Corporate Eye

...compare, compete, excel

Careers

Fair Play for Facebook


facebook-f

Recent posts have included several on Twitter, and a couple on social media in general.  So in the interests of equal exposure, it’s time for a focus on Facebook.

One of the secrets to social media success for businesses is understanding the different functionalities and “personalities” of the various platforms.  By now, tribes in the remote Amazon know that the special nature of Twitter is the 140-character limit that creates discrete messages (aka tweets).  So what’s the corollary super-simplification for Facebook?

People have Friends, companies/products have Fans.

Beyond that . . . I’ve looked (and looked and looked) for a good introduction to the magical powers of Facebook for business, but I’ve come up empty.  The “basics” of Facebook resolve down to get an account and poke around.  Which could be worth the time if you want to get a feel for the experience.

And/or for a refresher on social media in general, here’s a primer from HR consultant Kevin Wheeler.  (And it’s worth a stop at the home page of Wheeler’s company to see the excellent virtual version of Kevin.)

Now we’ll go on to some more specific material about Facebook:

First, what’s new with Facebook.  That’s a very current topic, due to the fairly recent acquisition of FriendFeed by Facebook.  If that statement doesn’t have meaning for you, don’t worry about it–just jump in with Jeremy Owyang’s excellent post on The Future of Facebook.  Short version:  More like Twitter.  (While at Jeremy’s Web Strategy site, check out this post on Facebook traffic, and listen to a podcast on Facebook Connect for Business.)

And just as I’m writing, there’s another bit of breaking news:  The Huffington Post has implemented Facebook Connect in a new service called HuffPost Social News, which “aggregates Huffington Post stories that a given user’s Facebook friends have recommended or commented on, and shares the user’s Huffington Post activity on their Facebook profiles in turn.”  It will probably take a while to judge the significance of this move.

Meanwhile, on a more practical note, browse these two round-ups:  5 Tips for Getting More from Facebook and 32 Ways to Use Facebook for Business.  Both are targeted (like most of what’s available about Facebook) for small businesses and entrepreneurs rather than big companies, but they offer a general flavor plus some handy information.

And finally, follow up on Facebook for recruiting.  Two good posts from ere.net:  some candid remarks on Facebook for business and a quick overview of recruiting apps for Facebook.

But nothing beats real life, so drop by www.facebook.com/ernstandyoungcareers to see how things are working out for Ernst & Young.  They got a lot of publicity when they ventured out on the Facebook ledge to court college students a couple of years ago, and interestingly enough, it looks like they have 30,731 fans as of today . . .

For a really zippy look at the E & Y approach, watch How Ernst & Young and Starbucks Use Social Media, from 60SecondMarketer.   One minute well spent, actually!

There certainly isn’t as much how-to (or even why-bother) lore for Facebook as for Twitter, but that gap may start to close soon.  To get a more substantive grasp of this particular match-up, read Twitter Vs. Facebook.  A thorough analysis–and ten minutes well spent, definitely.


(Thanks to benstein for the excellent “f”.)


Fast Forward

2009

As promised in the recent post Back to Basics, we’ll take a sharp turn from the old-fashioned topic of messaging to see what’s been getting buzz in the world of recruiting.

Last August, HR expert Dr. John Sullivan wrote a very interesting post on 13 Trends in Corporate Recruiting for 2009. It drew quite a few responses from folks offering additional insights (and explaining how their own product/service would solve problem X), then got reposted with more comments on other blogs. So there’s a nice bit of discussion around the list, and most everyone seems to agree with the ideas articulated.

Sullivan offers thoughtful commentary, plus suggested ‘Firms to watch’ in each category, so the post is well worth a read. To provide a preview, I’ll list the topics he discusses under the heading ‘Latest Trends in Corporate Recruiting,’ and then add a short comment …

  1. Upgrading employment branding
  2. Reinvigorating referral programs
  3. Renewing the focus on quality of hire
  4. Reinforcing the business case for recruiting
  5. Utilizing social networks
  6. Utilizing video
  7. Upgrading succession planning
  8. Using employee blogs for recruiting
  9. Using mobile-phone recruiting
  10. Revitalizing corporate jobs page
  11. Using a CRM model for hiring
  12. Hiring innovators
  13. Recruiting globally

Sullivan also lists 18 trends that will probably not become mainstream in 2009, but do offer some ideas for innovators. They include use of pop-culture tools like Second Life, video games, contests, as well as techno-strategies such as remote interviewing and simulations for candidate assessment. In addition, he mentions internal realignments such as increasing focus on internal redeployment and bringing back key ex-employees.

Finally, there’s a section on what’s not hot. Can you guess? Outsourcing recruiting processes and relying on large job boards—not hot. Also mentioned, internal concerns such as retention and speed of hire.

Of the 13 major trends, number 10 is the most relevant from a Corporate Eye perspective, and here’s what Sullivan has to say about it:

Revitalizing corporate jobs page. Recruiting managers are beginning to understand that pitifully dull and dated websites drive away innovators. Focus areas include providing personalized information to the visitor, Flash video integration, blogs, podcasts, and virtual Q&As. Firms to watch: Microsoft, Google, and Deloitte.

And here’s my comment, which is really a question. There’s a significant difference between the 2009 of ‘now’ and the 2009 of ‘then.’ In fact, it’s hard to believe the world looked so different only last August. Given the precarious condition of the economy today, employers seeking experienced talent may find their prospect pool shrinking, as employees who have jobs become reluctant to give them up and look elsewhere. And with unemployment rising steadily, employers who offer an entry-level path may find themselves overwhelmed. (Just look at the recent rush of applicants for jobs with the Miami Fire Department.)

