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October 31, 2007
Innovation: A Few Things Your Customers Have Learned with the Help of Social Media
Your brands may have shifted radically from top of mind to bottom of the pile in your customers' lives – all thanks to social media. From premier to ordinary just in a few clicks thanks to the dozens forum reviews, blog posts, Twitter bursts, even text messages. These tools and your customers' increasing comfort level with using them are word of mouth on steroids.
The average consumer uses the Internet as an essential product research tool. We may purchase off line, but we surely enjoy the wealth of information we find online, especially any insights from other people who've gone through the same process. And here's where social media comes in.
It may not be enough anymore to have a company web site that is easy to use, displays clearly what you want to highlight with compelling content, and points people in the right direction. Although that is still seen as a priority for many companies, the rest of the organic search results that pop up when people enter key words that describe your business may very well be blog posts or forum boards. People will go visit those sites.
Continue reading "Innovation: A Few Things Your Customers Have Learned with the Help of Social Media"
Posted by Valeria Maltoni at 9:25 PM
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Leadership: Tune In or Forget It
“He doesn’t get people.” That’s how actor Steve Carell describes Michael Scott, the character he plays on The Office, NBC’s wicked comedy about work life. Scott is the boss who is woefully and pitifully out of tune with the people he manages. He constantly crosses the line between professional and personal boundaries and as a result does the inappropriate thing people-wise. Michael Scott criticizes when he should not; micromanages others constantly, and never takes responsibility for any consequences – it’s always someone else’s fault. The conceit of the show is that Scott believes is a great manager, one who leads his people by example when in reality he is a complete fool. Of course, it works as comedy and it is why the series is so popular, here and in Britain where it originated.
A reason for the popularity of The Office is that everyone seems to have worked for or with Michael Scott. Funny yes, but terribly sad and truly indicative of the sorry state of mismanagement in our culture! Sometimes managers are like schoolteachers. We expect so much of them, but we fail to provide them with the education, training and resources they need to succeed. Then we hold them solely accountable for failing schools. Likewise managers by and large do a good job of getting things done, but so often their people skills leave much to be desired and as a result, organizations under-perform. As with under-prepared teachers, we have under-prepared managers.
Continue reading "Leadership: Tune In or Forget It"Posted by John Baldoni at 10:39 AM
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Careers: Would You Fall Into The Gap?
Until recently, Gap Inc. was on my short list of leading socially responsible corporations in this country. This is a company that has trailblazed new paths in how it treats employees, the community and the environment.
How many companies produce reports that ask What Is A Company's Role in Society? How many companies have an SVP of social responsibility? Well, the Gap needs this executive now more than ever.
Although the Gap's credentials as a progressive employer are unassailable, the company has consistently failed to enforce its own policies with regard to managing its outsourced manufacturing suppliers around the globe. On Sunday the UK's Observer broke the story about underage workers toiling in a New Delhi sweatshop run by one of the Gap's outsourced manufacturers - a subcontractor. Unfortunately, it wasn't the first time this has happened.
And there's this: one month ago the Gap lost a laptop containing the personal data of 800,000 job applicants. What these sensitive records - some contained social security numbers - were doing on a laptop held by a third-party service provider was never explained.
So while how you treat your employees, the community and your environment is extremely important, let's also not forget that relationships in orbit around the Gap - with job candidates and third-party contract workers - are also part of what defines a socially responsible employer.
For starters, the Gap needs to make a deeper commitment to how it manages third-party manufacturers - 90 people to watch 2,000 suppliers aren't enough.
If I worked there, I might not quit but I would try to push them to change. If I were a customer, investor or business partner, I would apply whatever leverage is possible to impress the Gap about the need for serious reforms. If I were a job candidate I would pass, at least for now.
What about you?
Rusty Weston, My Global Career • San Francisco, Ca • http://www.myglobalcareer.com/ •
Posted by Rusty Weston at 1:45 AM
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October 30, 2007
Leadership: Leadership Is Context
I was going to write a long post about leadership within various contexts, however I thought I'd start a dialogue to hear what you have to say about this.
One can't remove leaders from the context of their worlds and expect to measure their leadership style and effectiveness in any way. It's all about the context of their world, their surroundings, people, challenges, stability and sustainability of the organization.
From the other perspective often context creates leaders based on what unfolds in their realms. Take a third perspective and many a time context defines what style of leadership is needed. So do you put the cart before the horse? Horse before the cart or is it a give and take relationship?
Who seeks out a leader who hasn't proven great leadership? And yet, circumstances might dictate who a great leader is in one context while being a poor leader in another.
This is very intricate, has many facets and goes directly to defining sustainable and mastery in leadership. What are the common threads? How do you see it?
Donna Karlin • Executive and Political Shadow Coach™ • Ottawa, Canada • •www.abetterperspective.com
Posted by Donna Karlin at 5:20 PM
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Work/Life: Write your own duty statement and see who buys it
Ok, so you and I missed the boat on being a child prodigy*.
You want a job that pays well enough, one you'll get up for without smashing the alarm clock.
People ask me, how did you convince that company to hire you?
(We're talking here about my job which pays very modestly but for some reason many people want it. I'm trying to fathom why.)
I tell them to turn the question around: How did the company convince me they were worth spending hours of my life on that I'm not going to get back?
So here's an unconventional approach to finding a seamless work/life job - one where you're working without feeling like it's work - that you might not have tried.
Start by finding a company who makes a product you use and like, and – very important - with a personality you like. You don't want to spend 8 hours sleeping beside someone you don't like, why feel same for the next 8 hours?
Posted by Lynette Chiang at 5:04 PM
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Careers: 3 Simple Steps to Ease Candidate Rejections
In a recent blog, Penelope Trunk, author of Brazen Careerist, called upon insight from a friend in human resources to explain why candidates often don’t hear from the company after an interview. Her unnamed source did a great job of getting at the heart of the matter: most recruiters want to avoid conflict. And nothing says “conflict” like telling someone they’re not going to get a job.
But let’s put the shoe on the other foot. Have you ever been on a date chatting and laughing it up, thinking you hit it off, but then he or she never returns your call? How often have great dates ended with the promise, “I’ll call you,” but they never do? Do you remember how that non-response response feels?
Trunk’s source says company recruiters often string candidates along because the interviewer doesn’t have to absorb the opportunity cost. As he puts it “…If you interview with me, what are the consequences for me treating you poorly? Not any really. You as the candidate don’t want to burn a bridge lest [my company] should happen to call you in the future, so it’s not like you are going to take me to task.“ This seems pretty callous. Great companies don’t allow this type of behavior. Great companies are great because they treat customers, employees, and candidates alike: professionally, and with respect.
