In the “that-happened-yesterday-who-cares-about-it-now” age we live in, I was really glad this article caught my eye. I’m referring to a detailed, even-handed and informed criticism of ESPN’s handling of the LeBron James trade saga, also known as “The Decision.” What made this article special was that it was written by one of their own: Don Ohlmeyer, who is ESPN’s official “Ombudsman.” The link is here, and I strongly encourage you to read it. You’ll find that Ohlmeyer is very critical (as I think he was right to be) about ESPN’s handling of The Decision and pulls no punches when it comes to the network’s numerous mistakes and serious journalistic integrity lapses leading up to, and during, the over-hyped event.

What makes for a good ombudsman like Ohlmeyer? The definition of an ombudsman is one “who investigates complaints and mediates fair settlements,” but I think it of more as a “tell it like it is person,” someone who is immune from—or above—any influence or corruption from the organization he comments on. No killing the messenger here, this person is expected to speak the truth without corporate-speak, prejudice or fear of retribution. When it works, when the person is truly impartial, and truly free to say what he or she wants, it’s great. I actually think more highly of ESPN as an organization for having someone like Ohlmeyer as an ombudsman—though do I think his piece deserved more prominent placement on the ESPN website.

How about in the corporate world? In my opinion, a good ombudsman is something a CEO would covet, as a strong leader wants honest feedback but very often doesn’t receive it, hearing mostly from yes-men or having to work with watered-down, distorted information. A report in SHRM states that a corporate ombudsman is still a rather rare commodity. I think that’s unfortunate, especially with large corporations, as a good ombudsman can give voice to employees or a community that wouldn’t normally have access to top management. Some companies set up an ombudsman program as a result of a legal ruling but SHRM claims most organizations create them voluntarily. If you’re thinking what I’m thinking, the answer if yes, BP does have an ombudsman.

The danger of a corporate ombudsman program? If the person in that role is simply there for show, serves as a mouthpiece for top management, can’t speak freely or faces retribution, that’s worse than having no program at all. Many media and news outlets have had an ombudsman for decades, and it’s always been considered a very important position in a one-newspaper city, or a place where a single media outlet dominates the news dissemination for a region.

Does your company have an ombudsman, be it official or unofficial? Do your employees know about this person and how are his/her comments communicated? What would you say to your CEO if you were appointed the role of ombudsman?

Daily living within social media comes with its challenges. One of the challenges that I struggle with is automation vs. personal engagement and the grey area that lies in between. I’ve set up Facebook Pages that sync with new blog posts, Twitter feeds that are loaded within Facebook and within a column within the blog. I’ve synced YouTube and Flickr and Facebook “likes” and Twitter updates to LinkedIn status. You name it, if there’s a method to automatically link/sync/feed into another social media channel, I’ve done it.

Why do we do this? Because there is an exponential strength in being able to connect to your visitors, viewers and fans within the social media channel of their preference. And, it enhances your ability to expand your viral marketing reach. But, I often wonder with all of this syncing and automation, am I missing the true point of authentic engagement within each channel?

Sure, I monitor the blog comments, facebook status likes and feedback and oversee Twitter tweets and RTs in HootSuite. And, I’m also sending out interesting articles I’ve reviewed in my Google Reader and tidbits I’ve discovered and replying back to the feedback I read and sometimes the volume is just enough to feel overwhelming and exhilarating at the same time.

So, while trying to maximize efficiencies with automation the trick is to find the balance between making certain tasks automated while still enabling for personal engagement.

One tip I find very useful in sharing an RSS feed that I always seem to come back to time and time again for quality content is to set this feed up in my HootSuite desktop and tweet out every 3 hours the latest news article. I automatically insert “Interesting News:” before each auto-tweet to alert my followers and others to the content of my tweet. I check out the tweets and topics in my Sent column of HootSuite daily just to be sure I’m not “spamming” out there. So far I’ve found this is a great way to share news and gain followers and start the conversation.

So, my Google Reader continues to be an integral component to my social media marketing strategy. If you have any tips for automation or strong feelings on this issue, please comment! Or tweet to me @JenHitchens.

Did you ever see the old Twilight Zone episode The Eye of the Beholder? It’s a classic. The episode is set in a hospital and is focused on a woman whose face is completely bandaged. The doctors and nurses talk in hushed voices about this being her 11th procedure to help her look “normal.” You never see their faces either until the dramatic climax. The bandages are removed revealing a very pretty woman, however the medical staff’s reaction is one of horror – and we are ultimately horrified when we get a load of them. The hospital staff is revealed and they all have crazy pig snout noses and very disfigured and disturbing faces.

The episode concludes with these words:

Now the questions that come to mind. Where is this place and when is it? What kind of world where ugliness is the norm and beauty the deviation from that norm? You want an answer? The answer is, it doesn’t make any difference. Because the old saying happens to be true: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, in this year or a hundred years hence, on this planet or wherever there is human life, perhaps out amongst the stars. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. A lesson to be learned— in The Twilight Zone.

So what happens when the eye of the beholder is a recruiter? A beautiful resume doesn’t always land a candidate a job. We all have heard and experienced first hand – whether on a job hunt or in hiring mode – that that an engaging smile, firm handshake and tasteful clothing matter for that critical first impression. However, how much does beauty really matter when a candidate walks through the door?

NEWSWEEK recently surveyed hiring managers and job seekers about the role of beauty in the workplace. The results? Looks matter. Do you agree with these findings? Be sure to let us know.

54% of hiring managers advised spending as much time and money on looking good as perfecting a resume.

Two thirds of business managers said they believe some managers would hesitate before hiring a qualified job candidate who was significantly overweight.

64% of hiring managers said they believe companies should be allowed to hire people based on looks when the job requires an employee to be the “face” of a company at retail stores or in sales.

57% of hiring managers believe the unattractive have it harder at work; while 68% believe that looks impact the way managers rate job performance.

47% of all hiring managers said that they believe some women are penalized for being too good-looking in the office.

I wish the title of this post was really my band name and 1st album title but alas it’s not. Debt, debt, and more debt. We are in a serious amount of debt globally, nationally, and as individuals. All of whom I can expand on in upcoming posts but for now I reserve my dismay at the situation in Europe or, more precisely, the PIIGS – a nasty acronym relating to sovereign debt markets used by financial types likes bond analysts, the international press and academics alike when referring to the economies of Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece, and Spain.

There has been much written and said in the past year about the PIIGS but just how bad is it? This article from the Economist (from May2010) sums it up nicely replete with charts and interactive graphics showing just how messed up troubled the euro-zone PIIGS are.

Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain share the currency (the euro) and an ugly acronym (the PIIGS). Each lost competitiveness after 1999, seeing prices and wages rise more quickly than the euro-area average. As members of the euro, the PIIGS cannot devalue their currencies, making the struggle out of recession harder. Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain share the currency (the euro) and an ugly acronym (the PIIGS). Each lost competitiveness after 1999, seeing prices and wages rise more quickly than the euro-area average. As members of the euro, the PIIGS cannot devalue their currencies, making the struggle out of recession harder.

Add high wage costs, poor productivity, love of cheap imports, and running of huge deficits, the perfect storm many have predicted, is finally here. The economic havoc she reeks worldwide is evident and more remains to be seen but the fiscal health of the PIIGS will remain in question as concerns about the health of banks in Europe have escalated and the tenuous fiscal and financial conditions continue to weigh on the Euro. On the sorta bright side, the dollar has gained in recent months in large part to Europe’s woes and the resilience of our own economy.

The debt crisis is very, very real. And while the battle rages on in DC on whether to practice austerity or stimulate the economy with more state aid, unemployment benefits, small business loans, etc, the regular folks are left to pick up the pieces of a battered economy. But at least the problems are no longer being hidden or shuffled, all this bad news has been out there plain as day. OK world, accountability is the order of the decade. Time to move on…and up from here.

As someone who is closing in on 20 years in advertising, I get it: commercials are meant to sell a product or service (or image), and I certainly have nothing against embellishment, extrapolation and laying it on thick. But some of these commercials are so brazen in their claims, I had to laugh. I hope you will too.

1. Hellmann’s Mayonnaise

As parents, we all struggle with what’s most important in our home and what we want to teach our children: kindness, respect for others, responsibility, compassion, honor, morality, etc. I never knew I was missing the biggest ethic of all–mayonnaise. All might look sugar-sweet in this commercial, but I swear I’ve never seen a baby so scared of his grandma. I also love the huge, beautiful banquet on the table and right in the center of it all: a jar of mayonnaise. Still, “It wouldn’t be home without Hellmann’s.”

2. Skippy Peanut Butter

We’ve all heard of subliminal advertising; this one is outright hypnosis. I’m not sure how this idea didn’t get shot down at the agency; to my naive way of thinking, creepy mind control might not be the best way to sell a product. Oh well, it’s 10:19, I’d better get to my grocer and buy 2 jars of Skippy.

3. Schaefer Beer

Oh the joys of drinking alone! Herbie is positively giddy listening to his beer bottle serenading him. Of course, the wife has to ruin all the fun. Maybe once your beer starts talking to you, it’s time to head to a meeting.

4. Stripe Toothpaste

The commercial opens with a congressional report stating that tooth decay is caused by germs (your tax dollars at work). But the real reason to buy Stripe is that because of the cool stripe, your children will be more willing to brush their teeth. Okay…

5. Camel Cigarettes

When you use the tagline, “More Doctors Smoke Camel Than Any Other Cigarette,” there really isn’t anything else to say.

Be sure to come back to this blog regularly to see future installments of Old Commercials to Make You Smile…and Cringe!

There are good and bad ways to stand out from the crowd.

Really bad.

Really, really bad.

When it comes to your resume, make it good. Sometimes standing out from the crowd in a good way can be as simple as having the only resume with no typos. This person’s resume made a list dubbed the 70+ Most Artistic and Creative Resumes of All Time. I picked it for my never ending love of vinyl and it’s overall good design, however the other 69 are pretty impressive and worth a diversion in your day too, so be sure to check them out.

In one of many promotions designed to hype the season premier of Mad Men, fans of the show can now find out if they’ve got what it takes to join the team over at the newly formed Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce in this fun time killer mock interview. See if you make the cut and where you fit in by taking the interview here. Season 3 premiers Sunday, 7/25 at 10pm!

I’m a member of many groups on LinkedIn. Like many of you, I’m sure receive dozens of emails every day updating you about your LinkedIn Group activities, hundreds of email newsletters you’ve subscribed to and hundreds of other emails each day. All of these email alerts probably could provide some value to what you do on a day-to-day basis…if only you had time to dedicate to read every single one.

So, when a discussion thread popped up on my radar from my group, Recruiting in Social Media,  that highlighted “6 Social Media Mistakes Your Company Should Avoid” caught my eye.

Just prior to reading the article, I was feeling like my brain was on information overload…over tired, overbooked and overwhelmed. So the word “avoid” popped out in my eyes. Sarah Hartshorn had some great ideas in this article.

One idea popped out to me (and my current mental state), “Tailor your strategy to each platform before you implement.”

This is a key component not many HR (or anyone else for that matter) understand. It’s not about adding hundreds of fans in an hour using a PPC campaign or thousands of followers in two days through services like TweetAdder (although, these type of automation software does have it’s place in any campaign…just not the driver’s seat). You must be genuine. You must be authentic. If anything I’ve learned from the hundreds of webinars I’ve viewed or conferences I’ve attended, this concept of a ‘platform specific campaign’ is essential. What works on Facebook to your unique audience might not work as well on Twitter or Digg.

So, what’s an HR person to do in this social media craze for recuitment exposure? Look to experience. Look to seasoned professionals (ahem, like Alstin). Watch, observe and learn and THEN plan your strategy. Social media takes time. And, yes, it can be overwhelming at first but stay the course and the results will follow.

Connect with me on Twitter @JenHitchens if you’d like to chat about this topic or post your comments below on some areas that are a challenge to you within social media recruiting!

Social media has been a game changer. It’s made us rethink how we like our news delivered. How we prefer to communicate with each other. And how we portray ourselves to the world. Personal brands are no longer resigned to the famous.

For many of us our personal brands are connected to our professional identities. For example, my handle on Twitter is @AnnetteatAlstin. I use Twitter to share happenings at Alstin, links back to this blog, contests we’re running and all around interesting HR or social media news I come across. Sometimes though, that can be a little monotonous. I tweet more personal sidebars about my comings and goings at work too — a great restaurant I tried in Center City for lunch, a funny video, or being stuck on a late Septa train. It all needs to be pretty innocuous stuff because these tweets are not all about me, it’s all about me at Alstin.

Read this tweet from former CNN Senior Editor of Mideast Affaris, Octavia Nasr who was using this Twitter handle, @OctaviaNasrCNN:

Nasr, who invested 20 years of her career at CNN, was ultimately fired for her tweet about Sayyed Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah who has been described by the AP as, “staunchly anti-American and linked to bombings that killed more than 260 Americans.”

