Jason Blais: From the Recruiting Front Lines

The Recruiting Front Lines: RFL: We’re Moving in the Right Direction!

Word of caution to all HR and staffing professionals. NOW is certainly NOT the time to ignore your recruiting strategies. I’ve spoken with a few companies recently who have expressed that due to the economy, and their hiring freeze or reductions, they aren’t giving any attention to the employment brand or recruiting strategies at all. That line of thinking will only serve to position you to lose out on the best talent when the economy shifts or you simply need to fill a key position. Let me explain.

THE BEST COMPANIES INCREASE EXPOSURE IN DOWN ECONOMY
In a down economy, the strongest companies maintain or increase their advertising and marketing. You’ll often see big name brands advertising during a downturn that you don’t see during strong economic times. This is done to gain market share and reinforce brand awareness that will be leveraged when the economy does turnaround. Despite slowing or declining revenues, businesses promote the unique value of their products/services to remain top of mind with consumers. At the same time, some companies opt for cutting their advertising and marketing budgets and efforts, resulting in loss of market share and brand awareness, and negatively affecting their ability to rebound when the pendulum swings. They simply lose out to the companies with greatet TOMA- Top Of Mind Awareness.

CONSUMER BRANDING PRINCIPLES APPLY TO THE LABOR MARKET
This very same dynamic exists in the labor market. To be positioned to attract the best talent when you are hiring requires, businesses must apply the strategies of consumer branding to their employment branding practices. That’s to say, a business looking to outperform others in the acquisition of key talent, must continue to promote and reinforce their employment brand despite hiring freezes or cutbacks. This is critical to your business’s long term success. A business that fails to acquire key talent will fail to be as productive as those who do capture the best candidates, over the long term. Failing to pay attention to your employment brand is only slightly less detrimental to you business than failing to pay your electricity bill.

In my next post, I’ll discuss 4 keys to promoting your employment brand during a recession.

That’s how it looks today from the Recruiting Front Lines! Please feel free to share your comments, or shoot me an email if you have questions about any topics at jayblais@yahoo.com, or read more from me in the Recruiting Review Newsletter!

Set sail even though your friends stay in harbour. Know the route, know the soundness of your ship and the favour of the day
-Miyamoto Musashi, A Book Of Five Rings.

I’m happy to report that here at JobsInTheUS, we are moving in the right direction…. at least, I think so. I recently accepted a new role, or a slightly modified version of my previous roles, as the Director of Business Development. -that’s not why I think we’re moving in the right direction, though, of course, promoting me is the sign of a very intelligent business ;0).

In this new capacity, I’ll be focusing on developing our brand and identifying new revenue streams. While many in our industry have taken the easy step for short term revenue gain- charging job seekers in some fashion or another-, we have remained focused on our long term prosperity and stability.

(Believe it or not, my writing this is truly just a strange coincidence of timing with the philosophy and message put forth by President Obama in his Address to Congress, which is really just sound business practice.)

We believe that counsel, confidence, and content are the most important things we can give to both job seekers and employers right now, and that through those efforts, we will maintain and grow our brand loyalty and remain the premier recruiting resource in the markets we serve.

My new role is one example of how we’re backing up our brand promise with actual business practices. I have been a member of SHRM for 5 years now, am an active member of the Greater Monadnock SHRM chapter that meets in Keene, NH, and the HR Management Association of Central Massachusetts, and currently sit on the board for the Granite State HR Conference as the Information Management Chair. Over the past 4 years I have written and delivered numerous HR Certified internet recruiting seminars to employers in person across New England and New York, and via webinar to HR professionals across North America and Europe. During the past couple years, my focus has been on our Outreach and Education programs, providing PR, Marketing, and Sales support to our company, through experiential campaigns. These include exhibition at over 200 career oriented events in 2008, participation in B2B expos, and partnership development with trade associations and chambers of commerce. In addition, through this program, we presented dozens of Internet Job Hunting workshops directly to groups of job seekers through college career centers and state agencies.