Nobody wants to be the bearer of bad news, but it’s important to remember that interviewees are people, not faceless data points; treat them the way you yourself would like to be treated. Here are three simple, pain-free ways to communicate with candidates:
Don’t give mixed signals. If you know the candidate isn’t a good fit five minutes into the interview, don’t wrap things up by saying: “If you are the candidate selected for this position…” When a candidate really wants to work for your company, they’re going to interpret that phrase as a good indicator that you’re interested in them. Instead, during the interview say, “The candidate selected for the position…”
Communicate next steps. If you don’t, you could develop a bad case of “carpal pinky syndrome” (a chronic pinky distress condition recruiters develop from repeatedly hitting their delete key, clearing out emails from anxious candidates who don’t know they didn’t make the cut). When candidates know that they’ll hear from you one way or the other within two weeks, it will save them from restlessly waiting for a call three or four weeks later. Then, make sure you follow-up within the timeframe you outlined. This will also put you well on your way to “carpal pinky” recovery.
No need to make it personal. I know following up with every interviewee individually can be next to impossible for many companies, but it doesn’t take much effort to send out a form rejection email. Once I received a rejection flyer that looked like it was mass-produced on an old-fashioned printing press. Did the quality of the flyer make me laugh? Yes. Was I disappointed to receive it? Yes. Was I glad the company made even this lame effort to notify me instead of never hearing from the company again? ABSOLUTELY.
As Trunk puts it: “The people who get back to you and tell you flat out “no,” or, better yet, are transparent enough to tell you “no” right there in the interview, are the people who are the best to work for.” So the next time you’re tempted to take the easy way out and avoid telling a job candidate they’re not a good fit, remember that’s not the way great companies behave. Notifying candidates that they didn’t get the job early and clearly is not just the reputable thing to do, it’s the right thing.
Shawn Graham is an Associate Director with the MBA Career Management Center at UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School and author of Courting Your Career: Match Yourself with the Perfect Job (courtingyourcareer.wordpress.com).
Posted by Shawn Graham at 12:23 PM
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Work/Life: Halloween Costumes for the Work/Life Challenged
CEO Dad’s Tuesday Tirade….
Okay, ghosts and goblins, it’s Halloween, and the pressure is on to have the most original costume at your workplace. Well, why go as Jack Sparrow or Elvira or Spiderman when you can make a real statement with my new line of Halloween fashions that are not only fun, but will get your fellow party guests thinking at the same time?
THE BLACKBERRY – Your head is where the display would be, and your arms stick out the sides of this detailed replica of the world’s most addictive PDA. The costume is wired to receive text messages at a rate of one every 38 seconds, forcing you to keep interrupting whoever you are talking to in order to text back. Eventually, you become fed up and, while everybody watches, you strip off your Blackberry (make sure to be wearing something underneath) and throw it to the ground, stomping on it with your heel. You will not be surprised when the room erupts in cheers. Note: Do not do this with the IPhone costume. It’s too expensive to destroy.
THE DALAI LAMA – It’s a simple saffron robe, a shaved head and a pair of 1980’s glasses, but just let anyone try to engage you in a trivial conversation about work! It’s not going to happen. Before you know it, crowds will gather with an urge to discuss who we are, why we’re here and where we are going, which is a far cry from complaints about people who don’t replace the toner.
THE DEEPAK CHOPRA – Similar to the above, with civilian clothes, hair and no glasses. The real difference is that if you play your cards right, you could stage your own PBS fund drive and make a lot of money selling your audio books for ten times what they actually go for.
THE AIRBUS A380 - You’ll certainly be eye-catching as you arrive dressed as an aircraft capable of holding over 400 passengers and featuring 12 private luxury suites. However, you will soon notice that nobody cares, and, as you stand alone, friendless off to one side of the party, you will serve as a reminder about corporate excesses and the need to simplify our lives.
Those are just a few of the unique costumes you could amaze and delight your colleagues with this Halloween. Any other ideas, feel free to hold forth.
Posted by Tom Stern at 5:32 AM
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October 28, 2007
Innovation: Antique Air
America's air-traffic control system lags behind systems already rolled out in other parts of the world. This summer's flight delays have demonstrated all too clearly that our system is too slow to handle today's volume.
That's the storyline of a September 28 article in The Wall Street Journal, which also observes that what's limiting the on-time reliability of America's airlines isn't so much lack of runways as it is lack of airspace.
Continue reading "Innovation: Antique Air"Posted by Robert Buckman at 6:05 PM
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October 26, 2007
Work/Life: Bye, Bye "8-to-6," Flexibility to Find a "Fit" Across Time Zones
Work+life flexibility is an effective retention strategy, but in a 24/7, high-tech, global work reality it is much more. It’s a resource and time management tool for coordinating global clients and teams so that work is done across time zones without burning people out. Too many people are working their traditional “8-to-6” schedule in addition to doing global work after-hours. Something has got to give, and greater flexibility is the solution.
Increasingly, I find business leaders are recognizing that you can’t ask people to work “8-to-6” and then get on calls with Asia from 11pm-3am without rethinking if the standard “8-to-6, in-the-office” model of work even applies anymore. It doesn’t. Flexibility in where, when and how work is done achieves global client and team objectives while giving people the time and energy to still have a personal life.
Posted by Cali Williams Yost at 4:03 PM
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Work/Life: Now You Can Pay Someone To Give You A Day Off
An Oklahoma company is causing a ruckus by running a Web site that offers various excuse notes to people who want to take some short-notice time off from work. For about 25 bucks, you can download a document that looks like it comes from a doctor, a court, or even a funeral home. The site disclaimer points out that the forms are for entertainment purposes only, but since medical records are protected from public scrutiny, often the sick notes from doctors go unquestioned while an employee skips out on responsibility for a day.
Not only that, people are starting to use the notes for other purposes, such as getting out of contracts or dodging traffic tickets. In fact, the owner of the site is quoted as saying “there’s no way we could think of every way to use [the service].”
Well, that got my twisted little mind going. Here’s a template of my own. Feel free to use it. I won’t even charge you the 25 dollars. However, I will accept donations to the Tom Stern Work/Life Balance Foundation.
From the Desk of Doctor Morton Fine
18 Credibility Towers, Suite 400
Phoenix, Arizona 85003
Re: Tom Stern
Dear Client,
It is my considered medical opinion that Tom Stern [or your name here] will be unable to make the client lunch/merger meeting/conference call that was scheduled for today. I have examined Mr. Stern, and found his heart has hardened to such a degree that unless he spends a few moments playing with his children or takes a long-needed bubble bath with his wife, he will soon be in need of a complete Workechtomy. As you know, a Workechtomy is a costly and potentially dangerous procedure that involves the removal of the 18-hour day hemisphere from the brain, and reducing it to the proper 8-hour size. But surgery can be avoided by his simply refusing to submit to another day of the soul-crushing, mind-numbing, physically exhausting experience you people call “doing business.”
