Jason Ferrara
Blog entries by Jason Ferrara 
When Creating Your 2009 Recruitment Plan, Think Broad
November 19, 2008
Like most business professionals in Q4, I’m in the throes of finalizing my Marketing budget for 2009. The trick in figuring out how to spend the money I do have is creating the right marketing mix. Some things are easy – we should continue and increase programs that make us money. Some things are more challenging – figuring out the right branding vehicles which are notoriously difficult to measure. Each line item is an important part of my marketing mix.
Believe it or not, I have this conversation all the time with corporate recruiters, CPOs, CMOs, CEOs and line managers. But, we don’t talk in terms of how to best market the company and its products. We speak about the recruiting mix – what is the best way to express the company’s brand and what are the best vehicles to capture the most qualified job seekers. The concept of marketing mix and the concept of recruiting mix are basically the same things.
- Categories: Branding, Employee Attraction, Employer Advice
Making Social Networking Part of Your Recruiting Mix
November 11, 2008
Most of the marketing conferences I attend these days are heavily focused on social and/or professional networks. These online communities are places where you can do any number of things from share pictures and reminisce about college days to “meet” and interview potential employees. The two big sites out there in this space are Facebook and LinkedIn. Facebook prides itself on being a “social” network and LinkedIn is a “professional” network (don’t call it “social” when talking to their team).
And, at most of these conferences, someone on a panel or on the stage says this, “The lines have blurred between your social life and your work life.” In fact, I just said that on a panel a few weeks ago… Anyhow, it is true. If you are out there, you are out there. And, ultimately you control your destiny – as do those folks you are thinking about hiring.
- Categories: Employee Attraction, Employer Advice, Generational Hiring, Social Media, Technology
How Recommendations Change Our Lives
November 10, 2008
I just finished a book titled Super Crunchers, written by Ian Ayres. The theory of the book is that large-dataset analysis is fast becoming the way to make decisions in a variety of fields, from Web analysis to purchasing to criminal justice. Call it the end of human intuition, but the notion is not as overwheming as you might think. The concept of data mining is not new and over the past ten years several major breakthroughs make it possible for real people (like me) to engage in number crunching on the piles of data we keep. All done through smaller, faster computers, more access to data than ever before and easy-to-use analytical software that doesn’t compromise rigor for speed.
An everyday example of this type of data analysis is the kind of recommendations each of us is likely to see each day. Consider some of the following: Read the rest…
- Categories: Employee Attraction, Innovation, Products, Technology
Difficult Times Ahead Bring Opportunities to Embrace Change
October 28, 2008
I had an interesting conversation today with a VP of Global Recruiting for an international financial services firm, which inevitably turned to the current state of the American economy. To paraphrase his comments he said, “…yes, the economy is bad, but I still have commitments I need to deliver on for next year. I can’t have open sales positions. I have to complete our PeopleClick implementation. I have to make sure that my offices overseas are staffed. I have to advertise our company and the employment brand.” While acknowledging that the economy isn’t good, he also acknowledged that his business still needs to run – the world still turns.
This is an important lesson. We need to continue pushing forward. The environment will be more difficult, but it is in these difficult times that we will focus on the actions that really matter. And through those actions we will create success.
- Categories: Economy, Employee Attraction, Employer Advice, Generational Hiring, Innovation
Making Your Company a Best Place to Work
October 27, 2008
I recently attended the Pittsburgh Business Times Best Places to Work in Western Pennsylvania event. If you haven’t been to Pittsburgh in some time, if at all, I highly urge you to go. The city and the scenery are great – it is an accessible city nestled in rolling hills of low lying fog at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers. I was there however not as a professional travel guide (although I can recommend restaurants and places to stay) but to celebrate some of the best places to work in the area.
The luncheon was attended by approximately 500 attendees – all finalists in the overall Best Places to Work contest. That list was then narrowed down to three finalists in a small business, medium business and large business category. And then the Pittsburgh Business Times crowned one area company as the overall champion. I was so impressed with the energy of the finalists and their dedication not only to their businesses but to their employees.
- Categories: Employee Engagement, Employee Retention, Events
The importance of a recruiting plan: does your company have one?
June 16, 2008
In my role at CareerBuilder.com I wear two hats. The first hat is focused on how we market to our customers and prospects. The second hat is focused on creating relevant content for hiring managers and HR professionals. Often times I feel like I have one of those Sherlock Holmes hats on and I turn it around and around…
- Categories: Employee Attraction, Social Media
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