Lead By Example In Employer Brand Marketing

It's a tired phrase...lead by example...but one that hangs on so long because it is perhaps the most powerful leadership strategy available. When leaders match their actions to their words amazing things can happen.

As I think about the leaders I've worked with over the years, many have made strong statements, enacted big policy changes, or made bold organizational pronouncements. However, precious few have actually backed up their talk with the proverbial walk.

This same challenge is painfully obvious in the world of employer brand marketing.

Can't Just Talk About It
For the more savvy leader, there is an awareness that both employer brand, and the marketing that goes along with it, are no longer options. They are required. 

Allocating resources and supporting the development and execution of a strategy, should be required of every leader at every level.

But how to make it happen?

Who pulls it all together, particularly when most leaders are still hiding behind the tired excuses that they don't "do" social media, blogging or push out any forms of content?

You do, that's who.

Leading By Example...For Real
It takes more than just a driven HR leader to make this happen however.

In his recent post describing the important role executives play in content marketing, Robert Caruso details not only the rationale for executive involvement, but some compelling data that would indicate it's time for senior leaders to get in the game.

Delegating participation in an organization's employer brand strategy is not only ineffective, it is obvious to most who are paying attention. 

How About You
Who do you know in your organization that needs to be more involved in your recruitment marketing initiatives? Have you reached out to give them the support they will need as they start using unfamiliar, and candidly intimidating (at first) digital tools? 

I'll help too. Don't be afraid to reach out at any time.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Wishpower

I have a dilemma. I struggle with trying to figure it out constantly in my work. The answer seems obvious to me, yet the concept feels impossible to so many. 

On one hand I recognize the impact a robust employer brand can have on an organization's recruitment and retention efforts.

On the other, I also recognize that most human resources, talent acquisition and other leaders do not have the will to develop their employer brands. That's right. They simply lack the willpower to do what I consider to be a mandatory part of their job.

Wish
Many of the executives I speak with tell me how they "wish they were farther along" with their employer brand, use of social media, and making their talent acquisition strategies more contemporary.

I ask them all the same question: "Why isn't it?" Then the long list of excuses, political barriers, and general insight into their timid leadership style shines brightly as they try to justify their inaction. 

It's sad really. So many smart, successful leaders who are simply afraid to lead. I wonder if they believe that if they wish hard enough, things might improve.
I hate to break this to you...but, no...nothing will improve unless you make the decision to improve.

Wishpower = Failure.

Will
In fairness, most leaders today, particularly in HR and Talent Acquisition are not aware of the true potential that a well executed employer brand / social media strategy can have on their organization. However, the best ones decide to do something about it.

- They educate themselves
- They stop assuming the Marketing Department has more power than they do. (Who died and made Marketing the Boss?)
- They leverage world class resources that can help them dominate their competition

The best have the willpower to get it done.

How About You
Which one do you lean on....wishpower or willpower? Guess which one not only gets you the respect of your colleagues, but actually makes a difference in the life of your organization?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Snapchat, Ghosts & Not Being Old & Lame

I've been experimenting with snapchat lately. The tarnished image of the app is gone (yes, it is) and it has now moved to powerhouse status rivaling the other heavy hitters in the social media space.

What has been an unexpected surprise to me is how many long-time social media "experts" (ahem, I hate that word), have come out proclaiming the futility of using snap for recruiting, because they do not see a way forward.

Really?

Brands Love It
The last time I checked, which is daily, major brands around the world are pushing out high quality content on snapchat.

Are they doing this because it is a waste of time?
Are the doing this because "the experts" keen insight is fun to ignore?

Um...

Isn't there a direct link between employer brand and recruitment?

Now before you discount the millions of people using this tool every day, remember they are the workforce of today and tomorrow. 

Still reading? Good, I'm not done.

Ignore the Noise
Is there noise around snapchat? Of course there is. Is the ghost codes craze over begging for hearts annoying? Of course it is. 

Is snapchat's recent major upgrade a sign of massive innovation and change for a platform with unlimited upside?

You bet your closed-mind it is.

For those of you that have decided that snapchat has no future in the talent acquisition space, I caution you to hold your opinion at the risk of sounding like a fool.

"Those proclaiming so early that there is no future using snapchat risk sounding like the grumpy old neighbor yelling at the kids to "get off my lawn."

Don't be that person.

How About You
I wonder if the bright minds in the social media space that adopted facebook, twitter, Pinterest, swarm, and so many others have lost their edge? Has the fire gone out, and it's simply too embarrassing to admit that you haven't figured out snapchat yet? 