It is with these considerations in mind that I request a freaking day off for this person, or there’ll be hell to pay, you got that, dirt bag?
Sincerely,
Dr. Morton Fine
I think that ought to do the trick. Now I’m going to kick back and take a little quality time with others and myself. I encourage you to create your own templates, and let me know how it goes. And if you find out a way to turn a profit, more power to you.
Posted by Tom Stern at 5:27 AM
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October 25, 2007
Careers: Personal Branding Times Two
How do you instantly double the power of personal branding?
This isn’t a trick question, just a way to try to start thinking unconventionally. All of which got me reflecting on marriage -- not the romantic concept but a synergy of two souls that packs twice the wallop. Applied to personal branding, it means strategic alliances, partnerships and associations.
At the most basic level, it comes down to the company you keep. Think about it for a second. Your personal brand can move up a notch in respect, stature and credibility if you ally yourself with the right people. It’s, if you pardon the expression, sort of the idea of marrying up -- akin to nobodies marrying somebodies and becoming better known in the process. Even if you don’t marry up to continue the analogy, you can combine forces with someone of equal stature, if you’re running a business, and suddenly you have twice the firing power. If you’re working for a company, not to worry; you can chose your mentors and associates wisely so that you are viewed as part of the “A” team, not the Schlump team. If you own your own business, you also might think about formalizing relationships. That means developing strategic alliances and partnerships with other companies that will enhance your brand, along with helping you grow your business.
The best way to determine whom to ally with is to start with a self-and goals-assessment. Here’s a brief framework to get you started:
• One: What are you doing well? What are you known for? And on the other side of the ledger, what are you lacking? What’s holding you back?
• Two: Where do you want to go? What are your objectives?
• Three: What do you need to do to reach your goals and objectives?
• Four: Who can help you reach your desired end point faster? Which of these people/companies can be the most helpful?
Once you’ve done that, you’re headed in the right direction and the rest is tactical – figuring out how to connect with the people or companies you’ve identified.
How are you doubling the power of your personal brand? What connections are you forging? I’d love to hear your story.
Wendy Marx, Personal and Corporate Public Relations, Marx Communications
Posted by Wendy Marx at 9:14 AM
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Innovation: Google’s Math PUZZLES Customers
Your site just did the Google Dance — and your partner seems to have stepped on your foot. Today the giant information engine company downgraded several blogs with high PageRanks (PR) – the jury is out on why those sites were demoted. Among them ProBlogger, who has upward of 34,000 RSS subscribers, Copyblogger who has upward of 26,000 RSS subscribers – two among my favorite sources of good content written intelligently.
As Andy Beard wrote in his post on Digg favorites slapped by Google, this might be related to blog network interlinking. A civil discussion ensued in the comments of all those posts, dozens and dozens of them. Or does this mean that Google no longer values blogs as highly as it once did and is scaling back its authority accordingly?
Continue reading "Innovation: Google’s Math PUZZLES Customers"Posted by Valeria Maltoni at 6:50 AM
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October 24, 2007
Leadership: Listening, or Listening and Incorporating?
Most leaders ask for information but not necessarily for advice. Many will listen to advice and then end up tossing it and doing their own thing. Is it a pride issue do you think? Or in some cases, do you think leaders hesitate to ask for and implement advice because they think in some people’s eyes it shows a sign of weakness?
I often work with leaders who listen intently to what’s unfolding before them and even though some of the issues are critical, respond by saying “I would have done it this way” or “Yes, I see what you mean but you should do this instead”, totally discounting all advice. They are downloading information, perhaps using bits and pieces of it to validate what they already know or feel, but they’re not doing anything with the advice they were given. Most of the time it’s unsolicited and they let you know they didn’t ask for it either, making that one of the main reasons for not taking it into account.
People will stop suggesting or giving well based advice because they know it’s falling on deaf ears. Is that leadership or dictatorship? And we all know what that kind of dynamic does to self-worth.
Is it power, politics and self-preservation?
It doesn’t matter how secure we are, don’t we all want to be on top, the kingpins, to dominate those who we feel might just know more than we do?
Ego at play; no matter how much we want the best for the organization and its people, we all need to have our egos stroked now and then, don’t you think?
Even if we think we know all there is to know, mastery comes from practicing from a position of what I call grad basic or going back to the basics from a position of having been there, done that. There is always something more to learn. You might be starting from a higher plane but just think of how much you’re going to pick up that you missed the first time ‘round.
Whose responsibility is it to encourage advisors to speak up, to bring ideas, thoughts and concepts to the table by actively engaging others with the intention of listening and learning? The leader’s or the staff, or both?
Donna Karlin • Executive and Political Shadow Coach™ • Ottawa, Canada • •www.abetterperspective.com
Posted by Donna Karlin at 8:53 PM
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Careers: On Again, Off Again Engagement
Most of us want to fall truly, madly, deeply in love with our work. But the vast majority of us aren't what HR experts call "engaged" by our jobs.
What can we do about that? First, we can realize that this is a universal problem. A just-released study of 88,612 workforce members in 18 countries by Towers Perrin finds that only 21 percent of employees are engaged in their current work. In fact, 38 percent of workers feel partly to fully disengaged.
Does this sound like the weather report for your cube? Patchy clouds of engagement, followed by chilly co-workers, and a chance of hot air from your boss.
The litmus test goes like this: If you care about the future of the company and are willing to make a discretionary effort, then it's likely you are engaged. Translation: You're willing to work 65 hours a week because you like your job and you like your company.
If you're working those 65 hours just out of fear, chances are you're partly engaged but probably not for the right reasons.
The company cares about your effort for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is that an engaged workforce helps it outperform its competition. And there's more: "half of the engaged employees had no plans to leave their company, compared with just 15 percent of the disengaged."
"Job satisfaction or employee happiness doesn't necessarily extend itself to the financial performance of the company," explains one of the study's architects, Julie Gebauer, leader of the firm's Workforce Effectiveness consulting practice.
Gebauer says the study finds three factors that all must be in sync before a worker is properly engaged:
- Head: I know what I need to do to make my company be successful.
- Heart: The emotional connection. You have pride in your company and you're connected to the mission and vision.
- Hand: The action or motivational part of the relationship. Now I'm willing to put in more effort than is required to help the company succeed.
