HR Story
By Jessica Peterson

As one would expect, the job market on Guam is closely linked to its primary employment sectors — tourism, the government of Guam and military support industries. However, there are other subtle, but influential factors that affect the island’s employment trends.
According to Richard S. Colfax, professor of Human Resource Management at the University of Guam and senior consultant with Colfax Inc., one such factor is the constriction of training budgets. As a seasoned human resource professional, Colfax has provided advice, training, specialized services and programs on Guam for nearly 16 years. In addition, he has been involved in HR on Guam as a consultant and advisor to local businesses and organizations since arriving on Guam in 1994. He developed the HR concentration and studies program at UOG and started the UOG SHRM Student Chapter 13 years ago.
Colfax has observed that organizations in the region are allocating less to their training and employee development budgets in an apparent effort to streamline and save.
“This is a double-edged sword as training and development prepare both the organization and individual employees for new demands in the workplace,” says Colfax. “Unless organizations allocate and spend this portion of their budgets regularly, they will fall behind the competition and can well become unable to fully meet customer expectations and requirements. Additionally, employees will become frustrated and dissatisfied as they do not see opportunities to grow and develop as valuable organizational contributors.”
HR trends on Guam are also influenced by events and policies on the U.S. mainland. According to Colfax, there has been a growing concern on Guam about the changes that are taking place on the mainland and how those policies will be applied to employers and businesses on Guam. As a past president and board member of the Society for Human Resource Management Guam, Colfax has worked with the organization to sponsor training, information sessions and workshops that feature specialists and experts on different topics of interest. SHRM Guam makes a special effort to collaborate with other Guam business organizations and agencies when sponsoring these sessions so that all sectors of the island’s economy have the opportunity to participate, network, and collaborate.
Colfax still sees tourism as a major player in Guam’s employment arena. The tourism industry is swayed by the following factors:
• the arrival rates of tourists to Guam.
• the accessibility of Guam to different populations as this links with visas, immigration policies, etc.
• the exchange rates for different currencies.
• the availability of flights and hotel rooms.
• the prices of flights and hotel accommodations.
• the development of local tourism destination offerings and attractions.
• the quality of service available on Guam in comparison with other destinations.
• all related service industries that provide for and support the tourism product.
Some of the available positions include project-design and management jobs. There is a current need for architectural- and civil engineering-related personnel. Additionally, construction-related positions are available.
“We keep hearing that the military support positions, especially contracting related positions, are very available for individuals with basic business courses and experience,” Colfax says.
What does this mean for the local population and work force of Guam?
“Well, there are jobs available on Guam,” says Colfax. “These are often lower level starting positions that many of our graduates appear reluctant to accept even though these employees are often earmarked for possible promotions. Learning the system, becoming indoctrinated in the organizational system, and assimilating the business culture are all part of the patience needed to prove to supervisors and management that new employees are loyal and capable of fitting in.”
At present, Colfax says he sees the majority of UOG graduates attempting to find jobs on Guam rather than seeking employment off island. Where they are successful, he says, they will try to remain on Guam. However, there is a small percentage that becomes frustrated with the level or type of work that is available (if at all) or the disappointing lack of promotional opportunities. These look elsewhere for opportunities to grow and use their talents.
“These we lose to other jurisdictions and markets,” he says.
The million-dollar question is perhaps just what impact the military buildup will have on the island. It is clear that pre-buildup construction is on the increase. Colfax sees this as a great opportunity for the local work force, especially UOG’s business graduates.
“One impact that I have seen fairly recently is that the military buildup is creating a high demand in construction-related areas,” says Colfax. “This is especially obvious in the technical and expert areas of construction such as safety and design/architectural specialists. As a result, there has been a pull from tourism and other sectors, as qualified individuals accept the challenges and opportunities in construction firms. This is leaving gaps in the tourism and service sectors of our local economy.”

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