Social Recruitment in a Sunday Paper World

My perspective on recruitment has changed dramatically over the last few years.  For those paying attention...ahem, that excludes many leaders I know...they've radically changed not only their thinking about recruitment, but their spending as well.  


Let's be real for a minute, if you're talking about the changes that have come about because of social media but you're still buying ad space in the Sunday paper, waiting for the monthly niche journal to publish, or believe your brand is so strong applicants should be grateful to work for you, then you're missing the boat. Many leaders acknowledge that social media is growing, but haven't even explored how to use the tools themselves.  How is that possible?  

Social Media Recruiting
As I continue to learn s l o w l y about the power of social media in my professional practice, I'm putting my company's money where my mouth is => we're shifting our focus, our energy and our spend to where the world is going, not where it's been. Here's a brief summary of the key components of our evolving strategy:

• facebook page for HR: Includes links to our jobs, benefits, recruiters, our RN Residency program, has posts that provide tools for job seekers, information about housing (did someone say the beach?), information on restaurants, theatres, museums, and where to go for happy hour
• twitter: branded account for the HR team but each recruiter has an active account as well, consistently use the same hashtag (#achjobs) for job related posts and all traffic is driven to the HR facebook page, not the company website
• foursquare: all locations have been claimed across the organization and instead of a "special" we're using tips to drive traffic back to the HR facebook page
• Linkedin: beyond just a free company page, we're developing our careers page that will soon have additional video testimonials from employees in addition to several highlighted job postings and company video updates
• Talent Communities: this is our next BIG endeavor that will reverse the way we recruit from the centuries old approach of posting a job and hoping someone qualified applies, to a more proactive system of building relationships with potential candidates and then selecting from that community when positions become available...much more to follow on this...
• Oh yes, and we have the obligatory company job page as part of our company website (If this is the only place you're on the web as part of your recruitment strategy it's time to turn the lights off and call it a day)

Metrics Matter
Making sure this strategy adds value, or any strategy for that matter, is a cornerstone of our approach. Tracking specifically the ads we run, and the follow through at the candidate level all the way to the end of the recruitment cycle is essential. In future posts I'll share our successes, particularly as our Talent Community initiatives get traction this winter.


How About You
Are you an HR leader that is still hiding under your desk scared to death of social media? Now that I think about it, you probably should be.  You see, the world is moving fast, trying new approaches, and sharing more than ever. We're learning every day to try and keep up, but it isn't easy. That level of transparency is foreign to old-school HR folks, and will probably be the reason they don't get the respect they deserve.  Give social a try...I'll help!

I'd love to hear from you.


No Excuses.






pics courtesy of living-authentically and glowimages

Thoughts Are Mine...No Kidding

"Thoughts are mine."

Ever seen that tag line? I've used it. I've kidded myself that it actually meant something, as if it was some sort of disclaimer that magically separated me from my role when I used social media. Seriously?

Of Course They Are
Consider how odd this phenomenon is...you've set up a social media account, you've populated the profile with a list of your nifty little interests, dropped in a couple of hashtags, and even included your latest pic. Then to top it all off you add the infamous words "thoughts are mine." Really? What does that mean exactly? I used to think that I knew. It meant that I was not speaking on behalf of my employer, I was simply going to use the Internet to blast my views on a variety of topics for all to see...including my organization's employees. Simple. No harm done. It's just me.

It's hard to be a social media rookie.

Of Course You Represent Your Employer
This realization can be viewed as a significant constraint on your personal life. It can cross the line between personal and professional boundaries and severely limit what you can and can not say. It's almost as if....well...

"It's almost as if we're trying to hide something. Why else would there be so much paranoia around a simple tweet or post?"

Leadership Means You're Actually Accountable
Imagine that? Being responsible for what you say and do because you're a leader. Shocking! Now before everyone gets all twisted around on this, I do realize we're all human and are allowed to have our own lives outside of work. I sure as hell do (uh...hockey anyone?) But if any of us believe we are able to live some sort of parallel private life away from all of the responsibility, authority and success we've worked so hard to achieve then we're poorly mistaken.

How About You

Do you have the courage to embrace your role and be mindful when integrating social media into your whole life? Or, are you so worried about a tweet that mentions a great happy hour or a heavy metal song that you're going to stick with posts about accounting principles?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



pic courtesy of simplyzesty

Power, Social Media and Tron

A new Tron movie - "Legacy"-  came out a couple of years ago and I thought it was awesome. (Yeah, I used the word awesome.) It combined a fascinating digital world of technology (a.k.a. gaming/social media/web) and the real world into a dangerous society focused on power and dreams of a better life.

Wait, that was just a movie, right?

Power, Everybody Wants Some
In this good versus evil science fiction flick the twist on power is an interesting one. Partners who originally dreamed of creating a Utopian society that would take care of people in a positive way gets all mixed up. Where once these two worked together toward a common goal, now they were at odds with each other chasing ultimate power.

Wait, that was just a movie, right?

Art Imitates Life
So how does Tron apply to the world of work? Easily. Right now in your organization people are maneuvering to gain more power, to cover their bases, or both. I'm not judging it, I'm simply saying it's happening. For the shrewd leader, being aware of these behaviors among employees, and their peers, allows for inappropriate power-plays to be reacted to immediately. We like to think we're all rowing in the same direction, but to ignore the fact that many sub-plots are going on constantly is simply naive.