As a company, my appointment as the Dir. of Business Development shows our commitment to growing our business through increased connection to our local markets, as opposed to selling more meaningless content on our web space or merely finding ways to capture revenue from job seekers. We have thoughtfully determined that our long term value and stability is based squarely on our ability to provide the best service to our customers, both employers and job seekers, and continue to establish our presence as thought-leaders in the world of recruiting and staffing management.

While we will continue to grow our base, developing our platform to connect the best in-state candidates with real in-state job opportunities, we will also expand to offer greater support to both job seekers and employers. Since 2004, we have hosted more real, in-state jobs in Maine, Vermont, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire than any other resource available, generating real content that attracts large numbers of the local job seekers. We have also successfully launched new markets in NY, CT, PA, LA, MS, and AL.

I’m proud of the brand loyalty and integrity we’ve established, but am even more proud of our continued decision to build on our success in thoughtful and valuable ways. I recently attended an HR meeting presented by the Central RI Chamber of Commerce which we sponsored. One of our long standing clients went out of her way to share with me that while they’ll be cutting many of their recruitment advertising methods, they will continue to use JobsInRI. She continued to explain that they realize the best value from our site, and that the support that we give through our participation in the community and the expertise given by our Recruitment Specialists is unparalleled.

We take the responsibility of providing value to the employers that advertise with us very seriously- and will continue to develop the counsel, confidence, and content we provide to help businesses make great hires. We also take great care in our engagement with the job seekers who rely on our service to find career opportunities, and will continue to develop the counsel, confidence, and content they need to find their next great career.

Because of this dedication to provide value, knowledge, and positive experiences in our markets, we believe the future is bright.

Set sail even though your friends stay in harbour. Know the route, know the soundness of your ship and the favour of the day.

Thanks to all of those who have utilized our resource over the years. We hope we can continue to meet your expectations and provide you with valuable counsel, confidence, and content.

Best Regards,

Jason C. Blais

Forget Corporate Social Responsibility, What About CONSUMER Social Responsibility!

I believe it’s time for us all to take a step back, and remember the value of human interaction both in life and in business. Businesses shouldn’t simply depend on automation solutions or online applications or e-commerce strategies to grow and build market share. Unfortunately, it’s up to consumers to demand more, and it seems that the majority are just too busy with their mobile devices listening to music, watching videos, texting, and calling, or going online to see how popular they can be on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, or a Ning network. If, as a country, we’ve already given away our status as a producer of goods, then the burden of our domestic value and economic strength falls on the shoulders of our consumers. That being the case, we must all become smarter and more thoughtful as we consume.

Somehow, online businesses have succeeded in convincing the masses that avoiding human interaction and local contact is a GOOD thing. And that we’re better off not having a local insurance carrier or bank or anything else for that matter. For a few dollar savings, we’ve allowed ourselves to accept that it’s in our best interest to pay less and receive less service.

In the world I operate in, recruitment advertising, this issue is growing out of control. Some larger employers have become to time-sensitive, they’ve removed human contact from parts of the recruiting process, relying solely on applicant screening applications. Try speaking with a hiring manager at a Borders, Sears, or other multi-national giant. It’s likely that you can’t even hand in a paper resume any more, let alone speak with someone about the job opening to find out more. Not too long ago I asked the store manager at a Sears who looked at the applications once they were completed at the in-store kiosk. Surprise! She had no idea. If the applicant was cleared by someone “at the home office”, the store would get a call to let them know when the applicant would be coming in for an interview.

Ever have a question about the validity of job postings on an internet job board? Who did you ask to get more information or confirm that the job was legitimate? I didn’t think so. While I am truly proud of the success of the job boards I work with, I am most proud of our focus on the local markets we serve. I’m almost embarrassed to share this, but once I was told that the only reason an employer used our site, was that when she called, she spoke with a live person who was familiar with her account, and that we gave her assistance over the phone to help ensure her recruiting success. Since when did answering the phone and giving advice to your customers become a unique sales proposition?!

Anyway, I’m getting off track. Today I just wanted to ask everyone to be thoughtful about how you consume.

Is it good or bad to pay $10 more for a running shoe that’s made in the USA (yes, there’s still one company making shoes on US soil- keep up the good work New Balance!)?