Sounds nice. But let's assume for a moment that your engagement is called off - it just isn't going to happen on your current job. How would you choose your next employer based upon the likelihood that they will engage you? The study offers some intriguing ideas about this:
- Employees want to work for a company that is seen as a leader
- Employees want senior leadership to demonstrate inspiration, vision and commitment
- Employees will work hard but they want a clearer picture of what's in it for them
In a job interview, ask about the corporate culture. Do they practice social responsibility? What are the company's programs or views regarding work/life balance? Does the company have a "no asshole rule"?
Intriguingly, the study explores engagement (and what drives it) by country and age groups. Some workers value organizations that stress social responsibility, while others prefer employers that help them achieve a work/life balance. Later this year, Towers plans to release industry cuts showing which fields have high or low engagement levels.
Is your engagement on or off?
Rusty Weston, My Global Career • San Francisco, Ca • http://www.myglobalcareer.com/ •
Posted by Rusty Weston at 8:08 PM
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Leadership: It's All About Respect Says Joe
Joe Torre turned down $5 million to coach the Yankees next year, $2.5 million less than he earned this year. True, there were incentives that could boost Torre’s pay by $3 million but for Torre that was too much. “I’ve been here 12 years and I didn’t think motivation was needed.” Torre skippered the Yankees to 12 consecutive playoffs and four World Series titles.
For Torre, his leaving was not about the money. “Yes, it was a very generous offer,” Torre said at his press conference. “But it wasn’t the type of commitment that ‘we’re trying to do something together.’” In Torre’s eyes, the deal was more “’let me see what you can do for me.’” Such an offer also was “not right for my players.” For Torre you win for yourself and your team – not your manager.
The Yankees are not alone in failing to show respect. Far too many organizations from the mom and pop store on the corner to global organizations fail to show their people adequate respect as individuals and as contributors. Respect is important; it is a bond that works both ways. Respect the individual and she will respect your company. Respect directly affects retention. According to data conducted by Sirota Survey Intelligence, “63 of those who do not feel treated with respect intend to leave within two years, vs. only 19% who feel they are shown respect.” And so it is useful to remind ourselves of ways we can show respect to folks on our team.
Continue reading "Leadership: It's All About Respect Says Joe"Posted by John Baldoni at 10:34 AM
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October 23, 2007
Innovation: This Post is All About You
Isn't that what we all want? In this overloaded world of information and advertising, don't we just want it to be all about us for a change?
Throughout my career in corporate America and consulting, I've seen it more times than I can count. The big cheese doesn't want to leave any opportunities on the table and thinks that if she could just get her message out to a broad enough audience people would buy. Think again, the average US adult is bombarded with an estimated 3000+ advertising & branding related message EVERY DAY.
There is very little chance that your marketing message can cut through that clutter. So today I'm going to chat a little about the benefits of niche marketing. It's not a new idea, but too few are willing to take the perceived risk.
Most of the US GDP is made up of service companies. 99% of the time, a service company will depend on the quality of its reputation to get business. And more often than not, that reputation is very much driven by the people in the business. It's driven by the quality of service that YOU provide each and every day. The services economy is ultimately driven by its ability to solve problems. The list of service providers is long, but here's a few: attorney, doctor, electrician, architect, IT, developer, engineer, consultant, coach, banker, designer, trainer, planner, etc... All of the roles are built around solving a particular set of problems.
A funny thing happens when you realize you have a problem - especially a major and costly problem. You want the best in the business to fix it. And for the especially hairy headache-inspiring problems, you don't particularly care how much it costs to fix it - as long as it's fixed quickly and the return on your expense is around the corner. Think back to the list of service providers above; illness, security, safety, attrition, sales, purchasing, real estate and divorce, whatever... There are a ton of problem out there looking for a solution. Once you become aware of the problem, you start looking for the expert to help you fix it.
The shift to niche marketing makes logical sense. After all, we're all consumers of services. We've all needed a plumber at one time or another. But for some reason, a lot of executives don't believe their business fits the mold for niche marketing. They feel like they're leaving too much opportunity on the table.
Perhaps a greater reason behind the aversion to niche marketing is that it forces your organization to truly understand your client's challenges and issues - and be able to prove that you can fix them. When you move into the white collar realm of services (especially marketing and advertising) it can seem difficult to quantify results. But much like hesitating to niche message, the ability to quantify results is almost always there if you know the right questions to ask and how deep to probe. Most people stop questioning too early and wonder why they can't make a stronger business case.
Ironically, everything that scares a lot of business owners about choosing a niche is what allows them to most efficiently reach their business goals. By staking claim of a niche market - and proving that you can solve specific problems - you can create more opportunities than capacity. When you have more opportunities, you can increase your fees and close business with less effort.
Ultimately, no one can serve everyone. And that's what broad vague internally-focused messaging attempts to do. Put some thought into your niche. It doesn't exclude you from taking on work outside of that segment; but it does give you the best opportunity for profitable growth.
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Nick Rice - I work with successful professional service firms that struggle to attract new clients - http://www.nick-rice.com
Posted by Nick Rice at 2:24 PM
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Leadership: Emblems of Success
I was driving around my town the other day, one of those upscale places where there are a lot of nice cars. I stopped at the local ice cream place and noticed an unusual car parked on the street in front of me. My husband pointed out that it was a Bentley, the Continental GT, a sporty version of that venerable brand. Apparently it’s the least expensive of the Bentley line, priced at $150,000.
From time to time, we also see the occasional Ferrari or Maserati (usually during the summer, rarely parked and much more expensive than the Bentley) and there are loads of BMWs and Mercedes (they’re parked all over the place). Almost every other car that I haven’t mentioned so far is late model and nice.
Such cars are emblems and increasingly the type of thing we use to delineate and display our status without showing the bank account. And not just the car, but where and even if it gets parked, marks the driver either as someone who is of such sufficient status that a scratch, ding or dent is no big deal or someone who isn’t. Homes are also emblems and clothes are, too. For women, the latest “it” bag or Jimmy Choos or Manolos are emblems. For men, a popular emblem is a wristwatch, which, at a certain level, must be Swiss (think Yo-Yo Ma and his Rolex). Sometimes it’s jewelry, big jewels (I call them “headlights”) – for both men and women, though often it’s the woman wearing the jewels and the man wearing the woman. Or maybe it’s vice-versa. All emblems.
Emblems can certainly be less precious and say even more about us than our level of success. Think about walking down the street with a Starbucks in hand or carrying the latest cell/PDA (iPhone anyone?). What about computers? Are you a Microsoft or Mac person? As a long-time Mac user, I can clearly remember early on when people who owned Macs were viewed as somehow lower-status, less technologically savvy, not to be taken seriously as business people as those who tussled with Windows. Perceptions change (and we Mac fans always knew they would).
