Despite the supposed “generation gap” that exists in the workforce, Gallup research has found that certain factors – such as management quality, compensation, quality team dynamics and career development – are valued equally across generations when it comes to prospective employers. 

For those differences that still exist, however – both in what these groups want and in how they search for jobs – here’s a breakdown of what to keep in mind when branding yourself to these various age groups.

MILLENIALS
Generation Y, or “the Millennials,” are people born roughly between 1982 and 2004.  The strongest defining characteristic of the Gen Y group is their technology-driven lives. 

What to Emphasize When Recruiting These Workers
Millenials get a bad rap for their supposed attitudes of entitlement, but they just want what any other worker wants – to be challenged and to do work they’re proud of. But because they lack the professional experience of their older counterparts, they might find themselves easily frustrated when relegated to menial ‘entry-level’ tasks.  For this reason, opportunities for rapid career advancement are very important for to generation, as well as good pay and benefits and great training programs, all characteristics shared by BusinessWeek’s Best Places to Launch a Career:

• Great pay and benefits: Last year, Deloitte, which boasts the top spot on BusinessWeek’s list, offered hiring bonuses to 90 percent of their new hires, for an average bonus of $5,102.  Additionally, it’s common practice for these ‘best places’ to offer tuition reimbursement, 401(k) options, flex time and paid time off.
• Top-notch training programs. Cisco Sytems’ new hire training program includes a week-long orientation with various managers across 30 departments, enabling new employees to then select which managers they would like as their own as part of a “matching program.” Because of this system, new hires enjoy an immediate sense of ownership in their new roles. It’s also probably why a remarkable 98 percent of new hires are still with Cisco after two years.
• Opportunities for rapid advancement: Every Ernst&Young employee participates in a formal mentoring program – perhaps helping to explain why most entry-level hires are eligible for a promotion and a raise within the first year.

Where to Find Them
Social networking is a part of this generation’s daily routine, so smart companies utilize various social networking sites to get in front of these candidates – using these platforms to post jobs, informational videos, podcasts and content, as well as interact with job seekers.  (Learn about how Deloitte uses social media for both recruiting and retention purposes.)

Offline, these companies make use of their partnerships with college campuses.  In 2008-2009, for example, Teach for America recruited on 471 undergrad campuses and made job offers on 379 of them.

GENERATION X
Born between 1965 and 1980, Gen X tend to be skeptical, pragmatic and practical, self-reliant, independent and individualistic, according to PsychologyToday. Like Gen Y, they are well-versed in technology, but have a few years of professional experience behind them, as well.

What to Emphasize When Recruiting These Workers

• Stability: This generation is attracted to companies with strong portfolios, plans for the future, and proven longevity.
• Corporate culture: Gen X thrives on diversity, responsibility, honesty and creative input. They like a casual, friendly work environment, seek challenge, involvement and flexible learning arrangements.
• Work-life balance and flexible work arrangements: Many are working parents, so they seek assistance from their employers to care for both growing children and aging parents.

Where to Find Them
Generation X is more likely to use job boards, professional or trade association Web sites or visit individual company Web sites to search for jobs than Gen Y, as well as tap into their networks of friends, family and former colleagues. That said, it’s important that you not only communicate the benefits of working at your company clearly, but that you do so continuously, in order to maintain brand awareness.

BABY BOOMERS
Born between 1946 and1964, the Baby Boomer work ethic is characterized by dedication, loyalty and a willingness to stay in the same job for a long time. They have a lot to offer businesses with their work and life experience, skills and knowledge that many younger people can’t offer. They tend to work longer hours – and respect is paramount when managing a Baby Boomer.