It it better to physically go to the bank that employs 20 or so of your neighbors who, in turn, buy from the local grocers, attend local theater, and pay taxes to support the local schools, than it is to get an extra tenth of a % on your savings account and enjoy the convenience of using an online bank?

The decisions we make do matter, in life and in business. Whether you’re buying goods, or recruiting staff, remember this: There are always unintended consequences for every action. Will your actions more likely produces positive unintended consequences, or negative?

With our focus on providing higher level resources for job seekers, we’ve updated our job hunting workshop to include content on identifying and promoting your transferable skills. For many who have been laid off, you may need to branch out to find new types of career opportunities. Take a look at the presentation below this post. Feel free to share feedback via the comment link below.

Hope this helps!

Jason

In the last 24 hours, I participated in a board meeting for the Granite State HR Conference, Exhibited at the New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association mixer, attended the monthly Monadnock SHRM meeting, and met with the Director of Organizational Development and Training at The Main Street America Group in Keene, NH, to learn about their employment brand practices. While exhausting, it’s great to get out to so many events in a short time because it truly gives me a vivid snapshot of what’s going on at the Recruiting Front Lines and JobsInNH. Here’s what I’ve learned in the last day:

GSHRC Board Meeting
We have been tirelessly focused on building the value within the annual state conference for 2009. The programs we’ve chosen will help all business managers, not just HR professionals, become more valuable to their businesses. We have programs on developing sustainability practices, efficient use of technology, recruiting more effectively, and many more. Having attended these conferences in ME and NH for the past 5 years, I find it very disappointing that many businesses still don’t understand the value of professional development in regard to human capital. During this meeting, however, I was happy to hear we’re off to a tremendous start, and believe the continued buzz we’re creating will lead to a record attendance. I’m very glad to be part of this.

NHLRA Member Mixer
JobsInNH was one of 5 or 6 companies on display at the February member mixer held at the Radisson in Nashua. A good turnout of around 60 or so folks, mostly vendors for restaurants and hotels. It was great to connect with the director of NH Businesses for Social Responsibility, and hear how they’re getting their message out.

As an aside, there are some that say that socially responsible companies have an upper hand in recruiting top talent. People are more and more focused on the culture of their environment. The bottom line is this: If you’re not developing socially or environmentally responsible programs at your workplace, start. If you are, be sure to scream it from the top of the mountains to leverage your work into attracting great talent.

It also became apparent through discussions with members and with our JobsInNH Outreach Consultant Caleb Wolfe, that one business segment seems to be doing very well in this economy… at least for now. As all businesses are looking to “do more with less”, they are looking for ways to cut their overhead. This is leading to business for smaller vendors that operate in larger markets. Telecommunications, Internet Service Providers, Insurance Providers, Computer Networking, Consulting, Credit Unions and other businesses that normally compete for the scraps left by large corporations, are beginning to see an increase in business as people bargain hunt and look for local stability.

Monadnock SHRM
I attended the monthly meeting and heard a great deal about the oddly named Employee Free Choice Act that has passed through the House in Washington DC, and is being looked at by the Senate. It was an interesting presentation from Mark Broth, and attorney with Devine Millimet. He was outlining the concerns and issues that are built into this act that would do away with private ballots in the process to organize a labor union. I’ll write an entirely separate post on the EFCA, so will refrain from getting too far into it. The meeting was fairly well attended, by the usual group, and provided a great opportunity to connect with HR friends. The Chapter President, Priscilla Brisson (also Director of Human Resources for Monadnock Developmental Services), was gracious enough to let me plug the HR Conference and solicit nominations for the HR Hero Award. No one indicated any hiring or growth from this group.

Meeting with Deb Jansen at Main Street America
Deb Jansen volunteered her lunch to meet with me and Caleb to talk about the employment brand that MSA has developed. We are exploring the world of Employment Branding, and Deb happily agreed to share what works for them and give feedback about what we’re promoting. They have a turnover rate below the industry average, have an amazing average tenure, and make concerted efforts to bring people in and make them feel part of something. We discussed the value of presenting your business as a career move, right from the first interview, instead of a place to work. They have done an excellent job in ongoing development and training programs, and regularly review their practices. One thing that really stood out was that their CEO makes an effort to regularly and formally solicit input/feedback/suggestions from employees in a collegial setting. They are doing a great job if internal branding, and are having success spreading their message through word of mouth. Keene is a very small town, after all.