After her firing Nasr posted an explanation, apology and remorse for her tweet saying:

It was an error of judgment for me to write such a simplistic comment and I’m sorry because it conveyed that I supported Fadlallah’s life’s work. That’s not the case at all. It’s something I deeply regret.

Her firing has been controversial. Stephen M. Walt, a professor of International Relations at Harvard Kennedy School, pointed out in an editorial, “plenty of American journalists and politicians have shown ‘respect’  for various world figures with hands far bloodier … but it didn’t cost them their jobs.”

Thinking back on my blog discussing  the ”Cisco Fatty” tweet and the importance social media policies (and common sense), my first question on all this was:  What are CNN’s social media guidelines for employees?

 So I Googled, found their policy and it reads:

Don’t list preferences regarding political parties or newsmakers that are the subject of CNN reporting. Unless given permission to comment publicly on the issues or people we report on as a CNN analyst or commentator, it is important that you and all other CNN employees be independent and objective regarding the news and people that we cover. If you publicly declare your preference for issues or candidates or one side or the other of the public policy issues CNN reports on, then your ability to be viewed as objective is compromised.

With the delicate balance of reporting in the Middle East, it seems that Nasr is correct in copping to making an error in judgment. Even with very clear social media policies, I don’t think we’ve seen the first or the last of these sort of firings in the forseable future. We are human after all. In the mean time though, please, whatever you do,  don’t follow any of these examples.

For the most part, I prefer to spend my reading time in the world of make-believe, vastly preferring fiction to well, reality. Every once in a while, though, something from the land of non-fiction really grabs my interest. This time it was Nicholas Carr’s The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains. The book expands on his famous Atlantic cover story, Is Google Making Us Stupid? where he posed the question: Are we losing our ability to read and think deeply?

The premise is that the scattered, multi-tasking and distracted lives we live have been proliferating for decades, and that now we have—with the Internet–the perfect medium for scattering our attention. Carr says to think of it as trying to read a book while doing a crossword puzzle.

The genesis of him writing the book, and the part that really resonated for me, can be found on Page 5:

“Over the last few years I’ve had an uncomfortable sense that someone, or something, has been tinkering with my brain. My mind isn’t going—so far as I can tell—but it’s changing. I’m not thinking the way I used to think. I feel it most strongly when I’m reading. I used to find it easy to immerse myself in a book or a lengthy article. My mind would get caught up in the twists of the narrative or the turns of the argument, and I’d spend hours strolling through long stretches of prose. That’s rarely the case anymore. Now my concentration starts to drift after a page or two. I get fidgety, lose the thread, begin looking for something else to do. I feel like I’m always dragging my wayward brain back to the text. The deep reading that used to come naturally has become a struggle.”

Sound familiar? It sure did to me. What I really liked was the balance in the book–this isn’t a trash piece on the Net—in fact, Carr spends a lot of time talking about technological innovations through history as well as the great benefits of the Internet (obviously an invaluable tool for a reporter). He goes on:

“The boons are real. But they come at a price. Media aren’t just channels of information. They supply the stuff of thought, but they also shape the process of thought. And what the Net seems to be doing is chipping away my capacity for concentration and contemplation. Whether I’m online or not, my mind now expects to take information the way the Net distributes it: in a swiftly moving stream of particles. Once I was a scuba diver in a sea of words. Now I zip along the surface like a guy on a Jet Ski.”

Whether we want to admit it or not, the Internet and emerging information technology carries an ethos to it. With books, the focus is on deep, contemplative thought. With the Internet, it’s the rapid, hyper-distracted sampling of small bits of info from multiple sources.  Now that we’re all getting used to the Internet as part of our daily lives, we’re getting better at scanning and skimming, but at the risk of losing our capacity for concentration, contemplation and reflection.

Obviously, the implications are scary—as we become used to constant interruption (how many emails have popped up on your screen while you’ve read this? How many times has your iPhone buzzed? Your TweetDeck chirped?) we may even lose the ability to tune into more subtle forms of human emotion like empathy and compassion.

To hear a radio interview with Carr about The Shallows, click here.

My opinion? There’s really no going back, and it’s naïve to think the technology we use in our daily lives will regress. Still, I believe (as Carr states) that we can get better at both types of thinking, so I’m going to make more of an effort to have that quiet, unplugged, contemplative time. How about you? Have you felt your ability to concentrate slipping? What do you do about it? Please comment below!

Top Three Summertime Sources for Creative Inspiration

If you’ve read my “Five Simple Steps to Greatly Increasing Your Creativity,” you know that I’m big on “Creating Your Own Inspiration.” In fact, that’s one of my Five Simple Steps. Years spent meeting agency deadlines have taught me that inspiration is usually sparked by hard work, not the other way around. In my personal quest to create more art, I have been striking out in search of things that personally inspire me. Summer is here. Don’t let this season pass you by without exploring how it can uniquely inspire you too. Here are my Top Three Summertime Sources for Creative Inspiration:

1. Send Yourself Back to School
So many courses. So little time. I’m lucky enough to live in an area that is rich with art schools. Every time I receive a course catalog from one of these schools – from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts to Main Line Art Center – I salivate over the classes that are offered. This semester I actually did something about it and signed up for “Image Transfer Techniques” with Andrea Snyder. Knowing the various techniques to transfer images to artwork will add a new, strong tool to my creative repertoire. Is it convenient to come home from work and head directly to a three hour evening class? Absolutely not – some nights I have to drag myself there. But once I’m there, I find myself re-entering that elusive creative “flow” – the feeling of being fully immersed in what I’m doing. Lots of new ideas are flowing as well. I’m excited by what I’m learning and doing. Busy schedules aside, for me nothing beats an art class to get you inspired.

2. Find a Mentor
Before I embraced this advice, I hated hearing it. How exactly do you go about finding a mentor? And what do you say to them once you track one down? It always seemed phony and unrealistic to me to pursue a mentor in the traditionally advised sense. So I’ve adapted this advice in a way that works for me. I consider my mentor Scott Kelby. He’s a world-renowned author on digital photography and all things Photoshop. He’s also the President of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals. I’ve also never spoken to him or met him. So how is it that I’ve never met the guy but I consider Scott Kelby my mentor? He transfers his know-how through multiple accessible channels, including books (more than 35), podcasts, web sites and magazines. He is an expert in my primary areas of creative pursuit and he is able to convey his knowledge in a way that I find both compelling and easy to understand. To me that’s the definition of a mentor. This summer, I’m rereading his “Digital Photography Book” and directly applying what I’m learning from him into my photographs. Spend some time finding somebody who inspires you in your own creative pursuits. Even if you don’t have the opportunity to meet the best in your field, you can still tap into their knowledge.

