Corporate Eye

...compare, compete, excel

Cynthia Giles

Cynthia Giles

Undercover Employee


Shhhh 1

I haven’t seen the new television show Undercover Boss—but the idea seems almost irresistible.  Who wouldn’t want to see executives slogging around in the trenches?

However, I have done several stints as an undercover employee.  Way back when I wanted to get out of academia and learn about the business world, I found it was easy to get temp jobs because I could type really (really) fast.  So I got to snoop around a dozen or so companies, seeing how they were organized, how people behaved, and so on.  The companies were in different industries, and the work cultures were superficially different.  But what I learned in my adventure was that they all had the same problems.

Fast forward to today.  I’m currently undercover again, this time because I wanted an inside view of a very famous employer brand.  The “undercoverness” is not that no one knows my real identity–it’s that no one has the least interest in who I am.  My role is to get X amount of stuff done in Y amount of time, and enter my hours into the appropriate project slots.  As long as I do that, no one will pay any attention to me.  I am a worker bee.

But I do get to see (or at least hear) how things run in one group.  I won’t reveal my “findings” until I’ve finished the project and departed the company.  For now, I just want to share this observation . . .

Probably nothing would be more help in improving the employer brand than finding out what new  employees actually experience as they go through the hiring process, go through the onboarding process, try to do some work, and try to find their place in the group structure.  How many companies substantively interview new hires and actively utilize feedback?

Come to that:  How many companies provide ongoing support and resources for new hires?  How many managers have the time, skills, or inclination to effectively integrate new employees?  And how many Careers sites talk about the hiring and onboarding processes, or include interviews with newly hired workers as well as career employees?

Last question.  How many corporate recruiters actually know what becomes of candidates after they get hired?

When you think about it—every new employee is “undercover.”  Secretly observing, forming opinions, drawing conclusions.  And those early observations will shape the relationship between employee and employer for a long time.

Check out the  fantastic (seriously) New Hires site at Stanford University for some ideas.  Especially impressive:  a series of Manager Checklists that cover the first days, weeks, and months on the job.


(Thanks to Eric E. Castro for the original “Shhh!” photograph.  It’s been reworked a bit here.)

“New” Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For: Part 1

Fortune 100

The February 28th edition of CBS’s popular Sunday Morning show led with a profile of SAS, the top shop in this year’s Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For.  But the title of the story wasn’t “Workers in Paradise”—it was:  “The Great American Paycheck Squeeze.”

Fortune explains the choice for first place:

SAS boasts a laundry list of benefits — high-quality [onsite] child care at $410 a month, 90% coverage of the health insurance premium, unlimited sick days, a medical center staffed by four physicians and 10 nurse practitioners (at no cost to employees), a free 66,000-square-foot fitness center and natatorium, a lending library, and a summer camp for children.

There’s more about the culture (based on “trust between our employees and the company”), the continuity of leadership, the profitability of the company, and so on.  But the big deal is obviously the Edenic workplace, which also boasts 40 miles of running trails, a hair salon, three subsidized cafeterias, an onsite massage therapist (of course), and an artist-in-residence program.

So what could possibly be wrong with this picture?

As the Sunday Morning story observes:  “The reality is, for more and more Americans in these recessionary times, SAS might as well be Disney World.”

There’s an inherent discontinuity in the list between what we might call the “campus” companies, where life is made easy for employees (Intel, Intuit, Genentech, Qualcomm, the list goes on) and the “shirt sleeve” companies, where employees are offered emotional reward in lieu of creature comforts.  Stew Leonard’s, Build-a-Bear Workshop, Umpqua Bank and a few others compete mainly on charm—fun at work, family feeling, respect for and from management—plus health care benefits, with few other tangible perks.

There’s also a discontinuity between companies where many people might work and those where few need apply.  SAS actually did grow jobs last year, by a modest 2%.  But the people they hire are for the most part already selected out of the general population by high skill levels.  And many of the more applicant-accessible companies on the list had negative job growth, ranging from -2% to more than -20%.  Across the board, from FedEx to Zappos, CarMax to Men’s Wearhouse, the job news for non-geniuses was not good.