So . . . which of the touted trends are going to be effective (or even relevant) for your company in the real 2009? And which (if any) trendy website embellishments might be worth an investment? Most important—do you have the information needed to make these decisions?

Food for forward thought.

And thanks to Môsieur J. for the image.

The Fortune Follow-up

Fortune Top 100 commentsIn the final installment of the Employer Brand series, I promised a postscript on how the Fortune list of ‘100 Best Companies to Work For‘ has been received by readers—and here’s the summary, along with a couple of takeaways. Then read on to see some runners-up for the ‘Cynthia’s Favorite Five’ list.

  • Several people comment that their companies either won’t participate in the ‘100 Best’ contest, or used to participate and have now quit. (Southwest Airlines, which was once prominent on the list, is mentioned in the latter category.)
  • A few commenters allege their companies actually run campaigns and/or create false impressions to garner high marks.
  • The most frequently found single comment type is some version of “Why isn’t IBM on the list?” (Not sure why the obsession with IBM.)
  • Many comments have the theme “maybe Company X is great somewhere else, but not in my location/department/position.” (One person comments that Google is not fun for people over 35, which seems believable.)
  • Company enthusiasts frequently mention that they personally have been treated well; that company leaders exhibit the company values; and/or that the company is not laying off.
  • Company detractors frequently mention toxic culture, poor leadership, depressed employees, hypocrisy, and/or that the company is laying off.

Relevance for improving Careers sites? (a) People have a lot of passion—positive and otherwise—about their employers, past and future. Give site visitors something they can respond to with feeling. (b) Employee testimonials on the site can have value. But be sure they accurately reflect the company’s culture and circumstances. Even a suggestion of hypocrisy or manipulation will turn off some visitors.

PCLRounding out Cynthia’s excellent adventure: As mentioned in the last post, I chose Alcon as the most energizing site among the bigger companies I visited. Actually, though, Alcon is tiny compared to Starbucks–and at 7,000+ employees, is among the smaller companies on the Fortune list. Better to say I was looking for something interesting among companies in more conservative industries or business sectors.

And in that spirit, here’s a shout-out to PCL Construction (I liked the stylishly industrial look of their design, plus the prominent placement of the sub-menu) and to Johnson Bank (the pinstripe look done well, with a sophisticated yet sincere feeling). As for the biggest company on the list . . . the FedEx Careers site earned my entry-level praise phrase: ‘Functions well and fits the brand.’

Shaping the Employer Brand

Recap: Google has slipped from number one (two years running) to a mere number four on Fortune’s list of the ‘100 Best Companies to Work For.’ Why? Partly because companies one through three have gotten ahead of them. But also (according to Fortune) because Google has eliminated some ‘frills’–most notably, afternoon tea and the annual all-expenses-paid ski trip.

Fortune

Since few companies on earth provide afternoon tea to supplement their all-day, all-free offerings of fabulous food—it may be hard to see why this change would be a blow to Google’s reputation. But as we know, perception trumps reality, and the important point is this: Once a company has become famous as an endless fountain of goodies, closing the spigot even a little can disrupt that image. (To see what actually got cut at Google, check out ‘Frugal Google.’)

The Fortune rankings are determined primarily by questionnaires sent to employees (sampling at least 400 per company), and there’s no detailed breakout of who-said-what about a particular company. So a bit of sleuthing was required to get a better picture of Google’s slight downhill slide. The big surprise (to me anyway): Although Google was number one on the overall list in 2007 and 2008, it didn’t even show up as one of the top companies on the ‘perks’ indexed in the Fortune rankings. The perks evaluated include basic benefits like health care, as well as extras such as child care, sabbaticals, telecommuting–and Google doesn’t rank high on any of them.

So number-one Google wasn’t actually lavishing its employees with exceptional benefits. Nope. The benefits were certainly good enough, but the real perk was ambiance—an idyllic work environment that made employees feel special, valued, and carefully cared for. To get a full picture of this widely publicized mystique, check out the in-depth exploration Fortune provided when Google topped the list in 2007.

Google

Yet you won’t find a lot of hype over at the Google Careers site. Google did not (and doesn’t) depict its company as paradise, just as a really nice place to work. The ‘Top Ten Reasons to Work at Google‘ page stresses opportunities to create, participate, and achieve—and although it does mention free food, that’s number 10.

Which brings us to today’s first takeaways: (1) remember that the Careers site sets up expectations, but (2) don’t forget that visitors bring expectations with them. Most of last year’s 770,000 applicants for 350 jobs at Google (yes, really) probably came to the Careers site with a pre-formed opinion about what it would be like to work for the company. Do visitors to your site have a pre-formed opinion? If so, what is it?

And if visitors don’t have an idea already in mind, then the Careers site will create that all-important first impression …

Cisco

The final takeaway: perks provide a significant opportunity to shape the employer brand. They demonstrate the value placed on employees by the company—and that’s the message to keep in mind. So if you showcase benefits, present them as truly integral to the company culture, not just competitive lures or business obligations. For a very interesting example, take a look at how Cisco (number five on the Fortune list) weaves its employer brand into a far-reaching corporate vision.

Show the world where you are – and what you are doing there

No matter what size of company you are, details of your registered address should be available on your site. This is a legal requirement here in the UK (reminder) – but is good practice anyway. Larger companies often also provide further details of their various locations – sometimes in the About Us section or in the Careers section.

Tell potential recruits what it is really like

Providing details about your locations can help potential recruits make their decisions. Successful applicants will not only have to work in one of your locations, they will have to live there too. No-one wants to hire someone who decides they don’t like the area you work in and leave; providing information about the area can help avoid losing a recruit later.
[Read more…] about Show the world where you are – and what you are doing there