Or, do you need an in-your-face blog post to get you all fired up again so you can get back in the game...and lead the way once more?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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I Met the Future...and it Means Business

I recently had the privilege of spending a couple of hours with a young man who will be graduating form college next Spring. He decided to spend this summer learning as much as he could about the world of work. He wants to be as prepared as possible when his undergraduate days end.

Let me tell you something...if the next generation is as focused, driven, polished and thinks about work the way he does, we are in very good hands.

Oh, and there will also be a whole bunch of leaders who suddenly find themselves reporting to him, because he's all ready demonstrated the leadership traits we all spend tens of thousands of dollars trying to "develop" in our people. (Please...why don't we just hire leaders instead of trying to turn non-leaders into something they're not?)

Learning As A Competitive Advantage 

One of the first things that impressed me was his desire to learn. He didn't present himself as a know-it-all...in fact, his humility was only overshadowed by his energy to make a difference.

I kept thinking to myself, 'he sure doesn't fit into the Gen Y stereotype all of the "experts" have been telling me about.'

Which, by the way, again reinforced my absolute disdain for the term "expert." It's usually a self-appointed term...am I right? Don't believe me? Go read your own twitter or LinkedIn bio.

So there I sat...sharing my experiences, advocating that the "rules" that have been established in the world of work need to be ignored, and that he shouldn't be afraid to forge his own path.

It was awesome.

Thinking Big All Ready

As he shared his ideas to make an impact on the projects he's involved with this summer I kept thinking the same thought..."how quickly can I hire this guy into my company before someone else gets him?"

I'm not kidding.

After two hours I also realized he'll probably be running his own company by the time he's twenty-five or so, which means my window of opportunity to recruit him is almost closed.

How About You

When was the last time you spent time connecting with one of tomorrow's leaders to share your experiences? I hope that he was able to take a couple of things away from our time together. He'll never fully appreciate how much he gave me without even knowing it.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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The Future of Talent is Leader Brand

I've been a strong advocate that leaders need to be brand ambassadors for their organizations. I don't mean simply saying nice things about their companies when asked; I'm talking about a proactive approach to spread the word about the great things their organizations do on a regular basis.

After all, a strong brand attracts talented people. Talent is the name of the game in the world of business today. No talent, no product, no customers, no revenue. Capiche?

Except I've discovered a major flaw in my approach to brand.

Organizational Brand Is Not Enough
One of the core strategies of talent acquisition is to position the organization's brand in such a way that it attracts quality applicants. From there a talent pipeline is developed and the best candidates are brought on board. The organization brand is the key attraction point that brings the talent into the company. 

When we are filling positions, enhancing the corporate culture, and making progress we wrap ourselves in the corporate brand.

However, when turnover occurs, or morale dips, or there is too much "noise" in the workplace, the accountability shifts away from the spotless corporate brand and falls fully on the individual leader responsible for that area.

Wait a minute. What just happened?

Leader Brand Is Better Than Corporate Brand
Much has been written, though few have fully embraced, the concept of developing their personal brand. Honestly, I do not understand why any serious leader today is not focused like a laser on their personal brand. Here's why...

"Employees want to work for good leaders much more than they want to work for good organizations." 

Today's talent (read here really good people) know that good leaders...by default...already work for good organizations, which makes the obsession with corporate brand as a stand-alone strategy a waste of time.

It is only when a strong personal (leader) brand is paired with a strong corporate brand that real talent attraction and retention can be realized.

How About You
Have you put any energy into developing your personal brand; or, are you so experienced and smart and good that you don't need one? I hate to break this to you, but if you haven't invested the time to develop your brand you are invisible...regardless of what your resume says. 

Maybe we should talk?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



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The (Brand, Marketing, Digital, HR) Beast Inside of Me

I get fired up about work. Specifically, my work. I've had the privilege of being a human resources leader for many years; and the longer I work in that space the more opportunities I see outside HR that can dramatically improve how I get my work done.

More Than HR
In the early part of my leadership journey I couldn't get enough of good "HR" content. I was like a sponge soaking up every legal tidbit, compliance-related issue, or best-practice I could find. I was on a one man HR scavenger hunt. 

Sad, when I think about it now; but at the time it seemed like I was focused, driven and learning my craft. That may be true, but for the contemporary HR leader of today, the nuts and bolts of HR represent only a piece of what is important.