So who grew?  Biggest increases were at the Scooter Store (up 51%) and Smucker’s (up 44%).  The “why” at Scooter Store seems obvious, given the aging population and the general decline in fitness.  As for Smucker’s . . . well, sales have increased 58% since their acquisition of Folger’s in 2008, so effectively they bought a bunch of new jobs.  And coffee has turned out to be a great space for expansion, since decreases in disposable income have driven coffee drinkers to brew at home.  On the flip side, job growth at Starbucks was -27%.

More analysis, and some lessons from the list, in Part 2.

Vocus Report Maps the “Traditional Media” Landscape

439px-Radio_News_Oct_1928_Cover

Social media seems to dominate the conversation about corporate messaging these days—and every week brings a new story about the demise of traditional media.  But it’s important not to oversimplify this equation.  People still read newspapers (you can watch them do it at Starbucks or on the bus), listen to the radio in their cars, borrow books from the library, watch television daily, and flip through magazines at the doctor’s office.  And businesses still have to use all these media formats strategically.

So 2010 State of the Media: An Analysis of the Changing Media Landscape by the Vocus Research Team is well worth a download.  The report, which analyzes the status of conventional media and identifies developing trends, was discussed in a webinar recently—and here are some highlights I took away from the presentation:

The magazine sector will shrink, with some titles folding (especially in areas where there are close competitors, such as Self vs. Shape) and other titles publishing less frequently.  There will be an increase in special editions on the print side, with digital distribution and on-demand content growing on the non-print side.  New online magazines will continue to appear, especially in niche areas.  Takeaway: Think beyond print when including magazines in PR strategy.

Newspapers are closing fast (especially weeklies) and launching infrequently.  Staffs and coverage are shrinking.  If there is good news in this sector, it’s not clear yet—but the trend is obviously toward more integration between paper and online delivery.  Takeaway: Everyone is overworked at papers today, so maximize the chance of getting attention by targeting pitches carefully.  Send exactly the right story angle to exactly the right person.

Cost-cutting in television may not be evident to the viewer, but it’s definitely going on.  And the main casualty is news.  There’s less coverage for soft news and in-depth stories, and in some areas talk shows are replacing newscasts.  Staffers may have to manage online content as well as on-air reporting.  Takeaway: Broaden pitches to go beyond the traditional newscast.  Make the reporter’s job easier by offering extra content (fact and images) and high-quality b-roll for online use.

Radio has lost stations, jobs, revenue, and programming—but there is still a lot of strength in this sector.  Although listening alternatives (satellite radio, MP3s, etc.) continue to increase, the majority of adults still get the majority of their audio from broadcast radio.  Takeaway: Keep in mind that most radio stations now have websites and podcasts, so there’s a need for rich content.  Think beyond sound bytes!

The webinar concludes with some good general advice:  Remember that traditional media still matters, continue to maintain relationships, provide substantive content, and stick to the tried-and-true PR principles of accuracy, timeliness and relevance.

Vocus, by the way, is “a leading provider of on-demand software for public relations management,” offering a web-based software suite that not only facilitates media relations, news distribution and news monitoring, but also provides cool reporting functionality.  They will actually reward you for taking a tour of the product—and it’s a fun trip, so why not?

 

(The technology magazine Radio News was started in 1919 by Hugo Gernsback, who became one of the most influential figures in science fiction publishing.)

The Definitive “Definitive Guide” to HR Blogging

Definitive Guide Cover

Many thanks to Standout Jobs and Talent Synchronicity for A Definitive Guide to Corporate HR Blogging by Ben Yoskovitz and Susan Burns.  If you haven’t downloaded a copy of this excellent ebook—do so, ASAP.   For those who need some persuasion, here’s a speedy overview plus a few highlights . . .