What to Emphasize When Recruiting These Workers
Money is not necessarily the most important factor for seniors. Raised with a strong work ethic, these workers enjoy recognition and support for their efforts. Because they’re also thinking toward the end of their career, retirement benefits and flexible work arrangements are important to them. Focus on the following aspects of your company when talking to these workers:

• Recognition programs
• Health and retirement benefits
• Flexible work arrangements (such as flexible scheduling, job-sharing, and phased retirement)

Where to Find Them
Cornell University, AARP’s Best Employer for Workers Over 50, uses placement agencies for older job seekers to successfully target mature workers and retirees.  In addition, Cornell recruits from within its own ranks of retirees through the Cornell Retiree Association and the Cornell Association of Professors Emeriti. First Horizon, another ‘Best Employer’ on AARP’s list, also uses placement agencies for older job seekers and draws on a relationship it has cultivated with Senior Services of Memphis to locate and attract mature workers and retirees.

Keep in mind that, as noted above, certain qualities will always be attractive to job seekers, no matter what age group, and that no matter what, a cross-channel recruiting campaign – one that utilizes both online and offline resources – will give you the best chance for reaching the greatest pool of candidates.

The latest so-called evidence of this phenomenon is in this Wall Street Journal online article, which discusses how more companies today are enhancing their own Web sites in efforts to attract talent (a tactic I wholeheartedly agree with); but it also seems to imply that because of this, companies no longer have a need for job boards in their recruiting strategies.  That’s where I don’t so much agree, and here’s why…

• First there’s the fact that millions of job seekers are visiting some of these job boards every day, enabling companies the biggest opportunity to get in front of their largest audience at once. While having a comprehensive, informative careers page on your company Web site is an excellent recruiting tactic, that alone is not enough for most businesses to attract the volume of applicants they may need to fill their needs.  
• Then there’s the argument that advertising on large job boards generates too many applicants for employers to sort through, which is fair to say…but that’s also exactly why CareerBuilder, at least, gives clients access to several free extras like free custom screener questions and resume search agents: to free up time and move the process along. As well as offering full screening services.
• But most of all, it’s simply a misconception that job boards have failed to evolve with new technology and offer no services beyond job postings or resume searches.  What about services like careers site creation and hosting, SEO enhancement, employment branding and applicant flow management, to name a few? 

Just look at Sodexo, a company that is moving toward these new strategies the WSJ.com article mentions – such as using widgets on its Web site to reach job seekers – while still incorporating job board services into its overall recruiting strategy. In a recent e-mail to a CareerBuilder sales rep, a spokesperson for Sodexo wrote, “While we may seek to reduce the resources allocated to traditional job board postings, we are able to take advantage of other offerings from the CareerBuilder team, such as direct mail marketing, enhanced job branding and research regarding our talent pool.”  

(Oh, and even in regards to today’s golden child of recruiting strategies – social media – CareerBuilder too is offering services geared toward helping employers establish and manage their social media presence and further connect with job seekers and is the only authorized recruitment reseller of Facebook products. Snap!)

I’m not saying that employers should consider job boards as their one and only way to find and recruit new employees…I’m just saying that you still need to consider them. Companies that diversify their candidate attraction and talent management practices will always be more competitive. And don’t you want to be a winner in the war for top talent?

It’s true, some job boards might not make it in this new economy, but (spoiler alert!) CareerBuilder is here to stay. Though you may think of us as ‘just a job board,’ CareerBuilder is more than meets the eye (kind of like Transformers), and we’re constantly evolving to meet changing employer – and job seeker – needs.

Last week, my colleague Anthony Balderrama, a writer for our job seeker-focused blog, The Work Buzz, told me: 

“We often hear from job seekers who wonder why, when they apply – or even interview – for a position, they never hear back from the employer at all.”

So why is this, exactly?  Anyone can understand – especially if you’re getting up to 75 resumes for a single position – that you can’t always get back to every single applicant…but to never so much as e-mail or call someone back after an interview? Now, that just seems cold (not to mention that it’s also potentially damaging to your employment brand). 

But like the understanding best friend in a classic romantic comedy, we know there are two sides to every story.  That said…would you mind, dear readers, indulging us?  What would make you–or what has ever made you–not call a candidate back?

Is it simply that you don’t have the time? Or perhaps it’s the candidate’s responsibility to follow up with you? (Or are there are some things so awkward that even mustering a generic “Thanks, but no thanks” e-mail is impossible?)

Please share your ideas in the comments section below!