Even the field you’re in is an emblem. Think about how you may view people who are in technology and wear jeans and T-shirts to work vs. how you view someone who is in a job that requires they dress in a suit and tie. Do you get your shoes shined? I was up at a New York law firm last week and the shoeshine person actually set up her stand in the hall. So some people do.
What’s on your iPod? Do you even have one? Is it rock, country, alternative, orchestral, opera? Maybe you enjoy them all.
Cars don’t do it for me. I drive a plain-vanilla Toyota Camry with a 4-cylinder engine, comfy, reliable and good on gas. I desperately need a new watch (have you seen the new TX line from Timex?). My engagement ring still has the small diamond that my husband could afford at the time. These are certainly also emblems that say something about me.
I do splurge on clothes and recently bought myself a gorgeous and very expensive Italian suit. I’m planning to wear it this week for the first time and really looking forward to that. What do I hope it communicates about me? Smart, chic, sophisticated, together and, of course, successful would do nicely.
How are you marked? What are your emblems of success?
Ruth Sherman • Ruth Sherman Associates, LLC • Greenwich, CT • www.ruthsherman.com
tag technorati
emblems
communication
Bentley
Mercedes
BMW
Ferrari
Maserati
Jimmy Choo
Manolo Blahnik
Microsoft
Mac
Starbucks
iPhone
Timex TX
Toyota Camry
Yo-Yo Ma
Rolex
Posted by Ruth Sherman at 2:08 PM
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Careers: Rules of Engagement
A survey by Gallup indicated that 1 out of 4 employees would fire their boss. Did that grab your attention? It did mine. But before we start packing up our offices or updating our resumes, it’s important to note that results varied widely based on whether employees were identified as engaged, not engaged, or actively disengaged at work.
The report goes on to conclude that employees who doubt their bosses care about them are far more likely to want to show them the door. But that’s not all. Gallup estimates the loss of productivity for the roughly 25 million workers 18 or older who are actively disengaged costs the U.S. economy approximately $382 billion annually.
So what’s a manager to do? The easy answer is to keep the engaged employees engaged, engage the not-engaged, and find a way to reach, or get rid of, the actively disengaged. The results of the survey underline a point I heard Jim Runde, Vice Chairman at Morgan Stanley, make during a recent presentation to a group of job seekers at the firm’s worldwide headquarters in New York last week. “Who you work with is more important than were you work.” As Runde put it, it’s the micro issues (immediate supervisor didn’t have their back, didn’t get along with the team, etc.) that cause people to check out. Working for a great company, or even paying employees big salaries, isn’t enough to keep today’s workers engaged.
As a manager, how do you combat those micro issues?
Rule #1-Move from annual to quarterly reviews. This was something my last boss (the big fan of Silly Putty I mentioned in a previous entry) did and it enabled her to identify and react to issues sooner. During our reviews, she discussed our mutually agreed upon performance objectives, accomplishments, personal development goals and strength and development areas. Most importantly, she asked us to come up with a list of things that were working and things that weren’t. At first, this was something that made me a little gun shy: share too much information and you could send yourself up the creek without a paddle; don’t share enough and you could come across as disingenuous. But she promoted an office culture that over time made me feel comfortable in sharing candid feedback. Although I never discussed this with her, I believe the feedback she received from her direct reports not only went a long way in helping her keep a finger on the pulse of what was going on with each team member, but also with what was going on with our team as a whole.
Rule #2-Look for opportunities for your employees to stretch. Top performers often seek these out on their own, but others (especially younger employees) might not know how to get the ball rolling. But before you ask employees to stretch, it’s important to find opportunities that dovetail with their skill set or, if they don’t, that they have ample time and support to do so.
Rule #3-Spend time around the water cooler. As a manager, you don’t have to and shouldn’t get involved with catty conversations and gossip, but opening up a little bit and spending time chatting with your employees will go a long way towards letting them know you care about them. It might sound like common sense, but I’ve heard of quite a few bosses who don’t come out of their office until it’s time to go home.
That reminds me of another point Runde made during his presentation: “The more time you spend with people, the more you have a chance to get to know and understand them.” He was talking about his clients, but the same holds true with coworkers. Ask them about their weekend, their hobbies…them.
Rules of engagement are constantly changing. What keeps one employee’s motor going might not work for someone else. And just because someone is engaged today doesn’t mean they won’t be actively disengaged tomorrow. The next time you’re focused on the big picture, don’t forget to take some time out to understand and address the micro issues.
Shawn Graham is an Associate Director with the MBA Career Management Center at UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School and author of Courting Your Career: Match Yourself with the Perfect Job (courtingyourcareer.wordpress.com).
Posted by Shawn Graham at 8:25 AM
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Work/Life: Lost in the Male
CEO Dad’s Tuesday Tirade….
What a coincidence! I just read this remarkable story in the news about a postcard, sent by a soldier in WWII, finally arriving in the hands of its recipient now, 64 years later.
And then, lo and behold, the postman delivers today a faded, tattered old postcard (Greetings From Coney Island!) sent to me fifty years ago by my grandfather, and only just now making its way to me. With trembling hand, I turn the souvenir card over to read what is written on the back:
Dear Tom,
I have had a revelation. I have spent my adult life in the pursuit of greater and greater success, only to find that nothing holds the rewards I thought it would. I have let my family and emotional life suffer as a consequence, and am writing to tell you not to make the same mistake. LIVE, YOUNG TOM, LIVE! I know you are not yet three years old, but I need you to understand what’s really important in life. Not the grasping scramble to win and obtain, but the connection between human beings. I’m afraid I’m too proud to get this message to your father, whom I have raised to believe just the opposite and who has also sacrificed much for success. But if you can always keep these thoughts with you, then you can break the cycle, and be the first Stern man to at last get their priorities in order. IT’S UP TO YOU, TOM! And now that I have gotten this off my chest, it will never be spoken of again. I know you’ll turn out the better for it.
Love, Grandpa.
So, there it was. I had the secret to work/life balance conveyed to me at a very young age, but it never reached me. And because of it, I continued along the path of working to live, and often alienating those around me. Plus, because I never got this postcard, I grew up to be a manic achiever, a ruthless negotiator, and someone who has difficulty accepting responsibility for his own lot in life. As a result, the only thing I can think to do to react to this incredible bombshell of emotional information is to…sue the U.S. Postal Service.