The authors provide a guide to the guide, previewing “what you’ll learn”:

  • Why blogging is important to your success
  • How to develop the case for blogging
  • How to get management approval
  • How to handle bad news and negative criticism
  • How to start a blog – the technology, definitions, and more
  • How to write a blog – editorial calendars, story ideas, research
  • How to build traffic – linking, social media, commenting, etc.
  • How to go beyond blogging – Twitter, social networks

There’s good coverage on each of those topics—and in fact, this ebook offers both a great overview and a sturdy set of how-to steps for anyone interested in blogging, HR or not.  In addition to all the basics (with examples and links to information resources), there are in-depth explorations of corporate blogging challenges, with advice on how to establish blogging policies, how to work across the enterprise, and how blogging can generate quality leads.

Here are five of my favorite quotes.

1.  From “Why Blog?”:  The key is to think of blogging as a long-term, evolving strategic initiative. Blogging won’t help you fill a position instantly. But it will help you expand your reach and build a community of people (readers, job seekers, etc.) that’s interested in you and your company.

2.  From “Getting Management Approval to Blog”:  If management can’t recognize the value of blogging you’ve got bigger problems, because that means management doesn’t understand the value of strategic recruiting and inbound marketing.

3.  From “Post Topics”:  Job seekers want the inside scoop on your company. They want to collect as much information as possible before deciding whether your company is the right fit. The more you can do to open your doors and provide that sneak peek inside, the better.

4.  From “Staying Motivated”:   It is very important to stay motivated and keep your blog updated regularly. That’s why an editorial calendar can be so helpful for advanced planning. And that’s also why having multiple authors or even guest bloggers can help a great deal.

5.  From “10 HR Blogging Best Practices”:  Be personable, authentic and real. Job seekers and candidates don’t want corporate-speak and buzzwords. They want information and dialogue with real people about real issues and stories.

With Twitter so much in the forefront of social media hype, it may seem like blogging is old hat.  But more often than not, the two forms need each other.  Blogging provides an opportunity to present information and ideas in more depth—and also to establish a personal voice or group viewpoint.  Tweeting, in turn, can support and enliven the blog.

Thinking of developing a blog?  Start with this ebook.  Have a blog?  Read it for a refresher and reminder.  Don’t see blogging anywhere on your radar?  The Definitive Guide will convince you to give the idea some serious consideration.

A Closer Look at the Candidate Experience


Black Hole

“Improving the candidate experience” is a frequently used phrase.  But—who’s really doing it, and how?

I was motivated to look into this question more closely by this  comment on a recent post that discussed some psychological aspects of unemployment:  “I am currently ‘in transition’ and can tell you that the suggestions you made would go a long way in making job seekers feel as though there is a light at the end of the tunnel.”

The suggestions?  Offer encouraging messages and helpful advice on the Careers website; communicate with candidates; send rejection letters—and make them nicer; give every candidate a fair shake, even if they are not “passive.”  Those steps seem like common courtesy and common sense.

So I decided to check out what the experts are saying on this topic, and what I found was very interesting.  Most presentations and posts on this topic relate to increasing social networking and improving functionality.  Generally, the advice is about technology 2.0  rather human interactions.

If you haven’t seen Improving the Candidate Experience, a 2009 presentation by consultant Elaine Oursler, catch it now on SlideShare.   It’s an excellent overview, and offers some good insights.  But only one slide (out of 28) is focused on how the candidate is actually treated. Slide 13, “Seven Ways to Build a Better Relationships Today,” includes these important points:

  • Remember the golden rule:  Treat every candidate the way THEY WANT to be treated.
  • Avoid the “black hole” syndrome:  No matter how many resumes you receive, acknowledge the receipt of a person’s resume or job application.
  • Use technology for what it does best:  Give the candidates what they want most – timely feedback. Use email for frequent, short communication.
  • Recognize that small things lead to big impressions: Be attuned to professional details.

Are companies doing these things?  Most are not avoiding the black hole syndrome, apparently.  In a recent story titled Lifting the Curtain on the Hiring Process, Wall Street Journal Online reports:  “Job hunters should expect to wait anywhere from a few days to several weeks before receiving a response to an application, if at all. A recent survey of 56 companies with at least 500 employees found that just 27% have a formal process to decline every external candidate they consider for an opening, reports CareerXroads, a human-resources consulting firm in Princeton, N.J.”