Dunkin’ Donuts

Dunkin’ Donuts has made huge strides through their social media efforts, and their latest campaign ties their new product offering in with their Facebook fan page with their “Keep it Coolatta” sweepstakes. This new campaign allows users to turn their profile pics into prizes by taking pictures of themselves drinking the Dunkin’ Donuts beverage and showing how they are “keeping it Coolatta.”

While this campaign may target many customers, it is also getting Dunkin’ in touch with candidates who may not have known a lot about them before and who are curious to learn more about the company. Dunkin’ Donuts is smartly gaining a presence — and an interactive one at that — by tapping into potential employees’ social networks on sites like Facebook. Facebook, as is Twitter or YouTube, is a very viral platform in which to communicate an idea — and if it’s a good idea, it will travel fast and reach a lot of users. They’ll send it to their friends, and then they’ll send it to their friends… and — yeah, you get the idea.

Dunkin’ Donuts executive chairman Jon Luther recently got into a discussion with us here at CB about the company’s leadership philosophy (more to come on that soon). One comment that stood out to me was Luther’s assertion that “People are to us the most important part of the equation. I tell people we’re not cloning genes here, we’re building relationships and making sure they’re the most profitable they can be so we can be the best franchiser in the world.”

And sites heavy on user interaction, such as Facebook, allow companies to more easily build those relationships  that are hard to come by through the traditional hiring process alone. They also enable employers to more seamlessly integrate their brand into the user experience. Take a look at what Sea World has done, for example.

Think like an employer

Creating a social media campaign is all well and good, but still, you must determine your goals in launching an interactive, viral campaign on a site like Facebook. What are you trying to do — and with whom are you trying to connect? If primarily candidates, take a look at other companies running successful campaigns, and decide how you can focus in on job seekers in particular. Pitching your product or creating a fun game is a good start — but take it up a level. How can you connect with people who may be interested in working for you (and who just may not know it yet)?

A recent BtoB Magazine article lists 5 ways to optimize your Facebook marketing. These ideas, although specific to Facebook, can be applied elsewhere, and they are good starting points in your planning process.

Here are a few (full list here):

1. Have a strong presence: Secure your company name on as many social sites as you can. Not only will you beat others to the punch (Facebook custom usernames, anyone?) and prevent squatters or those posing as your company/abusing your company name, but once you secure your company’s presence, you can start interacting and creating interesting content right away under your official name.
2. Create an application: Build an application to engage job seekers with your brand. An application doesn’t have to be expensive or complex — but consider what type of application will allow you to grab the attention of job seekers most.
3. Throw an event: Get people together in support of your business, brand, or a particular product. Better yet, spreading the word through viral sites is cost-effective — and just plain effective. On Facebook, for example, you can invite fans of your page, and through Twitter, you can “tweet” out the event details and a link to your followers. Before you know it, you’ve got quite a guest list.

This is of course only skimming the surface — but it may trigger an idea and get you brainstorming. Any of your own experiences or ideas to share?

With this in mind, Apartments.com and CBcampus have provided results for the second annual Top Ten Best Cities for Recent College Graduates.

“Given the current economy, new grads looking to relocate are becoming increasingly concerned with the cost of living as they are faced with more competition for jobs than seen in previous years,” said Tammy Kotula, public relations and promotions manager at Apartments.com.

The results were based on three criteria:

1. Number of entry-level job openings
2. Cost of rent
3. Population of young adults

As it’s important for job seekers to understand their best living options, it is also important for employers to know where their city stacks up in the job atmosphere — and be aware of their competition in attracting top job seekers not only to their city, but to their company as well.

So… did your city make the list?

See the full list here.

Applicant Explorer enables you to immediately see the most useful and valuable information out there about that candidate, such as his or her Facebook or Brightfuse profile, dedication to an online engineering forum, food photography blog, or published article about business etiquette. Get access to the details a resume may not give you the opportunity to see — and get a more clear picture of candidates before you say “You’re hired.”

Still need more information about Applicant Explorer? Check out the video above.

In actual honor of Earth Day, however, CareerBuilder released the results of its latest survey, which found that one in ten employers say they’ve added environmentally focused positions to their companies in the last 12 months.  