Oh, it’s so totally their fault. If they hadn’t failed to get me this postcard, I could have ended up well-adjusted: taking vacations that did not involve a laptop and Wi-Fi; golfing for fun instead of networking; remembering my children’s names without the use of name tags. The Post Office owes me countless damages, not the least of which is several hundred thousand dollars reimbursement for therapy. Come to think of it, I’ll bet there’s a whole lot of my own personal problems I could pawn off onto the Postal Service. After all, they’re the ones who keep sending me those low balance transfer credit card offers. They’re the ones who deliver the Wall Street Journal, Money Magazine and the Victoria’s Secret catalogue. These people have been distracting me from what’s important for years!
I think I’ll write a letter to my youngest daughter right now, explaining how the world really works. This one, I’m hand delivering.
Posted by Tom Stern at 5:59 AM
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October 22, 2007
Work/Life: If Money Can’t Buy Happiness (Unless its $1.5m), Try Happiness
When people ask me what I do, I use to fumble around trying to describe my dilettantish existence. Nowadays, I say I ride a bike for a living.
Before an image of a female Lance Armstrong enters their head, I quickly add that I don't ride fast; sometimes I don't ride at all. I tell them I had a couple of "real jobs" before which paid way better.
They dismiss the money issue. They say they want my job, despite having a superior retirement plan (and while straddling the Pradas of high end bicycle brands). They might not actually take my job if offered, but a sense of "something not quite jiving" with their current life is apparent.
I googled 'money and happiness' on the FC website. According to this 2003 article, $1.5 million net worth is the magic figure where people's feelings of happiness go from nowhere to nirvana in nanoseconds.
Since a handful of us may not be able to rustle up that amount in our lifetimes, can we still be happy without having to eat beans and move to the boonies where rent is cheap? Even if "stuck in a job we hate"?
Assuming you're not grafted to an extremely expensive lifestyle (hello? Have I lost 98% of readers already?) I believe so. And I'm not talking about doing daily affirmations, gratitude prayers or joining a calligraphy class to keep your mind off the political pratt at the office who got you moved to cubicle without a window.
I'm talking about letting happiness buy happiness. Knowing what makes you happy will unlock the guerilla career seeker in you, because you'll be coming from the place that floats your boat – not someone else's. It's a powerful place.
Continue reading "Work/Life: If Money Can’t Buy Happiness (Unless its $1.5m), Try Happiness"Posted by Lynette Chiang at 4:40 PM
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Want to create change? Tell a story.
I was a freshly-minted adult when I graduated from Stanford Business School half a lifetime ago (23 years to be exact). Along with my classmate Seth Godin who was also a youngster when he graduated, I found all the theory that filled the biz school classrooms to be rather stale. Seth and I were so bored that we created our own independent studies course where we interviewed interesting businesspeople and asked them to share their rules for success (the result, “Business Rules of Thumb,” was the first book for us both…good luck finding a copy). We found these corporate leadership stories to be much more compelling than any decision tree or manufacturing bottleneck analysis. Two years ago, Seth even wrote a book on storytelling called “All Marketers are Liars,” in which he suggested that successful marketers don’t talk about features or benefits, they just tell great stories.
Since then, I’ve read a lot of great books on storytelling but I’ve yet to read one that so systematically and convincingly explains the steps for creating the drama and landscape for storytelling as the one I’ve just finished. Authors Richard Maxwell and Robert Dickman, who are consultants in the entertainment industry (if there ever was an industry based on spinning a tale, that’s it), have written The Elements of Persuasion which came out a few months ago. They suggest that all successful stories have five basic components: the PASSION with which the story is told, a HERO who leads us through the story and allows us to see it through his or her eyes, an ANTAGONIST or obstacle that the hero must overcome, a moment of AWARENESS that allows the hero to prevail, and the TRANSFORMATION in the hero and in the world that naturally results. Sounds a like a Hollywood hit to me. But, reading this book, I became convinced that great leaders are also able to express their reality and vision using this arc to define their story.
I was reminded of this last week while giving a presentation about my book PEAK: How Great Companies Get Their Mojo From Maslow. I was speaking to this group, not knowing that the wife of one of our employees was in the audience. For those of you who’ve read PEAK, you know this is a tale of how I launched my impractically-named company (Joie de Vivre Hotels) more than 20 years ago because of the passion I felt for the hospitality business’ approach to making customers feel good. I talked about how I was burnt out at the age of 25 having spent my first two years out of biz school getting pummeled in the rough-and-tumble world of commercial real estate development and construction. Starting Joie de Vivre (mindful of the company’s mission statement – defined by our name: “joy of life”) and growing it to be one of largest boutique hotel companies in the world was exhilarating. But, in our fifteenth year, we experienced the worst hotel downturn since World War II and Joie de Vivre was particularly exposed since all of our hotels were in the same region, the San Francisco Bay Area. Having all of our eggs in one geographic basket led me to not take a salary for three and a half years, during which time I became a real Abraham Maslow nut reading all kinds of books by this mid-20th century psychologist. I then applied his self-actualization-driven Hierarchy of Needs theory to how we created deeper relationships with our employees, customers, and investors. In the end, Joie de Vivre flourished during a difficult time and a new psychology of business was sprouted, which I applied to the company and came to realize was being used – in various forms – in other peak-performing companies.
So, I was telling this story on my book tour and the employee’s wife I mentioned came up to me after I spoke. She said she’d told my tale to probably 50 people because it was like describing a Jimmy Stewart film in which the good guy wins in the end. As she was describing my story back to me, I realized she was following that arc of PASSION – HERO – ANTAGONIST – AWARENESS – TRANSFORMATION that “The Elements of Persuasion” speaks of. So, I asked her, “Why do you keep telling this story?” And, she responded, “All of us need the inspiration to believe that if you persevere with your passion, you will one day succeed. Your story gives people strength.” While I don’t recommend going through the fire the way my company did, it is more than gratifying to know that our story is now inspiring others.
So, the next time you’re trying to persuade your colleagues about a particular strategy or idea, consider telling a story. Maybe tell a true story of someone who’s tale might mirror what you’re trying to articulate. If it’s your own story, all the better. Or possibly tell a future story that describes the positive, transformative outcome of what might happen if your team pursued your path. Facts and figures can help rationalize your story, but it’s the raw emotion that will draw people in and help them to remember just what you had in mind. Change happens when people are inspired.
Posted by Chip Conley at 2:50 PM
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Report From Web 2.0: More Creativity In This World Than the "CREATIVE" One
I spent two days at the Web 2.0 Conference in San Francisco last week, but rather than report on the proceedings -- trust me there was no shortage of blogging, Digging, Twittering, Jaikuing going on -- I'd rather comment on the broader theme of the role of creativity in business.