Brand
The energy around the term brand crosses many disciplines in the world of work, and HR is one of those that should embrace a brand strategy. Going far beyond a consistent logo on recruitment ads, a brand strategy that integrates organizational strategy with HR outreach (both personally and professionally) is essential. 

For those HR teams that still believe they should come up with their own strategies outside of what the corporate plan is are woefully ill-prepared to compete in the modern world. Gone are the days of separate "HR" and "PR" campaigns. The contemporary HR leader leverages the work done on the organizational-side and uses that to multiply the effectiveness of their brand strategy.

Marketing
The breadth of terrific content marketing resources available today feels like finding buried treasure. That is, if you realize these resources are treasure! The strategies, tools, and opportunities to partner with your Marketing colleagues are more important than ever before. Scarce resources, and the ability to leverage similar content across multiple channels makes for wise leadership. But only for the savvy leader. 

Convincing yourself that "you can do it better alone" is not only a waste of time...it's wrong too.

Digital
Every effective HR leader should now be comfortable in the digital world. Notice I didn't say "a" digital world...I see "the" digital world. Social media, web strategies, sharing content, building and supporting personal and professional brands, and adding value to the profession all happen in the digital space we live in.

There is no point to try and "get by" or "avoid technology" any longer. If you're not on board, you're living in the 1970s. Open a twitter account and get on with it. The time to move forward is now!

How About You
Has your approach to effective HR changed over the years; or, is the idea that "all this new fangled thinking" is just too much for you? It's never too late to get started. Expand how you think about contemporary HR, start making a difference in your organization and career, and let the beast inside of you break free.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



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Will HR Have A Legacy When It's Gone?

Legacies are often framed in a personal context. What will be left behind when we're not around anymore. The lives we've touched, the communities we've lived in and the work we've done. What will people say? Will we be so incredibly impactful that something might even be named for us: a street, a library, a park? Probably not without a sizable donation to local government or a charity. 

What About HR? 
As I peek into my crystal ball I can not possibly imagine the HR function of the future looking anything close to what it looks like today. Technology completely dominates our work, or will very soon, which means much of the work we do today will simply be automated. Wait, hasn't that happened already?

Social media has started to replace email, telephone, fax and other forms of communication. That trend is obviously going to continue. You remember fax machines, right?

The logical extension of all this communication is coordinated messaging, branding, employee communication and having a consistent message across many platforms. That's why more organizations are integrating the work of Human Resources and Marketing (mine is too!)

Chasing Legacies

You've seen it happen as employees move toward the end of their careers. That sudden focus on making sure they have work product that survives after they have transitioned out of the working world. 

It seems to me that they shouldn't worry about that; but instead, should focus on the reality of how difficult the transition can be from being a respected professional to someone who is about to go through a major life transition.

How About You

I don't think people, or functions, should get worked up about leaving a legacy. In the future, when HR, Marketing and Finance are integrated into a large "Professional Services" team, no one will worry about department names. They'll all be focused on supporting employees, driving the right culture forward, and executing on the strategies that will make their companies successful.

Now I think that's a pretty good legacy to look forward to.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Complacent or Competitive

My HR practice has changed dramatically over the last few years. In 2008 I thought I was hitting my stride. In a great job, felt like I knew my stuff, and was introducing strategies that were changing the culture of my organization. I was in the zone.

For a very short period of time.

Complacency Kills
For some reason I've been blessed, at least I would consider it a blessing, to be ultra-competitive. This tendency spills over to my work constantly. As the pressure began to mount on finding talent, very specific talent, I realized I was no longer competing at the level necessary to be successful.

Something had to change...and that something was me.

I was no longer pushing myself to learn new tools, or to try innovative recruitment strategies, or to embrace the "one brand" philosophy for the entire organization including recruitment advertising. (Sorry HR, you're not the advertising pros you think you are.)

New Territory

Not long after this somewhat humbling realization is when I began my social media journey. The signs were all around me that if I was going to be an effective human resources leader I needed to not only understand the tools, but I needed to use them. Are you with me? I had to use the tools myself.

Today my world is very different. My team now pushes me to deploy new tools as much as I push them. Our HR strategies are completely aligned with our Web and Marketing departments. But I'm still competitive as ever and am pushing myself to learn more.

How About You
What part of your career have you neglected? Have you convinced yourself that you're just too busy right now to try anything new? It's time to drop that excuse. There's so much happening and you're going to miss it if you keep chasing the same old routine.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



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Furniture Obsession!