How About You
How do you balance your career aspirations, dreams of a better workplace and desire for power? Are you pushing your social media brand, leadership authority, and ideas for change in an ethical way? I'm going to try and answer these questions too.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.




pic courtesy of paris-confidential

There's a Laboratory in Your Workplace

Amazing things happen in laboratories. Specimens are analyzed to discover the truth behind illnesses, theories are tested and become life-saving medicines, innovative thinking pushes the limits of what is "normal"...and silos are broken down allowing crazy ideas to turn in to realities in the workplace.

Wait...uh...what was that last one?

Where Are You Gene Wilder
You remember that famous innovator, Young Frankenstein, don't you? The great parody of the horror classic focuses on a scientist obsessed with making a dramatic breakthrough only to have his work go a bit haywire. A classic movie, but also a fun reminder that sometimes we need to push the limits of our work if we're going to make a meaningful difference. When was the last time you tried something that had never been done before at your company? Was it in recruiting, employee relations, recognition,  benefits design....anything at all?

Best Practices Aren't Your Practices
If you couldn't give one example of something you've tried that's completely new then you may be using too many best practices. It's not that trying other proven approaches to solve problems is a bad idea. It's just that those are someone else's best practices, not yours. You need to modify, test, fail, revise, and try again to develop your own version. Name one innovator who never tested their own theories? I can't either.

How About You
Is your workplace a laboratory? Are you excited about the mistakes you're going to make today? Does the thought of trying something risky and new get you fired up? Who knows, you may just see your idea come to life.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

Khaos Legions or New Leadership

The baby boomers are now in a full retirement blitz, right? Think about it...thousands of experienced professionals transitioning out of paid employment into a new phase of life. Who will follow them? One option is that legions of inexperienced leader-wanna-be types have convinced themselves they're ready to step up. But are they? 


Work/Life Balance is A Lot of Work
Have they embraced the need to respect work/life balance but also appreciate that without hard work, whining about balance is perceived as a lame excuse to slack off? Have they developed the maturity to understand that as the world of work has evolved the role of ethical decision-making is more important than ever? We'll see...the last thing we need with a big election year looming are the khaos legions taking over. We have enough of those in high profile public positions, no need to fill the list of leadership vacancies that are soon to follow with them too.

Best Days Behind Us
Some might say that without an old-fashioned work ethic the future of corporate leadership looks bleak. Without a laser focus on achieving goals, making sacrifices, and joining the cult of profits above all else, we are doomed to continue our economic nosedive. How can we possibly move ahead without laughing off the younger generation's expectations of that infamous balance? Surely we can't make the world of work better and different at the same time, right?


Best Days Ahead
I'm here to tell you both are possible. Not only are they possible, but quite frankly they are essential if we're going to take work to a place that has meaning beyond a paycheck. Work can be so much more, but it takes leadership. It takes new leadership across many facets of life.


It takes you.


How About You
What have you done to prepare yourself to lead effectively in 2012. So much is riding on what you do as an individual, as a member of a team, and as a representative of your organization. Are you ready?


I'd love to hear from you.


No Excuses.





pic courtesy of appsfuze

Resolutions Are For Suckers

I have long been a member of the New Year's Resolutions Club. I think long and hard about how I'm going to change my life and become something that I'm not...er...I mean something better. I've written personal lists, professional lists, exercise lists, organizational lists, and other lists I'm sure...I just can't seem to remember what they were.

Good Intentions

It's not that setting goals for yourself is a bad idea. In fact, committing to making improvements in one's life is a great idea...as long as the changes are realistic. That's where I've struggled over the years.

So this year I'm going to try something new...no resolutions, or goals, or delusions of becoming some sort of Hollywood fantasy version of myself. I'm simply going to try and do my best. No, that's not very flashy or exciting or inspiring. But if I can do my best each day, I might just make real progress instead of finding myself at the beginning of February lamenting that I'd fallen short once again.

How About You

How many of you have goals for the coming year? Are you dreaming of a better you at home, work, the gym, or with the family? Good luck with that. Maybe this is the year to avoid the disappointment of attempts at change that fall short; and to simply focus on bringing an honest effort each day. Happy New Year.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



pics courtesy of leehippie and discotreats

Out of My Element

Earlier this year I had an opportunity to participate on a team that consulted for a large hospital overseas. It was the first time I worked on a project like that, and to say it was an eye-opening experience is the understatement of the year. Much has been written about moving out of one's comfort zone, but this assignment was something far beyond taking a baby step and trying something new.

Frame of Reference...Where?
Although I traveled to a country that required its citizens to be fluent in their native tongue as well as English, the entire healthcare system was organized in a dramatically different way compared to what I'm accustomed to. The norms, procedures, customs, politics and expectations were all new. I quickly found myself trying to force-fit my world-view onto their situation so I could "fix" the many challenges facing this organization.

Uh-oh. Since when was forcing my view on someone else a good idea?

Listen, Learn, Listen Some More

I very quickly realized I needed to slow down and stop being so...well...me. I was the visitor, I was the outsider, I was also being viewed as an expert to bring a fresh perspective. I needed to understand what these talented people were going through before I jumped to any conclusions or solutions. (That is hard for me to do.)

Learning is Good
Once I slowed down and took the time to soak up all of the information that was so generously being shared with me and the other members of our HR Team, I could begin to not only appreciate the challenges but also identify options to make changes within their system. The project wasn't about me, or the American healthcare system, or what was wrong with their system. It was about working together to bring ideas to the table to make progress. Last time I checked, making progress is a good thing.

How About You
Are you the "expert?" If so, how do you let others know? Is it through a series of regular proclamations that are shared with those around you; or, do you listen, learn, and lead those around you to make progress?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



pic courtesy of lisafrancesjudd