The point is that despite the palpable waves of self-satisfaction, and the echo-chamber of mutually-reinforcing coolness, there is a genuine rush of creativity in the Web 2.0 World that cannot be denied. And I'm talking about creativity in its purest form -- the willing into existence of a new construction, the imagining of new shapes and forms.
Continue reading "Report From Web 2.0: More Creativity In This World Than the "CREATIVE" One"Posted by Adam Hanft at 10:58 AM
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October 21, 2007
Courage to Share Our Stories!
Readers of my Work+Life Fit Blog shared my eighteen month work+life fit journey caring for my mother until her death from lung cancer this past July. The heartfelt emails I received from readers included their own personal eldercare experiences as well as surprising remarks about the courage I showed by sharing my story. And once again, I was reminded how difficult it is for most of us to share our work+life fit realities and choices, often at great cost.
Writing about my struggle of manage a full-time job, two children, a husband, and a sick mother whom I loved dearly wasn’t an act of courage. It was about survival and the search for a common understanding of experience and support. But for many of the people who reached out to me with their stories, that honesty was an act of bravery.
Why do stories matter? Because until we talk about how we’ve responded to work and personal transitions that challenged us to rethink our fit, the illusions that workplaces don’t need to be flexible and that careers are still linear will remain. Only when we begin to tell the truth about how we are really working and managing our personal responsibilities and choices will more meaningful managerial, individual, and cultural change occur.
Posted by Cali Williams Yost at 8:34 PM
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October 19, 2007
Work/Life: Would Hannah Montana Pay Three Grand To See You?
Parents out there know that Hannah Montana’s concert tour kicked off yesterday in St. Louis. Ticket re-sales are topping figures for Springsteen and the Police, and it’s been reported that some mommies and daddies are so desperate to get a seat for their kids that they’ve paid $3,000 a pop. Plus, to promote the shows in St. Louis, a local radio station persuaded about 150 men to race down the street wearing high heels for a chance at some free seats.
Balance of any kind, let alone work/life balance, is a major problem when you’re running in heels (well, so I’ve heard—I don’t speak from experience, I swear). That aside, such a flamboyant display of ridiculous behavior, even though it is an attempt to win a freebie, is still basically in aid of getting a material object to show a child that you care. One wobbly step back from a high-heeled foot race and the question might arise: what the heck am I doing? And that’s just the extreme. There are plenty of people shelling out hundreds for a chance to join the bubble gum rock chaos whether they can find size 13EE heels or not.
Let’s put something else at the end of that finish line. Suppose that radio station put out the call for guys who wanted a shot at spending more time away from work, more time with your family. Would we put on femme fatale footwear for that? Who needs to, right? If we want to make time for our loved ones, we will. No need to dress up and enter some silly contest to achieve that. Except we kind of have trouble committing to that goal. And we get busy, and then one of our children wants a Hannah Montana ticket, and well, we haven’t really had time to show them how much we love them lately, so we can dig deep, say, the monthly food budget of many families, and fork over the dough for a ticket to a couple of hours of entertainment calculated to numb the brain and make us forget that we had any priorities to begin with. Okay, that’s a lot of words to put into a pitch for a radio competition, but maybe if all the Dopey and Snarkey Morning Zoo jocks across the country framed it that way, they might get somebody willing to cross-dress in order to avoid such a no-win situation.
“All right, baby, it’s three minutes past the hour and, hey, Snarkey, we’re asking all the parents out there to paint their entire bodies blue and wear nothing but a thong, isn’t that right?”
“That’s right, Dopey, and if these nearly buck-naked blue-skinned folks will ride a unicycle down here to the station, the first one to get here without falling off their seat will get an incredible prize package from the Zoo.”
“Whoo-hoo, Snarkey! What are we giving away to one lucky winner?”
“Well, Dopey, the first one to make it here painted blue and in a thong on a unicycle will get guaranteed better communication with everyone in their family, and a lifetime supply of understanding and the ability to work out any problem that comes their way.”
“And will you look at this, Snark! There’s gotta be a hundred thousand naked blue people on unicycles headed this way!”
“Didn’t get that many for the Hannah Montana giveaway, Dopey!”
“Hannah who?”
You know, it’s almost Halloween anyway, so, folks, put on the weirdest outfit you can think of, hit the streets and imagine racing to a goal that will last a little longer than the flavor of the month. I have more opinions, but the really in-demand ones are currently going for three grand a ticket.
Posted by Tom Stern at 5:53 AM
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October 18, 2007
Careers: Personal Branding and Energy
In today’s 24-7 culture, most of us are rushing around so furiously we don’t take the time to take stock of ourselves.
There is a terrific article in the October 2007 Harvard Business Review by Tony Schwarz called “Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time.” If you haven’t seen it, grab it now. It could change your life. And I don’t say that lightly.
The article makes the point that “most people are living at such a furious pace that they rarely stop to ask themselves what they stand for and who they want to be. As a consequence they let external demands dictate their actions.”
Sure, we may have a perfect elevator pitch and are making great strides at work, but ultimately true personal success comes from deep within. The idea is to create more meaning and focus in our lives and align what we’re doing with whom we want to be. Putting it like that may sound a bit new agey but the author makes it all very real. Here are some questions he suggests you ask yourself:
Are you not spending enough time at work doing what you do best and enjoy the most?
Are there significant gaps between what you say is most important to you in your life and how you actually allocate your time and energy?
Are your decisions at work more influenced by external demands than by a strong, clear sense of your own purpose?
Are you not investing enough time and energy in making a positive difference to others in the world?
Do you spend much of your day reacting to immediate crises and demands rather than focusing on activities with longer-term value and high leverage?
If you answered “yes” to those questions, you may be headed for what Schwartz terms an “energy crisis,” where you’re not managing your energy effectively.
What does all this have to do with personal branding?
Your personal brand is ultimately a reflection of your character. If your life is out of synch, you’re working too many hours to be healthy and not taking time to recharge yourself, your personal brand will suffer – not to mention your life. Schwartz’s studies have shown that "personal renewal leads to more sustainable performance.” Simple things like taking time to eat better, exercise, reframing negative emotions and developing healthy rituals to replace negative ones can result in more energy and productivity. Feeling renewed can’t help but recharge how you articulate and translate your personal brand into action.
What are you doing to boost your energy and productivity and put your life in balance? How has that helped you improve your personal brand? I’d love to hear from you.
Wendy Marx • Public Relations and Personal Branding • President, Marx Communications, Inc.
