recruiters are good match-makers. It takes experience, knowledge, skill and hard work to be consistently successful at identifying talented candidates and pairing them with the right opportunities, in the right fields, with the right employers.

This is one obvious way in which not all recruiting is equal. Not all recruiters are equal in experience, knowledge, skill, and dedication. Some recruiters, and recruiting companies are just better than others at the fundamental aspects of the job.

But recruiting can differ in another important respect. 

Not all industries have an equal impact on human welfare. Not all sectors have an equal role to play in determining the opportunities and outcomes for current and future generations. Not all markets are equal in the degree to which they can offer solutions to pressing social and environmental concerns. 

Consider the differences between:

1) recruiting for a professional sports team;

2) recruiting for a legal or finance firm;

3) recruiting for the military in a time of war; and

4) recruiting for the health industry in a time of global pandemic.

Even if every recruiter is an equally skilled and effective match-maker, there can be enormous differences in the significance and potential impact of one’s recruiting activities, depending on the industry and the context. 

If we had to rank the relative importance of these recruiting activities, we’ll rightly pick (3) and (4) over (1) and (2). 

The Space Sector Will Shape Our Future

Here’s the question: Is recruiting for the space sector in the 21st century more like sourcing white-collar employees for a law firm, or triage nurses for a stricken CDC outpost? 

It may be easy for some to discount the very real implications of the work currently being done at space companies around the globe. Some may see the space industry as devoid of tangible value for the average citizen—or perhaps, as just a bunch of high-minded science-types high-fiving each other. However, at EVONA we believe that the technological developments that are taking place now have the potential to fundamentally reshape how we live and interact, and will influence what future possibilities are open to us as a species. 

It is for this reason that we view space sector recruiting as more meaningful, more impactful, and more important than many other commonplace industries.

We all love our sports teams and our lawyers. But developments within the space sector and its associated technologies will have a deep and lasting influence on human society and our ability to cope with rapid social and environmental changes. This is an important difference.

We Are EVONA

Today, we are witnessing the beginning of a new and exciting era of space sector development. As dedicated space recruiters, we are determined to guide the emerging entrepreneurial space workforce to their ultimate destination: companies and positions wherein individuals can make the most impactful contributions for the betterment of humankind. 

At EVONA, we aim for excellence in our fundamental role as space sector match-makers. But we also aim for excellence in the space sector itself, to help it grow, thrive, and ultimately realize its potential as a shaper of positive futures for humanity. 

Our discussion on space sector recruiting continues in Part II: A Holistic Model of Recruitment (and what it means for the space industry)