3. Two Words: Road Trip!
For me, nothing beats a road trip for seeing things in new ways – literally. I’m just back from nearly 900 miles on the road. A trip that took me from Philadelphia to North Carolina and back. Stops along the way included Hatteras, Ocracoke Island, Chincoteague, and Ocean City, Maryland. Everywhere I went I was inspired. From photographing wild ponies in Chincoteague to gathering sand for future projects from the beaches of Hatteras – I didn’t go anywhere without coming away with new ideas. Wherever the road takes you this summer, commit yourself to discovering new ways of being creative along the way.

So here I am, armed with new knowledge of transfer techniques, hundreds of photos, and several bags of sand. Will great art result? Who knows? But I’m definitely inspired to find out.

In these days of Skype, text, and instant messaging, email, conference calls & social media, has the art of the in-person meeting gone out of style?

Everyone’s busy on a daily basis. Our days are so filled with work, family, extra-curricular activities and basic maintenance, many of us often proclaim that there isn’t enough time in a day to keep up. So we find ourselves multitasking, ultimately using email and IM’ing to communicate throughout the work day to keep things moving along smoothly and systematically. But if we eliminate the occasional face-to-face meeting from our agenda completely, can we really get the job done to its full potential?

I’ve found that meeting with a client in-person often proves to set a project on the right path more so than direction via any other medium. Speaking to the client team involved offers you the chance to get the perspectives that count and receive their motivation in a more clear and passionate explanation. Designating a time to discuss specific plans face-to-face provides an opportunity to share information in an animated conversation that is supplemented with facial expression, body language and tone of voice. We’ve all experienced the misconceptions that may occur in the reading of an email (Do you take writing in ALL CAPS for a harsh yelling tone? Or does cryptic messaging sometimes sound slick and sarcastic when you’re IM’ing back and forth?). True intentions that sometimes get lost in the writing, could easily be construed in a simple conversation. You can get more done in a face-to-face meeting than electronically, because there is a connection that comes with physical presence that not only allows the flow of communication to come through in a more vivid conversation style, but also provides access to further information brought on by simple observation.

Engagement in carefree conversation adds that element of understanding and personalizes the interaction. This contributes to the transfer of information and ultimately helps build relationships. Connecting in-person is key in developing good relationships, and people are more inclined to do business with those whom they have a relationship with. Social Media is a prime aspect in the business practices today, but it should be balanced with face-to-face interaction. The in-person meeting gives all involved a better sense of what each other is about. Think about it – would you make a hire based solely on the strength of a resume/application? Or do you require a 1st, 2nd, and sometimes 3rd interview before making the final decision?

The latest forms of communication are valuable, effective and necessary in the evolution of business tactics today, but we must not obliterate the tried and true practice of engaging in-person. It’s only natural to prefer to do business with those you know, like, and trust. Good business requires a mix of online and physical collaboration. There is a strength in having all bases covered.

I’ll admit it, I’m an “Apple Addict.” I first fell in love with my beige Mac G3 mini-tower back in the late 90s. I admonished PC users and thought the “I am a Mac” commercials  were laugh out loud hilarious. I still point out, to this day, to my stepdad (a Microsoft martyr) that the Microsoft “Windows 7 Was My Idea” commercials are completely ironic because every ‘feature’ that is touted in those commercials was a Mac function about 3+ years ago. (Let me tell you, pointing this fact out, does NOT make for good dinner conversation.)

So, when I saw on the news last night that the iPhone 4 has flaws, it made me pause. Had I invested too much energy and enthusiasm into Apple ? Was the new iPhone really as bad as I had seen on YouTube?

“Argh,” I thought. Here I spent years defending a company, their vision and passion to rebuke people who said, “Stupid iPhone!” And, look at where my loyalty has led me…down the road where Consumer Reports “can’t recommend the iPhone4.”

So, Steve Jobs, “Watcha gonna do?” Because holding the phone another way isn’t going to cut it. And some crazy ‘Bumper’ at $29.00 is just as ridiculous a solution as inserting golf balls and shredded tires into the BP oil debacle.

I also thought it was interesting that Apple was reportedly posting antenna engineer job opportunities (Hmmmm. One person’s tragedy is another person’s treasure?)

So, while I continue to battle with my own aging Macbook…which is taking longer and longer to manage multiple tasks simultaneously (and also  sounds like it’s going to take flight due to the whirling noise of the ‘soon-to-be’ broken fan), I’ll continue to support Apple.

Perhaps there is at least a small silver lining to this issue?Maybe a few out-of-work engineers will get an opportunity to work for a visionary employer (who occasionally takes a stumble).

Call me an optimist. Enjoy your Tuesday!

Oh, and if you’re looking for some great social media events coming up this summer, click here!

And if you want to view the Consumer Reports video…here ya go:

Employment-at-will, the HR law of the land in most states, is often cited as follows: “The employer is free to discharge individuals for good cause, or bad cause, or no cause at all and the employee is equally free to quit, strike, or otherwise cease work.”

There are a lot of other definitions and summaries, but the one that always stuck in my head is, “You can be fired for a good reason, a bad reason or no reason, just not an illegal reason.”

I remember when I first started working in the industry—I thought: Really? The law says it’s okay to be fired for a bad reason? Even NO reason? Like after 50 years of employment I could be fired because I have on a yellow shirt that day and my boss hates yellow? I could be fired because they can’t stand the sound of my voice anymore? Because if they have to look at my face one more time they’ll go crazy? I could be fired because…well, just because? What is this, a marriage? (just kidding, honey).

Of course, being fired for a shirt color or other ridiculous reason is rare, and often in these scenarios the employee will contend that these “at-will” reasons are used as a cover for an illegal dismissal. It’s not the fact that Joe has on a yellow shirt but because Joe is older and due a pension. Not because we hate the sound of Sally’s voice, but because Sally is pregnant.

Of course, under employment-at-will, the employee has the same rights. A worker is equally free to leave his job at any time, for a good reason, bad reason or no reason. In most cases, an employee can get up from his/her desk and walk out the door with no repercussions.

Obviously, so many people lost their jobs over the last few years—and yes, some because they were low performers, but I think in most cases business conditions were so awful their companies simply couldn’t afford to keep them any longer.