And speaking of CareerXroads, since 2002 they have been conducting an annual “Mystery Job Seeker” investigation, which regularly reveals unfortunate truths about the candidate experience. Have a look at their reports. On a more positive view, see Leslie Stevens’s 2008 article Improve the Candidate Experience, which features a nice case study on efforts at Whirlpool.

Finally—check out Kevin Wheeler’s prescription for Using Career Sites to Create a Positive Candidate Experience.  Though not focused on human interactions, the article offers some good suggestions for engaging candidates through blogs, webinars, and even contests.  Plus this idea for personalizing content:

Make the site adapt to the candidate’s needs. Build in choices so that candidates who are analytical can get data, facts, and charts while those candidates who are more verbal get similar information in text or pictures. Creating various forms of the same content is a clever and effective way of adding what seems to the candidates a personal touch to the website.

Takeaway: Technology can only go a little of the way toward making human resources more humane.  In the final analysis, it’s the attitude of the company–from top leadership right down to resume screeners–that creates a positive (or negative) candidate experience.


(Thanks to lautsu for providing the impressionistic “black hole.”)


Confused about .jobs Job Boards? Join the Secret Club.


Dot Jobs

To catch up on this topic (I admit I was way behind) you will have to follow several steps.

Step 1 Read this post by John Zappe on ere.net:  Guests Invited to Hear Million Job Board Plan.  My summary: Direct Employers, a “nonprofit association of employers” has invited 29 people to a meeting which will “answer questions that have come up” about the Direct Employers plan to build “tens of thousands” of new job boards using the .jobs top domain.  The names of the 29 people are not revealed, but Zappe says they are “easily recognizable.” Included are “recruitment leaders,” “job board CEOs,” and “a few industry writers.”

Step 2 Read this other post by John Zappe on ere.net:  A “Universe” of .Jobs Job Boards is Set to Launch. Follow carefully (it’s very twisty) and continue to the end—which is a bit challenging to common logic.

Step 3 Visit the curiously cute Employ Media sales site http://goto.jobs/.  View the tutorials if you like, then click Buy Now and choose GoDaddy.  There you will see a nuts-and-bolts explanation of the .jobs “rules,” available from links in the right-hand column.

Step 4 Visit the stately Direct Employers website http://www.directemployers.org/.  Scroll down and click on “Enter the Universe.”  Oops—apparently Universe has been sucked into a black hole. [Now fixed – Ed]

Step 5 Re-read Guests Invited to Hear Million Job Board Plan.  Notice the following statement by Direct Employers Executive Director Bill Warren:  “We are not so vain that we think anyone really cares about what we are doing. However, we have had many phone calls with questions about what we are doing and how we are building out the domains.”

Those two sentences do not seem to fit together comfortably. But it gets better!  Scroll down and read the Comments section, which turns into a very subtle scrap among apparent stakeholders in the issue.

Since I am the outsidest possible outsider in terms of these proceedings, my only goal in the present post is to encourage attention.  After a few readings of the above items (plus another Zappe post on the topic, which provides valuable background), I think I’ve figured out what the flap is all about. But your guess is just as good as mine, so I won’t attempt to interpret.

However, I will hypothesize.  Suppose a not-for-profit group joined forces with a for-profit group and sort of annexed a large amount of potentially high-value territory in an area that was supposed to be controlled by a certain set of rules.  Suppose other people with interests in the area asked questions about this, but couldn’t get very good answers.  Suppose it was all awfully important to begin with, but—since everything moves so darn fast these years!—it may turn out to be somewhat irrelevant in the end.

According to the Comments exchange noted above, the  names of the invitees were not publicized as a matter of courtesy.  And it appears many of them were expected to be otherwise engaged at the time of the scheduled meeting, while Warren expects to be otherwise engaged at the time of a public forum where matters might have been clarified to a larger audience.  So it doesn’t look as if there will be an outcome to this story any time soon.  But it’s definitely worth knowing about . . .