I spend a lot of time discussing human resources leadership, strategy, risks, social media, and accountability. This week, I have the distinct pleasure to participate in a large conference of marketing and web professionals from the healthcare industry.

It turns out we have a couple of things in common. Most of these similarities are very positive...things like the awareness that we need to leverage brand, integrate social media into every aspect of our work, and continue to push ourselves to connect with our customers in a meaningful way.

Unfortunately, we also have something else in common: the dreaded furniture obsession.

"Could we please, for once, stop talking about a seat at the table, and simply start leading as if we're already there?"

Get Over It

I've thought for a long time that HR was the only group that complained about this IKEA induced syndrome. Apparently our brothers and sisters in the web/marketing world are also consumed with furniture. Stop it. Everyone, just stop it. No Executive, and I mean not one, is interested in hearing that anyone deserves a seat at the fictitious table.

Instead, they want you to act like you belong there from day one. They don't have time to wait for you...we need to make it happen. Now.

How About You
What are you doing to ensure you don't sound like a worn out coffee table salesperson? The furniture argument doesn't play anymore. What works, are bold leaders who stay on the cutting edge of their profession and prove their value to the Executive teams in their organizations. I bet you won't find that on clearance this weekend.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



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Lose the Fear and Get to Work

This is another post in the #NoFearHR project Mike VanDervort and I have kicked off.

Mike,


I like the way you're moving this conversation...and you're absolutely right. If HR still isn't on board with social media it's their fault. The proverbial train has left the station.


Now onto putting social to work in business. As you mentioned, we are integrating social media into everything we do here, and it is much more than a facebook page. But before we went running off "launching a strategy" I needed to get the team on board.


A Clean Slate
So you're wondering what I would do if I could start all over again? Great question. While we've come a very long way in our understanding, and enthusiasm for the possibilities that social offers, it really wasn't about the "plan" that was most important. Looking back now the most important move involved two parts:


1 - Introducing social tools one-by-one to the team at a pace that was comfortable


2- Requiring them to use the tools


For me, having a social media strategy that no one on the front line believes in doesn't make much sense. Without the commitment of the people around me in HR, our journey into social media would never have made it to tweet #1 (let alone #12,000.)


But What About the C-Suite
What about them? Mike, you and I both know that using social tools is simply good HR practice. I'm not so sure there needs to be a committee that sits around for a year trying to decide if launching a social strategy in HR makes sense or not. On this one I think we need to ask for forgiveness, not permission.


So starting over for me would be making sure the Marketing team and Human Resources team were all on the same page. 


If Marketing doesn't get it...well, that's a whole other problem.

HR and Marketing Are Best Friends...Or Should Be

Did you ever wish you could get time back?  I do, particularly when I think about all of the meetings, strategy sessions, focus groups and vendor calls all intended to help me decide on the best creative campaign for my recruitment advertising needs.  Yes, a SEPARATE ad campaign from the rest of the organization’s advertising efforts.  Why?  Because every modern organization was built in “Silo-ville” that’s why.  God forbid we actually integrate our strategies, messaging, and creative ideas to maximize the brand!

The Good Ol’ Days Sucked

The examples listed above are all true experiences from my “formative years” in HR.  I actually worked in an organization that required Nursing leaders to approve the creative ads for various recruitment initiatives.  Since when are Nurses, or HR staff for that matter, the Marketing professionals?  Guess what, they’re not.  I submit that neither group should be making those decisions. 

Happy Days Are Here Again…for the 1st Time

Gone now are the days of competing ad campaigns with Marketing, interference from others, and a mixed message to our external customers about the organization. Now HR and Marketing are completely integrated relative to creative advertising, communication strategies including the extensive use of social media, our evolving exploration of a Talent Community as well as the general coordination of production. 

We meet weekly to ensure every detail is managed efficiently and professionally.  The results have been nothing short of fantastic.  Check out our facebook page to take a quick look at what teamwork can produce.

How About You

Are you still pretending to be a Marketing professional?  Do you have vendors pitch their programs to you with promises of great results for your recruitment blitz plan?  What about your company’s overall Marketing plan?  Do you meet regularly with the leadership in that area to ensure you maximize the message, the spend, and the brand?  On second thought, please don’t.  While you’re wasting all that time and money confusing your customers, I can make my move.

I’d love to hear from you.

No Excuses.


pics courtesy of corporate-eye and my iPhone