Now here’s a new wrinkle that’s a product of that lousy economy: I’ve read a few disturbing articles stating that because most companies are so desperate to show their customers, shareholders and vendors that their business is rebounding, some are using “creative” firings and terminations–since a round of layoffs would signal weakness when they need to project strength. If these people are not in a protected class or are not being dismissed for discriminatory/illegal reasons, they have little recourse.

My perspective? I think overall, employment-at-will makes a lot of sense, and is fair and just for both sides–but like everything involving laws or policies there are always a few groups that try to abuse the law—and we need to keep an eye on them. For now, just don’t wear your yellow shirt to work.

Here’s some good employment news for you: Gallup’s Job Creation Index has remained more positive in recent weeks than at any point since the fall of 2008. However, the American people still feel like they are on shaky ground. Check out these numbers:

The availability of jobs plays a key role in how we view the state of the economy and while jobless rates may have declined, so did payrolls in June. Rather than end on deflating news, Gallup further reported, “Even while the average American has become more negative when asked to assess the state of the economy, U.S. workers remain more likely to report that their employers are hiring rather than firing.”  How can we gain our confidence back? If we can hold steady on that trend, we’re on our way.

Last night, after heading home from a day at Alstin on the R3 train I opened the door to my now oven-like car and saw on my dashboard a reading of 107 degrees outside. Man, it’s hot here in Philly! Another 100+ degree day is on tap this Wednesday. Besides staying in the AC and drinking lots of water, be glad that you are not this Philadelphia worker who has laid claim to having the hottest job in the county.

You’ve got to love Saheed Dillard’s deadpan delivery describing his typical work day spent atop a steam roller applying super hot asphalt, “You feel like you’re sitting on a grill and I am the hamburger or the hot dog.”  We hope Saheed doesn’t get too charred today and for the rest of us stuck in this heat wave, stay cool!

I’ve had an article saved in my browser window for a few weeks now. Not because I’m lazy and never close out my Chrome browser (although I have to admit I tend to keep my macbook on all the time—yes, I realize that this is not being ‘green’ nor efficient).

The reason I’ve had this article, “How we got to 40,310 Facebook Fans in 4 days”, open for so long is the inherent value I found in their numbers, details and visuals. It’s not often someone reveals their “social media” hand and provides statistical analysis and a step-by-step tutorial on their marketing methods.

I also recently read an article by Amy Porterfield posted on the SocialMediaExaminer.com site on July 2nd and she made a really good point…

The formula for Facebook page success:

Vision + Branding + Inbound Marketing + Engagement = A Rock-Solid Facebook Page

I ‘like’ it. It makes sense and it’s a formula that would work for any line of business. You don’t have to sell t-shirts or be a big chain discount store to build up a big ‘fan’ base on Facebook, you just need to create your own enthusiasm and passion around your mission.

This sounds great for b2b or b2c companies. But, how does an employer do that?

Well, (after you develop a Social Media policy – see my other blog post) you can:

1. Engage the people who are your biggest cheerleaders and get them involved in participating in your social media activities.
2. Engage people who are already in the social media space. Send around an email to all employees asking them if they enjoy blogging, tweeting or are avid ‘facebookers.’ If you craft your social media questions in the best manner (ie. ‘We’re not asking this to spy on you…only to see if you’d like to use your great social media skills to spread the word about how great your employer is…’) you’d be surprised the number of people already doing things in this space for their hobbies and/or interests.
3. Work with your ad agency (hint, hint – Alstin!) to craft a design that is engaging and honest (another hint: use static FBML everywhere on your page! If you don’t know what I’m talking about – click here for a great tutorial. Or, view the FB app here).
4. Think outside the box. Create specific Facebook “tabs” for hard-to-fill positions or frequently open positions – insert into these pages well-designed content that entices people to not only become a ‘fan’ but also to search for a job opportunity or post a comment or question. Transparency is your friend in social media. Trust me.
5. Promote your Facebook page on your corporate site. I know, I know the Marketing folks and/or your Web or IT team is going to have a bird over this, but push for it…Amy Porterfield’s section on inbound marketing proves the point on building your fan base is most efficient and inexpensive way to build a following.
6. Update frequently…and that means everyday. Whether you’re featuring a specific job, announcing a new contest or poll, uploading new photos of a specific event or party or posing a question to your audience…it’s integral to keep your Facebook page content fresh and focused on your fans not so much on you.

Well, that’s all for today. Tuesday is already proving to be a hot one for us in Philly (and much of the east coast from what I hear). Apparently the ‘heat index’ will be 107…I guess we’ll be ‘sweating back to work today.’ Hope your holiday weekend was great!

Alstin wishes everyone a happy and safe 4th of July and a Happy Friday! While we’re at it, here’s some silliness to kick off your weekend – if you’re on Facebook, you’ll enjoy this one.

“Renaissance” may not be the best word to use, but typography, more specifically font faces, underwent an explosion in the past ten years. Thankfully, it’s slowed down a bit and the waters are beginning to clear.

The computer, which set desktop publishing afire, allowed just about anyone to design a typeface or create a flyer. The results have not been pretty. A quick search will turn up thousands of typefaces based on people’s own handwriting. Where typeface designers used to spend months giving faces a matching look and feel, where weight mattered and the kerning between the letters would allow elegance to come through, we now have wild one-offs with absolutely no consideration for how the letters fit together is taken. Sometimes classic faces are simply tweaked and given a new name. Think of the ubiquitous “Arial” font, a Helvetica stand-in that has awkward tweaks (like the slant on the top of the lowercase “t”) that apparently were made to simply avoid paying royalties to Helvetica.

People love their fonts, and for some people, the uglier the better. “Comic Sans” is the reigning leader of a long line of fonts that are seldom appropriate for anything. Yes, you could add “Bradley Hand” and “Papyrus” to round out the podium, but using a single ugly font is not the most grievous assault to the senses. That comes from those who insist on mixing it up a bit. Perfectly reasonable people, who know better than to wear polka dots and stripes together, or plaid and paisley, will somehow feel comfortable creating a four font ensemble that would scare even the most stalwart “Dingbat” off of the page. Alternatively, though you’d think most would know better than to wear two different shades of red together, it’s not uncommon to see two fonts that are close enough to be siblings mashing it up on the same page. Just ground one of them and let the other hog the spotlight. The less fighting the better.

