Category: Innovation
Want to Connect with Candidates? Get Creative.
June 15, 2009
Facebook may seem like a great place to start connecting with job seekers. And yes, your company profile’s lurking around on the site. But beyond creating an account and waiting for candidates to come find you, you’re not sure quite what to do. You’re almost ready to pull a Heidi Montag and bail on the whole thing. How can you get creative in your social media efforts — and make stronger connections with candidates? Let’s take a look at some ways to start thinking outside of that (status) box.
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):
- Categories: Branding, Employee Attraction, Innovation, Social Media, Technology
Ad Age 3-Minute Video: On the Recession’s Silver Lining
March 10, 2009
Andrew Benett, Euro RSCG Global Chief Strategy Officer, is writing a book called “Good for Business: The Rise of the Conscious Corporation.” Sound too good to be true? Well, don’t spit out your coffee just yet. Take a look at Ad Age’s 3-Minute Video here and check out what Andrew has to say about the economy, necessary changes companies will make, the current infusion of talent, and the future of business.
You can also click the link below:
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1370868150/bctid15172905001
- Categories: Economy, Employer Advice, Innovation
Why We’re Looking Up in A Down Economy
March 4, 2009
You’ve been busy making birthday gifts out of canned goods containers and constructing a stellar (ah, unused) napkin dress for your next work party, but despite your attempts to be scrappy and creative during this recession we’re experiencing, you’re finding it tough to gear yourself or your employees up on a daily basis. And honestly, you’re having a difficult time seeing the good in it all. What to do?
The great aspect of these down-on-our-luck times is that we may, in fact, not be as down on our luck as it appears. Yes, layoffs are everywhere we look. Yes, keeping morale up is a struggle. Yes, money is tight. We know this, but the underlying current running beneath all of the negativity and sad news is a fighting and entrepreneurial spirit that keeps us fighting through – and moving on. CNN had a great feature yesterday about 9 people who are staying optimistic and finding success in the midst of this recession.
This is not to say that any of this is easy, or that we should all be clapping our hands and celebrating or performing a Toni Basil-style routine of joy (though I’m not not condoning that). But if we look a bit closer, good things are sprouting beneath the surface. Many people are starting their own businesses; others are doing the things they haven’t made time for in the past. Many are getting out of their comfort zones and are finally free of jobs they hated but were too scared to leave.
What positives can you take from our current situation – and how can you pass that positivity on to your employees who need it so much? We recently asked all of you what you’re doing to lift your employees’ morale and promote positivity in the workplace. You had some wonderful ideas! I thought I’d share a few, but be sure to read the full list here.
A few highlights from our awesome commenters:
- Categories: Economy, Employee Engagement, Employee Retention, Employer Advice, Events, Generational Hiring, Innovation, Leadership Development
When Life Hands Your Employees the Winter Blahs, Make…Snow Candy?
February 4, 2009
The snow is falling outside, and the morale of your employees is falling fast inside the doors of your workplace. It may just be due to those ol’ “winter blahs,” or it may be an aftereffect of recent company layoffs. It may even be a mixture of both — or something else entirely.
If your employees are moping around the water cooler, sleeping at lunch, or sobbing during meetings, it’s likely not a good sign. You need to get your employees excited about coming into work again — like, now. It’s important to remember that just because employees are on your payroll doesn’t automatically mean they love their jobs or wish to stay with you for the long-term. As an employer, your responsibility for their well-being is just as important as it was six months or a year ago – if not more important.
But when things are so bad, how can you make work fun again? You may be surprised to find that a lot of little things can add up quickly to thaw out your employees’ frozen hearts.
- Categories: Employee Engagement, Employee Retention, Employer Advice, Going Green, Innovation, Philanthropy
Get Passive (Candidates, that is.)
December 19, 2008
Back in Q3, nearly one in four workers (24 percent) said they were fearful of layoffs at their firms, according to a CareerBuilder.com survey (conducted among 2,922 hiring managers and HR professionals and 7,960 U.S. employees).
Not surprised? I’m not either. And I would venture a guess that in light of recent layoffs at many U.S. companies, the percentage has increased since this survey was conducted.
- Categories: Employee Attraction, Employer Advice, Innovation, Survey Results
What’s So Cool About Your Company?
December 8, 2008
Great office environments can not only boost creativity and out-of-the-box thinking, but they can also promote higher attraction, engagement and retention of your employees. We recently talked about the best fictional places to work, and our own VP of marketing Jason Ferrara wrote about making your company a best place to work.
What is it about your company that makes you stand apart in today’s workplace? A creative and nurturing environment? Pingpong tables? An amazing health plan? Unlimited coffee refills? Diversity initiatives? Lunchtime yoga sessions? We want to know.
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