In addition to creating “green” positions, companies are also showing their commitment to the earth by creating “green” programs that get current employees involved.  Seventy percent of employers have implemented programs to increase environmental awareness companywide in the last year.

According to CareerBuilder’s press release, the most popular “green” programs (according to responses from over 2,500 hiring mangers nationwide) include:

• Recycling (50 percent)
• Using less paper (45 percent)
• Controlling lighting (44 percent)
• Powering down computers at the end of the day (30 percent)
• Purchasing office supplies made from recycled materials (27 percent)

Rosemary Haefner, CareerBuilder’s vice president of human resources, attributes the increased popularity of green jobs and green programs to companies’ desires to become more environmentally conscious and reduce their carbon footprints.

I suspect it also has to do with the fact that more companies are catching on to the fact that eco-friendly initiatives can also be good for the bottom line (check out what BusinessWeek and USAToday have to say about the topic) – even, according to Time, helping them weather the economy.

Not to mention that going green also helps companies boost their employment brands, attracting what’s become an increasing number of environmentally conscious job seekers. (See how it works for Portland employers in this Workforce article). 

As a bonus, being green is also an element of corporate social responsibility, which human capital consultancy Towers Perrin found to be one of the most important drivers of employee engagement in a recent study.

What sort of initiatives has your company taken recently – or plan to take – to become more environmentally friendly?  How are you involving your employees?  And what sort of an impact is it making – either on the business or among employees?

On Friday, Pizza Hut announced its opening for a ”twintern”…That is, an intern who uses Twitter and other online networking tools to “be our social media journalist, chronicling in 140 characters or less what’s going on at Pizza Hut,” the company’s VP for marketing communications told The New York Times.

It looks like Pizza Hut is taking a cue from companies like Wells Fargo, PepsiCo, Coca Cola and Ford, all of whom now employ full-time social media marketers for the purpose of interacting with consumers on the company’s behalf via Facebook and Twitter.

(Although I wonder if Pizza Hut’s timing had less to do with the growing popularity of social media-specific roles and slightly more to do with learning from its biggest rival’s recent PR/social media crisis.)

After hearing about the newly created position, I found myself following the Twitter exchange between @Mediabistro and @DanielthePoet, regarding the implications of hiring an intern for social media needs.

After @Mediabistro initially tweeted about Pizza Hut’s move, calling it “a great idea,” @DanielthePoet countered that companies willing to “turn over their online reputation to a college intern” will “get what they pay for.” 

@DanielthePoet brought up the risk that the chosen intern could harm the brand should he/she misspeak by, say, “prematurely answering a question ignorantly or sharing an unsanctioned opinion.” (But isn’t that always the risk with social media – regardless of who is behind the helm?) 

And in contrast to @DanielthePoet’s other concern that turning over a position more commonly handled by PR and social media marketing professionals shows a lack of respect for the medium and the audience, @Mediabistro made the point that, rather, giving interns this type of responsibility is simply a sign of the times: “The days of picking up coffee are done. Now they’re [interns] bringing people up to speed on using social media.”

Although @DanielthePoet’s concerns are valid (mostly for companies who aren’t ready to embrace social media), I have to agree that Pizza Hut is making a smart move by bringing in someone with “native competency” (as @Mediabistro put it) of social media.  Pizza Hut will learn about using social media from those who are most familiar with it, and those interns will have the opportunity to build the business marketing acumen they still need to put those skills to use.

I have a feeling we’ll see more advertisements for twinterns (although, hopefully someone will come up with a better term than twintern…) as companies move further along with social media to market their brands, while still utilizing internships to recruit and train future employees.  Thoughts?

With this, of course, came a bit of a new dilemma: With no doors and no high cubicle walls, everyone could suddenly see what everyone else was doing on the computer.  Shoe shopping, twittering, gawking at Facebook photos — the works. So Phil came up with a very clear policy on employees’ Internet usage at work, and shared it with his employees.

The statement? I don’t care what you do on the Internet.

It may seem bold, but he explains his reasoning in this post. And I have to say, he has some great points.