Fortunately, the internet has largely been free of this assault, due to the limitations of HTML 4. The upcoming HTML 5 allows “designers” to embed their fonts in the pages. The future is looking bright. And tacky.   - j

“Everybody gets so much information all day long that they lose their common sense.”
- Gertrude Stein

I had a conversation that I (almost) can’t believe I am still having with a friend this weekend about Facebook and the workplace. My friend who is a “director” of a department shared with me a recent Facebook wall post by a person who reports directly to her. It read (and this is further edited to ensure their “privacy”) along these lines:

“I still have to endure working at COMPANY XXX.. Anyhoo, did you get the vibe that SO-AND-SO is waaaaaay too tense and uptight…like there was something missing from their life? A NOT SO NICE DESCRIPTION OF WHAT SO-AND-SO MAY BE MISSING IN THEIR LIFE WAS HERE. It’s a good thing I’m not friends with them on Facebook, or I’d be fired right about now.”

While comments like these may not exactly be grounds for firing, they do lay the groundwork for impressions of a person’s character. Remember that old adage, if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all? Well, just apply that to your coworkers and what you’re saying about them on Facebook big time.

“Doesn’t she know that I can see this?!!” my friend asked. Umm, probably not, but they really should.

The clueless co-worker in all likelihood is really clueless about their privacy settings. Little do they know that allowing “Friends-of-Friends” to view their wall posts allowed their boss to view their rant about a fellow coworker. A rant that was a wall post to a mutual friend.

Many of us have been confused, annoyed, leery and/or still somewhat clueless about the recent changes Facebook made to their privacy settings. Their switcharoos have caused many to lose some trust in Facebook and question the ulterior ($$$) motives of the service.

An editorial on CNN.com by Danah Boyd, a social media researcher at Microsoft and fellow at Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society, points out many key issues when it comes to trust, informed consent and Facebook. It’s worth a read and she offers up a recommendation for those who aren’t so sure how to manage their Facebook privacy settings – check out ReclaimPrivacy.

By following a few simple steps, ReclaimPrivacy will perform a series of scans that inspect your current Facebook privacy settings and warn you about settings that might be unexpectedly public. Regular visits to their site will also keep you posted on the latest developments on Facebook’s policies when it comes to users privacy.

There’s no doubt that sharing information is what Facebook is all about – it’s essential to the site’s success and has contributed to the success of individuals and organizations by the very nature of its openness. Just check out how Bravo TV is using social media to cater their very successful TV shows to a very specific demographic – and I admit I am totally one of them, they’ve got me! On the flip side, wouldn’t you rather “opt-in” to sharing your Facebook profile content beyond your group of friends vs. the other way around? Get your settings squared away and then tell us what you think. Do you still give Facebook’s approach to your privacy the thumbs-up?

As the #SHRM10 is winding down today in San Diego, I’m reflecting on some conversations I’ve had with both human resource professionals and job seekers. And, it’s come to my realization that there is significant frustration on both sides of the hiring table.

There are more applicants per open position than ever before and HR teams are overwhelmed and often understaffed to handle this huge volume with delicacy and poise to not ‘offend’ job applicants who don’t make it to the first, second or third round.

Job seekers on the other hand are so fed up with putting forth effort, energy and their enthusiasm into submitting (sometimes through a painfully long applicant tracking software process) only to receive…nothing. Nada. Zilch. Maybe they receive an automatic “Thank you for your application. Don’t call us. We’ll call you.” Job seekers walk away from the process disgruntled.

So, what’s the solution? Well, I was doing some reading last night and discovered this recent article “Human Resources and Branding. Treating Job Applicants Like Customers.” Frank Marafiote offers some excellent (and often easy-to-implement) tips on how HR can create a better ‘user’ experience:

The contacts we have with job applicants represent a golden opportunity to sell our organizations. Just because they have applied for a job doesn’t mean they really understand your company, its mission, goals, or its contributions to the community and other stakeholders. Through the use of links to appropriate sections of your corporate web site or a small but well-designed brochure, you can educate applicants, create goodwill and — yes — possibly win a new customer.

The concept of treating applicants like potential customers isn’t anything new. But, I wonder how many HR departments have taken the time to really invest energy (ok, and a little money) into drafting a policy and/or program and actually stick to it?

If I were to tackle this problem today, I’d take the following steps:

1. Search and apply to a job on my career site using a real resume and see how satisfied I feel at the end of the process.
2. Based upon my personal experience applying to my own company (which probably will receive a failing grade), I’m anticipating the following steps are necessary:
   • Meet with my ATS/TAS vendor to ensure I’m using all automated components available to me (for free) and that I’m using all of the ‘personalization’ options that come along with those components as well. (ie. Instead of taking the easy path of just sending an automated email “Dear Applicant” set it up so that it begins with “Hi First Name”).
   • Review the content of all automated emails that my ATS/TAS is sending out to applicants. Determine how I can make these emails sound, read and look better (Add graphics? Add links to external newsletters? Add links to special awards or announcements?) I know Alstin has a number of excellent services in these areas.
   • Review the percentage of applicants entering my application process and how many exit. You’d be surprised to find out the ratio. Determine (if possible) where applicants are dropping of and work closely with your ATS/TAS team (yes, they do usually know what they are talking about when it comes to an applicant experience) and streamline (read: remove lots of stupid steps and questions) your application process.
3. Perform a “Mystery Shopper/Mystery Job Applicant” follow up call. Call in and/or attempt to email a recruiter on the team to get follow up information on your resume/application. What response did you receive? Did you get to talk with a human being? Was your experience positive? If not, consider (based on your volume) a designated person/people within your recruiting team to field follow up emails and phone calls. Provide them with the tools necessary to do a good job:
   • Draft various email responses for people you are not considering – make them as personal and as polite as possible.
   • Draft various phone scripts/pointers for talking with job applicants on the phone. If the message is clear, concise and genuine, they will walk away with a greater level of satisfaction.
   • Check with your Marketing or PR department about external eNewsletters or some other follow up material that is available to the public that you could offer as a method of we’d like to “keep in touch.” By reaching out your hand, you’d be surprised to see the positive results.
4. Use Social Media tools. If you aren’t sure how, contact Alstin about the best ways to promote and use your Facebook Page, your Twitter Job Channel or how to set up an employee blog…all of these tools job applicants are searching or and are great ways to increase the level of engagement to your audience and make it a truly positive experience.

Well, that’s all for now. Happy Tuesday! (btw: I did finish the Philly Sprint Triathlon, one minute less than the year before. And, I can’t help but think about the family of the man who didn’t make it out of the Schuylkill River. That was a tragedy. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.)