I’ve accepted a new role with JobsInTheUS | JobsInME | JobsInNH | JobsInVT | JobsInRI, as Director of Business Development. As we seek out new programs and initiatives to reinforce our service to job seekers and employers, these types of activities help me understand the needs and wants that are out there. I’m glad to be part of a business that believes in the “feet on the street” philosophy, and supports efforts to build knowledge and expand expertise. In these troubled economic times, a focus on building and growign, even if only in our intelligence and understanding, helps to keep focus and sustain optimism.

That’s how it looks today from the Recruiting Front Lines!

Twenty thousand business leaders and managers in ME, NH, VT, and RI will arrive to work on Tuesday to find a letter of support from the leading recruiting resource in those states: JobsInME, JobsInNH, JobsInVT, and JobsInRI.

I am proud of the initiative that we have taken to support employers and employees who will be among the workforce reductions in 2009. I am proud that JobsInTheUS is willing to support such an endeavor, and our willingness to accept short term costs to provide a free service to the communities in which we operate. As the old saying goes, we believe we will do well by doing good.

Here’s an early look at the letter hitting email inboxes on Tuesday morning:

Dear Business Leaders and Managers,

While I am hopeful this note finds you all well – happy, healthy, and prosperous – I understand that our current economic condition has many of you ill at ease. In the past few months, the state and national economies have seen a drastic decline. It seems clear now that the ripple effect of the global financial crisis is reaching all corners of our lives.

In times like these, as business leaders we must evaluate ourselves and our organizations. While we are all wondering what we can do to help, many are facing the solemn reality of staffing reductions and layoffs. We understand the difficulty and burden that these decisions bring, and today we offer our support to those facing this hardship.

If you are forced to reduce your staff this year, JobsInME.com will provide a free workshop to your employees that have been laid off. These workshops will present internet job hunting skills and education about creating effective e-resumes. The staff at JobsInME.com has worked with thousands of job seekers, and presented this workshop at numerous state and college career centers over the years.

We feel confident that we understand the world of internet job-hunting here in Maine better than anyone else, and we believe we can help.

For more information, please contact me at jblais@JobsInME.com or
toll-free at 877-374-1088 x2069.

Respectfully Yours,
Jason C. Blais
Director of Business Development

JobsInME.com
Your Recruiting Partner
8jbl77-374-1088 x 2069
jblais@JobsInME.com

Part 1 of 2

By Julie Poland, Certified Business Coach

Right now in some organizations training is viewed as a luxury, one of the first things to be cut out of the budget out of a view toward cutting costs. That, however, is a shortsighted approach. Now, more than ever, is the time to be investing in developing leaders and employees.

Retention of Talent

Everyone feels a bit insecure during down markets – vendors get a little bit worried about whether order levels will stay at last year’s levels, and when things get really ugly employees at every level wonder whether they will be able to keep their jobs.

The challenge to your company is that your best and brightest employees and leaders have the best opportunities to jump out of what they fear is a threatened role and into a new one in a different company. They might be thinking about it right now, when you need their contributions to keep your ship on the right course. If you choose to develop them during times of challenge you’re not only helping to keep them interested and growing, you’re demonstrating to them that they are a valued player on the team.

Even mid-level performers and fence-sitters have a new motivation to perform at a higher level when outside opportunities may be scarce. While fear is not an effective motivator over the long term, it may provide just the level of openness needed for them to learn new skills or new habits of behavior.

Managing When One Shoe Has Already Dropped

Perhaps your company has already downsized somewhat due to current market conditions. The people who are remaining are feeling the fear mentioned above, and are also most likely feeling some survivor guilt. Both factors can interfere with productivity. Keeping training, coaching, and development functions active can help your employees stay focused and ultimately help the organization accomplish more with fewer resources.

Julie Poland, CBC, is a business and personal coach with 19 years of experience working with all levels of leaders and employees, from Mom and/or Pop firms to international corporations. Find more information at www.summithrd.com.

Subscribe FREE to Julie’s blog at http://www.thesummitblog.blogspot.com