In contrast, Helen A.S. Popkin stresses in a recent MSNBC post that “the Internet is not your BFF,” relating the recent story of a would-be Cisco employee who tweeted post-interview:

Cisco just offered me a job! Now I have to weigh the utility of a fatty paycheck against the daily commute to San Jose and hating the work.

A Cisco employee caught wind of her tweet and responded on twitter with:

Who is the hiring manager. I’m sure they would love to know that you will hate the work. We here at Cisco are versed in the web.

Pretty sure that ruined her chances at scoring the job.

There are two sides to Internet usage at work, and there are people on both sides of the camp. However, as Phil gets at in his blog post, employers are supposed to be encouraging employees to think in terms of technological innovation and work to mesh their offline and online lives for greater creativity — and productivity. Yet, many of these same employers hypocritically limit their employees’ Internet usage, instead of encouraging it and seeing its positive aspects.

The way I see it, it comes down to mutual respect. Give your employees the opportunity to blend their personal and work lives, and realize that although they may be shopping for that last-minute birthday gift at work, they are also likely responding to work e-mail at home and taking care of business matters on their off-hours. Accept and embrace the merging of these worlds — because with or without you, it is an inevitability.

What are your thoughts? Are you in the camp that promotes your employees’ inevitable Internet usage, and gets the benefits that come with that usage? Or are you in the camp that thinks personal Internet usage is strictly for off-business hours, and personal and business lives must be kept separate?

Agree or disagree, I’d love to hear your views.

But wait just a minute. What happens when the tables are turned? Are you prepared for the dozens of questions swimming around in job seekers’ heads — many of them questions you are not in fact prepared to answer? Are you ready for the moment a potential future employee asks the question that makes your head spin as you slump dejectedly in your Interviewer’s Chair, searching for the answer?

You need to be ready for any questions job seekers may throw at you, whether through pre-interview inquiries, actual interview questions, or post-interview probing while a candidate is debating whether to accept your offer.

After all, there are a lot of job seekers in the market right now fighting for attention, but they expect employers to offer them the right reasons to accept a position. Today’s job seeker is savvy and informed — and you need to be too. Here is Part 1 of the 7 job seeker questions you didn’t see coming and tips on how to handle them.

1.       “What is your company’s involvement with social networking?”

Alternately, How are you ahead of other companies in a Web 2.0 world? If you’re the type getting breaking news from sites like Twitter, this question may not throw you. But if you think Facebook is the name of a new Stephen King novel, you might need to take some time and learn about businesses and social networking. What is your company doing to join the online conversations going on all around you? If you’re not involved in social networking, don’t try to sugar-coat it; be honest with candidates.  Instead of having to give “Nothing” as an answer, though, why not use this opportunity to learn about it and start getting involved? If you’re not sure where to start, check this out.

2.       “How would you describe your company culture?”

Your company culture can mean many things, but is generally defined as your employees’ collective values and practices. What do you and your employees hold to be important? Think about those things that describe the essence of your working environment and the employees who work for you. If you could describe the ideals and values of your company in five sentences, what would you say? Ask others within the company how they would define your current culture. Does it vary wildly from yours?

For more on defining and describing your company culture, see this and this.

3.       “What kinds of philanthropic opportunities do you offer?”

More and more companies are getting involved in volunteering efforts big and small. And with the current state of the economy, many recent grads and those back in the job market are turning to volunteering.

Does your company have a fundraising cook-off? Are you involved with Habitat for Humanity? Do you send employees to tutor students in the neighborhood? The types and depth of commitments will vary depending on your employees’ interests, but the important thing is that you are doing something to reach out to the greater community.

Philanthropy feeds into employee morale, and it’s also a great way for employees to bond and get to know each other outside of the “work” environment. With so many aspects of our economy looking dim right now, getting outside of work and focusing on others in need may be just what your employees need. So start looking around. And the next time that your next curious job seeker or interviewee asks how you’re involved in the community, they may not be able to make you stop talking.

More to come in Part II — 7 Job Seeker Questions You Didn’t See Coming