Aye Caramba! When Denny’s Restaurants exhausted the Cheyenne, WY market in a search for Cooks via internet postings and local print ads, we needed to think outside the box and pursue some non-traditional means of media to get out their recruitment message particularly to a Hispanic market that posseses the right skill set. Unfortunately, there is no dedicated print or online media to cater to this small, highly targeted market. There was however a small Hispanic radio station in nearby Laramie that could provide the reach to the market Denny’s was looking for. Several years ago in a much more robust job market, non-traditional media outlets for recruitment including radio, cinema, billboards, and bus wraps were used with surprising frequency – employers had to use new and ambitious ways to get the attention of the right candidates. Are those days are coming back? 

For those that don’t remember, Primetime Glick was a short-lived comedy show featuring Martin Short as the rude, clueless Hollywood reporter, Jiminy Glick (if you don’t recognize Martin, don’t worry, he was in a body suit and under tons of makeup). I came across an old clip on YouTube recently, and I was struck by the way Jiminy’s style represented the very worst in HR interviewing. Specifically:

• Being ill-prepared for the interview

• Having your facts completely wrong

• Going off on wild tangents

• Asking questions but not listening to the answers

• Making snap judgments about one’s abilities and qualifications

• Being dismissive

• Letting your emotions get the best of you

• Asking inappropriate questions

• Talking more about yourself than listening to the candidate

To see an example of bad interviewing in action, watch Jiminy’s interview with Julia Louis-Dreyfus here:

You can also watch Jiminy as he takes over CNN and makes many of the same interviewing mistakes with Anderson Cooper:

Unfortunately, I bet many people reading this blog have worked with people who are almost as bad at interviewing as Jiminy.  Let’s join together, think about the above bullets, and resolve to never let it happen to us! Have a great weekend everyone!

“No more hiring managers, no more budget freezes, no more applicants’ dirty looks.”

Haven’t heard that one? Unfortunately, school is never really out when you’re a recruiter. But rather than looking at the next two to three months with the standard Summer Slowdown frame of mind, why not brush up on some creative hiring strategies that will:

• keep you engaged
• ensure that your department is in-the-know
• bring in more qualified candidates
• help you do more (more efficiently)

As a service to our readers, we proudly present:

RECRUITER CAMP: Summer 2010

(no insect repellent or sunblock required)

FRIENDSHIP BRACELETS

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ARCHERY

Get to the point with applicantarrow. If one of your greatest challenges is finding where applicants are coming from, choose Alstin Communications’ valuable advertising metrics service. In addition to tracking all responses from ALL media placements (online or offline), applicantarrow compares ROI data and incorporates pre-screening questions to determine suitability of applicants.

INVESTIGATING WEBS

Nope, it’s not a primer on arachnids. With the help of webglass, you can find out how your website — or more specifically, your Careers page — stacks up against the competition. Best practices are shared and objective recommendations are offered. Helps create a destination that will turn visitors into applicants.

PUBLIC SPEAKING

No oral reports required. Whether you want an RSS feed for your Careers site or a cool video that markets your work environment on YouTube, innerviews is the quick and easy way to create compelling audio/online content.

FISHING

Nightcrawlers not your thing? That’s okay, applicants aren’t crazy about them either. Instead, select resumate when you’re fishing for the best people. A single platform for all of your talent sourcing, searching and resume database management needs, it combines with TalentFilter℠ to bring new efficiencies that yield a better ROI. A targeted eCard sent automatically to the top 20% of sourced resumes? It’s no tall tale.

Register today to ensure a fun and fruitful summer!

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Do not adjust your monitor! We are now in control. Resistance is futile!

Just kidding. Here’s the deal: The person behind the blog curtain, the one who edits, publishes and puts this fantastic blog together, is none other than our VP of Operations, Annette DeHaven. Annette is on vacation this week–I can’t believe we let her do that—but that means I am in charge, and this blog is mine (at least for a few more days).

Hmm, so how should I do my evil bidding? Run a seven page manifesto on how frustrating the Phillies have been to watch so far this year? Craft another embarrassing love letter to Honest Tea?

No, dear readers, it’s too hot here in Philly (approaching the record of 97 degrees today) for such drama or angst.

Come to think of it, just the thought of the long days of summer melts my evil heart. I know that before long I’ll be writing a blog complaining about the chill of fall, so let’s all join together and make a pact to seize the day. Here’s how:

In the next week, you MUST do at least five of the following:

• Catch a lightning bug.

• Drink water straight from the garden hose.

• Offer a drink from garden hose to a loved one and then splash him/her in the face.

• Play wiffle ball with the kids in your neighborhood (you’re allowed to peg them on their way to first base).

• Take a nap in a hammock (your neighbor won’t mind).

• Go for a long walk some evening and marvel how it’s still light at 8:30pm.

• Perform an embarrassing cannonball, can opener or belly flop at the next pool party you attend.

• Go camping. Sleep in a tent. Enjoy the fresh air and quiet while not complaining about the heat, bugs, lack of shower or appropriate bathroom  (if you can do this, please write to me and tell me how).

• Get a big, fat summer novel and knock it out in a few days (I’m going with the last in Stieg Larsson’s amazing Lisbeth Salander trilogy, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest).

• Hit the beach, any beach. Stare out at the ocean. Feel calm.

Finally: realize that the languid days of summer are fleeting, and do as much as you can with those you love to get the most out of them.

My wetsuit came in the mail yesterday. And the thought of trying on that rubber suit (even though it’s brand new – a huge bonus from last year’s rental) is even less appealing knowing that it’s going to be 90 degrees all week. But, swimming in the Schuylkill River with only a bathing suit concerns me more…since the swim part of the Sprint Triathlon is still my weakest link.

Today’s blog post is going to be a bit off the normal social media and recruiting topic. Why? Well, honestly, I’ve been a bit distracted recently. And that’s a good thing. I remember this time last year, prepping for my first triathlon—butterflies in my stomach a week before the event. This year? Anxiety…not so much. So, what’s changed? I guess my attitude. I’ve been running longer, swimming each week all winter and my biking legs have been fine-tuned through many spinning classes (thanks Russell!). So, I guess I’m a (tiny bit) more confident in my capabilities…hopefully that attitude of ‘life is an adventure’ will get me through this year’s race (sticking to a training program hasn’t really been my focus).

Which brings me to my point for today: Stay positive by focusing on what you CAN do. And, showing those people who say ‘you can’t—that you certainly CAN is one of life’s sweetest rewards.

So, yeah I’ll be out there—bright and early on Saturday morning with my bike, running shoes and wet suit and probably lots of butterflies in my stomach—thinking my positive thoughts and relying on my great friends and family coming down to cheer me on. My mantra will be focused on being grateful for the all the wonderful people in my life and optimistic about all the great things and adventures that have yet to come.

