Does a One Legged Duck Swim in A Circle?

I find it funny the number of people who ask if social media recruiting is real.  Doubt me, check this video out.

Promote Your Company from the Inside Out

Promote Your Company from the Inside Out

How can your company be an employer of choice?  Here are 7 ways that you promote your company from the inside out:

• Go for “best of lists” best company to work for, fastest growing, etc.  Make sure that you use these accreditations on your Intranet, company Facebook page, company LinkedIn page, and as an email signature.  This messaging should be well known to your employees so they can easily throw that little factoid out when they are explaining to their friends what they do and who they work for.
• At the end of each fiscal year put a short summary together that shows the number of people promoted and what % of your staff that is.  Track that year over year and announce the results and any goals associated with that.   Post this information on your Intranet and your career pages.  People like to know that employee development is important in your company and that they won’t just get stuck in a dead end job.
• Highlight your employees who have reached milestone anniversaries, post their story on the Intranet for employees to see and have something to look forward to. Consider more public options as well, so long as they are permission based.
• Have you had employees get recognized for awards in their field, published articles, or patents?  Make a big deal about that with your employees on the Intranet as well as on your career portal; that tells people that they will be recognized for their personal achievements and contributions.  If you can influence HR to offer a bonus for these types of achievements that would be even better.
• If your company offers salary or other benefits that are better than other companies in your industry, announce that.  Make it known that you research this information every year and that your goal is to stay xx above the average in order to attract and retain the best talent.  If it’s working, say so.  Your employees will remember that when a recruiter comes calling on them or when their friends ask them if your company pays well.
• Work with your sustainability or energy management department to get some stats on what your company is doing above and beyond to reduce your facilities and overall carbon footprint.  If it’s better than other employers in your industry and area, make sure to announce that to your employees.  A greater number of employees are concerned about sustainability and would prefer to work for a company who promotes sustainable practices.
• Get quotes from your employees on why they like working for you and use those quotes to form your branding messages. Make your employer-pitch as human and emotive as possible. The best messages from a marketing standpoint are ideally stories, not just quotes.

The bottom line is, if your employees are fed the branding messages consistently, your marketing can stick in their heads like that 5 dollar footlong commercial. If every employee in your company both understands the value of employment branding and knows “the pitch” by heart, your recruiting efforts will be easier. If your overall goal is to land the top talent in your market, it can’t just be you doing all the heavy lifting.  The whole company from the inside out needs to be on point and on message, but of course most importantly, be inspired to help follow your company vision and advance its image.

"You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today" Abraham Lincoln

Homage to the Electrical Outlet

Homage to the Electrical Outlet

Many people can tell you who invented electricity and the light bulb, but I would wager most people do not know who invented the electrical outlet. Harvey Hubbell, a man nearly forgotten in history, that’s who. I would argue that Harvey’s invention is just as important as the light bulb because the electrical outlet made electricity available to the masses. In fact, the outlet paved the way for electricity to be the most overlooked commodity of the modern era. That’s right, the outlet. Without Harvey, how do you plug in a TV? Better yet without Harvey, what does the term “plug in” really mean?  How do you charge your iPAD? Think about it; the outlet powers your home. 

People most often think about what is behind the outlet; the electricity, and what is in front of the outlet; the thing being powered.  It’s the magical connection of electricity to the thing being powered that is truly amazing, and truly simple. 

What if you were to treat every day as if you are an outlet? What magical connections could you make come to life? As a marketer you have the ability to take the mundane, the everyday, and bring it to life in a magical way.  No, you aren’t making TVs, but you are making the connection between the TV and the consumer.  You make magic with your ideas, your words, your art.  Outlets seldom get the praise of a beautiful Christmas Tree, but the tree wouldn’t be lit without the outlet. 

You have the power to be an outlet. You have the power to bring electricity to an idea. You have the power. Cherish it.

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