» employment branding

A goodbye letter to .jobs

Sarah White — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:51:46 +0000

Dear .jobs,

This is a hard letter to write – but I know it must be done. It seems like just yesterday when we first met – but its been almost 5 years. In that time, I always wanted to believe in you and think what you were saying was true. I was young and hopeful and really did think that you were going to change the world.

I’m in my 30′s now, .jobs, and while I still wish for that youthful love and world conquering idealism I once had with you – the dream has faded – partially because of the reasons I pointed out in 2007 on the mis-steps and marketing errors and pricing structure and lack of buy in and …. but I still hoped for your sake I was wrong.

I know we had some moments of glimmer and you told me about all the wonderful things you were going to do for me. But now, its just sad. The time to strike was hot a few years ago and the relationships are lost.

I’ve moved on .jobs. I’ve seen that love .com and I shared was real and the “Ohh Shiney” stuff that you offered was not real. He does what he says. He shows up in google searches. His domains are only $6.99 with a discount code at GoDaddy. He gets hits because its where my job seekers want to go. We are happy, our career sites are thriving. Please stop and leave us alone. Leave SHRM alone – they are getting this social media thing finally figured out – please let them focus on that.

Sincerely,

Me

PS. Thanks to @jobboarddoctor for his post today on ERE which made me get all worked up over this issue again. Read it. He’s right. Only 1 winner.

What companies (and jobseekers) should learn from MTV Movie Awards

Sarah White — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 15:43:03 +0000

I’ve mentioned it before, but I love movies and the way that regardless of what is going on in our economy, lives, politics, world, etc a good movie can totally take you out of it and introduce you into a world unknown for a period of time. I also love the lessons that we can learn from watching them – on life, risk taking, love, friendship, forgiveness and of course recruiting & branding.

20 Years ago – An Oscar was THE goal. It was credibility, notoriety, fame, fortune and the physical manifestation of success. Today its is the same thing with a interesting way to select movies that half the US population never will see.

20 Years Ago – The MTV Movie Awards didn’t exist. But in the last 19 years it has evolved into being the one place where movies that people actually watch over and over and over – regardless of their technical and acting quality can be recognized for simply being awesome.

The Oscar is like the HR’s answer to the “Best Places to Work List”

The MTV Movie award is where your friends love to work.

(Now, select the alternate ending of the blog that best meets your needs)

I’m A Company:

Having a “best places to work” icon on your career site is great and a huge feat and something every company should be extremely proud of. But don’t expect it to sell its self any more. People aren’t looking at that as the end all be all of great places to actually work. Its an icon, like an Oscar, but we all know that where people fill the seats and spend the money isn’t always on the oscar contenders. Make sure that you are selling your company for what makes it unique an some of the features that aren’t always considered on those lists.

MTV Movie awards does the basics (best female lead, best movie…blah blah) but what makes them stand out and unique is they do other categories like best kiss or best WTF moment. And the other categories aren’t wasted on things like costume and make up design because, well, people EXPECT that to be there in movies now. You only playing up your branding around your excellent benefits or other things that everyone else on that list can offer is actually putting you at the disadvantage. Job Seekers are EXPECTING that – especially from a Oscar Worthy organization.

I’m A JobSeeker:

So, you are out there searching for a job. You are like an actor that is reading over 2 scripts determining if your next best career move is the oscar worthy epic where you will have a bit part or if it is the potential summer break out hit where you will have a bit part.

Don’t feel pressure to “want” to work at the companies on the “best places to work” or where your friends love to work. Its ok to work for the quirky off the wall place that everyone just loves to work at but doesn’t win any awards. As you look for your next role – take a look at those lists, but also take a look at other places that you hear about, read about on social media or online or just randomly see a opening at. Decide for yourself based on conversations with current employees, the feel you get when you walk in for your interview, the way you are treated throughout the process to make your decision and where the “best place to work for you”.

Decision Making, Social Media & Corporate Branding

Sarah White — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 14:12:54 +0000

In the real world people are cautious about what and how they say things. There is something about looking someone in the eye or hearing their voice on the phone that changes the mental decision making process between what you want to say to someone and what you actually do say. It is in that situation that your brains decision making process kicks into overdrive and helps you make good decisions not to upset, hurt, offend, etc.

In my real world life, I get faced with a tough decision (or lets face it, an easy one) and I carefully analyze it, weigh the risks, potential outcomes of each possible option, the impact it will have on all of the parties involved and make a educated decision based on those factors. What wins is the path that seems the most logical. I rarely make a decision based on emotional drivers.

In social media however, most people just put it out there (me included!!!). I don’t always think through what I do or say or the larger, longer term impact that it can have. From a decision making factor it is like taking a few shots of tequila then exposing me to 2000+ people to say exactly what I think. We forget that much like when we say things in our real life, we can’t really take it back. In fact its worse in social media because the electronic record is there forever.

The complete opposite tends to hold true for most organizations that are tightly controlling their “branding” – There is so much time spend doing the analyzing of what you should/shouldn’t put out there that they often come across so vanilla that a potential employee doesn’t really know them at all. Your corporate facebook fan page, twitter accounts, corporate blog, etc are all an extension of your organization and what you put out there about your organization – both good and bad – needs to be analyzed just like you were saying or presenting it to someone face to face.

When you are sitting in an interview with someone or talking to people at a BBQ – what do you say then (positive) about your company? When they are frustrated or get a call from a headhunter – what makes employees stay with you? Its typically not what is on your traditional branding material and on the information you feed out online.

I’m not suggesting you dive overboard and go to the extreme that a lot of us do as individuals – putting things out there that you probably shouldn’t have. But, I am encouraging brands to move in that direction and be more human. Be more real. Be more vulnerable. Show the quirks and the not so positive part while highlighting the rest.

In doing so, you’ll gain the people that appreciate your company for who it is and want to work their regardless.

Just like the people who stay friends with me even when I do (and say) really stupid things.

Why I'd Rather Work at Starbucks – My 8 year olds view on your Employment Brand

Sarah White — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:36:14 +0000

This morning I made a stop at Starbucks on the way to dropping my son of at school. He casually started talking about why people would work at Starbucks and compared it to why people would work at McDonalds. At 8 years old, he was evaluating the worth of their Employment Branding campaigns and was making decisions about where he would prefer to work when he is in high school. (I will preface this now by saying that he is a lot like me and we are kinda planners…)

Let me share with you the insight of an 8 year old:

Starbucks is a better place to work because:

1. ” they pay better than McDonalds.” I asked why he thought that (in our town they pay the same) and he said because the people at Starbucks are happier – they must be treated better and make more money.

2. ”they must train their employees better – our drinks are always right and the people aren’t ever stressed. McDonald’s always seems rushed and makes mistakes.”

3. “they encourage their employees to be themselves” While Mcdonalds has strict clothing guidelines that my son refer’s to as “dorky” (Lets keep in mind that he is 8, talking about employment branding, in a gifted class, likes pokemon and calls McDonald’s outfits Dorky) he thinks it is cool that Starbucks allows people to wear black shirts and just the apron.

4. ”they aren’t trying to tell my why it’s better” This one to me was one of the most telling. Based on the advertising he is exposed to from both companies he thinks starbucks is better because they aren’t trying to be pushy about it. They aren’t screaming they are a “best place to work” people just know they are “based on the experience you get when you come in”

So as you think about your own companies branding – think about that next generation and the fact that they are already watching what you do. Their vision of you and your organization is already being shaped and decisions are already being made – years before you even start thinking about recruiting them.