Posted by Wendy Marx at 9:08 AM
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Innovation: Customer SURVEYS are Dead
Tell the truth, do you look forward to filling out and responding to surveys? They are one of the most invasive forms of one-way communication. From the exit interview to the “how did we do?” after your car has been serviced, surveys seem to be the only time a company explicitly requests your opinion – when you’re on your way out.
What if instead of having surveys we had conversations? Would the attrition rate improve?
I was raised in a family with four women and I can tell you that it can be done. You can have multiple conversations, even at the same time. And your customers soon will begin to be of that generation used to Twitter as they answer email and text messages.
Continue reading "Innovation: Customer SURVEYS are Dead"Posted by Valeria Maltoni at 6:50 AM
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Careers: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams
Until today I had never heard of Professor Randy Pausch of Carnegie Mellon University. I hadn't heard about his trailblazing work in computer science studies - particularly in virtual reality and creating a playful way to teach computer programming to children.
But then someone sent me a link to his final lecture, which CMU recorded on September 18th and streamed on the web. The 47-year-old Pausch, who is dying of terminal pancreatic cancer, is worth listening to - and remembering - because he has something to teach all of us about achieving our childhood dreams.
In his hour-plus long talk to an audience of 400 friends, faculty and students, Pausch liberally weaves humor, storytelling and multimedia tools to convey invaluable advice about building a career and managing relationships with bosses, co-workers, students, and family.
"We're not going to talk about spirituality and religion," he says. "Although I will tell you that I have experienced a deathbed conversion. I just bought a Macintosh. ... Now I know I'd get 9 percent of the audience with that."
It had been too many years since I heard a really inspirational and informative college lecture. What if you had one last lecture to give - what would you say to your friends, colleagues and loved ones?
"I don't know how to not have fun," he says at one point. "I'm dying and I'm going to keep having fun every day I have left."
Rusty Weston, My Global Career • San Francisco, Ca • http://www.myglobalcareer.com/ •
Posted by Rusty Weston at 3:52 AM
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October 17, 2007
Leadership: Working in the Twilight Zone
There’s a quote by Monica Baldwin that goes something like “The moment when you first wake up in the morning is the most wonderful of the twenty-four hours. No matter how weary or dreary you may feel, you possess the certainty that, during the day that lies before you, absolutely anything may happen. And the fact that it practically always doesn't, matters not a jot. The possibility is always there.“
My clients, and me, by virtue of my days becoming theirs, live in a world where it practically always does happen. No two days are alike even if it’s planned that way.
To lay out a bit of context for you, here is a global organization that is in the midst of major structural changes. The top three in positions of leadership are new, my client is fairly new, and on top of it they are doing a structural change that affects all of management, all departments as their structure and mandates will change as well. No two days are alike as they are still finding their way. The first thing I asked them was to define the differences between defining their roles and designing them. I wanted to them to take control over whatever it was they could control and if that was working together to define roles and responsibilities, reporting structure, deliverables and to a great extent, even where their offices were located, at least they would feel as if there was some order to the chaos.
Well today defied all the norms and I decided that if I was to break the acute tension that was so tangible you could reach out and touch it, I would have to ask or do something outlandish. So I asked the client I was Shadow Coaching what her day reminded her of. She paused for a moment and answered “I can’t say because I have never experienced anything like it! I’m in the Twilight Zone!”
Talk about being given a gift. We looked at the concept of that old favorite show and how it did indeed define their world today. It really was perfect. As we ran from meeting to meeting, watching others stressed to the nines, I engaged my client to partner with me and have a dialogue about working in the Twilight Zone and how even best laid intentions turned out completely different because the world wasn’t in our control. It brought a hint of humor to the entire building which immediate lessened the stress that was tangible the moment you walked through the doors.
It’s true that humor conquers all. The entire management team went from survival mode to what I call 'thrival' mode. When I left this afternoon they were pumped, smiling and even though mentally exhausted by the sheer volume of work they know they'll have to do in order to make this a success, at the back of their minds they have this vision of working in the Twilight Zone that they will remember with a smile for the rest of their lives.
We changed an environment that wasn't sustainable and put a new twist to it so it just might work. What are you dealing with that you might want to turn around and bring a whole new perspective to? A question that I often ask clients and will leave you with is “What if the next thing you did or said could transform the organization? What would that be? And what would that look like?”
Donna Karlin • Executive and Political Shadow Coach™ • Ottawa, Canada • •www.abetterperspective.com
Posted by Donna Karlin at 4:58 PM
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Careers: Creative Interactivity and Other Musts To Attract Young Talent
Because it’s a buyers market, when looking to attract young talent, compensation and location will continue to be increasingly important. But, over the near term, so too will your ability to reach them using new media, creative interactivity, and old-fashioned word of mouth.
Compensation. A business professor once told our class “It’s all about the bottom line.” And in many ways, when it comes to hiring he was right. Cost of living differences aside, top candidates typically want to be paid top dollar. If you’re new to formalized recruiting and you’re looking to hire undergraduate or graduate students, contact career offices at core recruiting schools for up to the minute salary data.
Location. Not something most companies can easily change at the drop of a dime, mid- to large-sized companies have the capacity to open up satellite offices in the U.S. and abroad. As the competition for top talent becomes even more intense and job seekers become less flexible about where they work, companies that offer geographic options will have a competitive advantage. Companies that were once able to hang their hats on shorter commute times and the opportunity to live in the suburbs are finding that might not be enough. To land top talent, sometimes you need multiple locations.
And, as I mentioned in an earlier post, don’t overlook the importance of marketing your city. Whirlpool is one such company that does a great job of highlighting what their location has to offer prospective employees.
New media. This is the wild card. A lot has been written about companies using Facebook, MySpace and YouTube to do a little digging on applicants. Now, more and more companies are starting to jump on board using those same sites as a marketing vehicle to attract talent. This is quite possibly the single biggest opportunity to change the way job seekers interface with, and identify companies of interest. But because we’re talking about it now, it’s already old news. Challenge your recruiting team to think about the face of recruiting over the next few years. How will your organization use technology to attract and land great candidates? Chances are company websites, flashy videos, and huge job boards aren’t going to be enough.
Creative interactivity. Companies recruiting on campus have traditionally followed a standard model. First, play a flashy video that includes sound bites from senior executives and junior employees. Then, dive into an hour-long presentation with time for a few student questions at the end followed by a little mingling. The benefits of these presentations are likely short lived. What students often remember is creative interactivity--having a chance to learn about the company while also seeing first-hand what the job involves. For example, Lehman Brothers sets up a sales and trading simulation and Fidelity hosts a stock picking game for MBAs. Other companies sponsor tailgates or case competitions. The benefits of these activities are enormous. They create a huge buzz on campus and they also give companies a chance to evaluate candida