So, amidst today’s turmoil, controversies, not-so-natural disasters, conflicts, and negativity…focus on the things you can control and stay positive. Who knows, maybe I’ll even beat last year’s time! Lol! Feel free to comment or tweet me your trial and tribulations and how you’ve managed or overcome them! I’m at @JenHitchens.

Need an extra jump start to get going most Mondays? Back away from that 2,000 calorie mochachino and join Alstin on Facebook. Every Monday one of our team shares a song that will help set a good groove for your work week. (Click here and check out what Creative Manager Christy Parker posted to our Wall today!) We love when you “like” us, but don’t worry, we aren’t going to check out your profile – our page is all for you to get an insider’s view of Alstin (exclusive photos!), HR news you can use and at the end of the week, we’ll also share cool happenings in Philly.

Okay, so Martha the HR professional dies and meets Saint Peter at the Pearly Gates.

Peter says, “Everything seems to be in order. Now we just have to show you heaven and hell and then you can make your decision where you want to go.”

Martha replies, “I can save you the trouble on that one. I want to go to heaven, of course.”

Saint Peter nods. “I understand. But we’re doing this Six Sigma thing and we have to show you both. It’s part of our new engagement process.” Being an HR pro, Martha understands.

Peter takes her in an elevator down to hell. The door opens and reveals a beautiful scene of sloping green hills with flowers everywhere, a flowing brook and birds singing. The devil, who is incredibly handsome in a tailored Armani suit, warmly welcomes her and walks her to a huge gazebo set on a hill. There she has a wonderful meal, meets many interesting people, eats some amazing food and dances the night away with the devil. All in all, she has a lovely time.

The next day Peter takes Martha in the elevator up to heaven–and it’s very nice. She floats on a cloud, sees a lot of her old friends and family members, and experiences an inner feeling of contentment and peace she’s never felt before.

When it’s all over, Peter asks for her decision.

“I know this sounds crazy,” she says. “They were both wonderful. Really. And I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think I’m going to choose hell.”

“No problem,” replies Peter.

They take the elevator down and it opens upon a scorched, arid landscape. The sky is blood red, it’s unbearably hot, there’s no water and people are screaming and writhing in pain. The devil is waiting there with a cape, horns and a maniacal laugh.

“What happened?” Martha exclaims. “I was here just two days ago. Where’s the green hills, the gazebo, the nice people, and why are you dressed like that?”

“Well,” the devil replies, “two days ago you were a candidate. Today you’re an employee.”

The point of my awful joke? In recruiting, we often spend a lot of time and money trying to communicate and engage top candidates. We think a lot about our recruitment process and our employer brand, we make sure the career portion of our website ensures a good experience and has lots of info, we travel to colleges, industry events and open houses to spread the word, we rigorously interview, test, compare candidates…and so much more.

But what happens once they’re hired? Do you make them feel as important as you did when you were wooing them? Do you communicate with them about things like company news, areas of growth, what top management is focused on, career advancement, etc.?

Your employees truly are the engine that makes your company runs. Internal branding is not just about retention, but also about the success and engagement of your employees. If it’s something you need to learn more about, drop me a line at trosato@alstin.com

Don’t let what happened to Martha happen to you. Let us help you with your internal employee brand–before it’s too late.

Deadlines. The very word can strike fear into the hearts of anybody who has ever had to meet one. For those doing something creative, doubly so. To work under time constraints is one thing. To create under deadline-pressure is something else entirely. What if inspiration never strikes? (And inspiration seems to run in especially short supply with a clock ticking over your head.) But it’s this very challenge that leads to the wonderful thing about deadlines. In a way, they solve the exact problems that they create. I’ll explain. Here are the top three reasons to love deadlines:

1. Deadlines Change an Idea into a Plan
My job as a Creative Director is to take often abstract creative requests and make them concrete. That means turning a request like “The client wants to see something new,” into an actionable plan. The first step is to specifically establish what you want to end up with. For instance, I might change “needs new client ideas” into “needs two .pdfs of image boards, each with an additional .pdf of a sample collateral item.” Now there’s a concrete goal – but the goal isn’t a plan until that all-important deadline is established. One of my favorite quotes, by French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupery, says it best: “A goal without a plan is just a wish.”

2. Deadlines are the Engines That Drive Your Projects
If you’ve read my blog posts before on creativity, you know that I’m big on action. Deadlines keep things moving along. Working on something, actually making forward progress, is the most important thing you can do on a creative project. Being inspired while you work is secondary. I’m not saying you should compromise the quality of your creative work. I’m simply agreeing with creative genius, Thomas Edison, when he said “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.”

3. Deadlines Get Things Done
One of the best things about art classes in school were student critiques. Everybody would put up their work to await comments from their peers. Inevitably, in this setting and in museums across the country, you’ll hear the same comment, “I could have done that.” My response is always the same. But you didn’t. This person did. They stretched the canvas, they got the paints out, and they put brush to canvas. The difference between a work of art and an overused critique of said work is in the doing. The quote that applies here? I guess I’d have to go with Larry the Cable Guy on this one: “Git’r Done.”

So, there it is. Three great reasons to establish and embrace your deadlines. Don’t just think about what you want to do. Make a plan. Set your deadline. And go.

In 2009 93% of companies with more than 200 employees offered at least one wellness program within their health benefits. (That’s up more than 88% from 2008.) Out of those companies surveyed by The Kaiser Family Foundation, 63% thought that their wellness programs improved employee health and about half thought they reduced costs.

The American Heart Association also recently sent out a policy statement on workplace wellness  that claims, “Research shows that companies can save anywhere from $3 to $15 for every $1 spent on health and wellness within 12 to 18 months of implementing a workplace wellness program.”

The American Heart Association went on to detail several of the most typically successful wellness programs including, but not limited to, these:

• Weight management
• Stress management/reduction
• Early detection/screening
• Work environment changes that encourage healthy behaviors and promote occupational health and safety

However, the Association also noted that 60% of employees said the economy has affected their ability to take care of their health, just adding one more reason to skip a trip to the dentist or cancel a gym membership.

So how do employers mobilize their employees to participate in these programs? USA Today reported  that IBM offers a $300 rebate for participation. IBM also had the Health Management Research Center at the University of Michigan analyze their wellness program efforts and impact. According to IBM’s Director of Well-being (how’s that for a title?), their wellness initiatives resulted in $80 million in reduced health claims.

A different approach, but a financial incentive nonetheless, PepsiCo introduced a $600 surcharge for smokers. That resulted in a tenfold increase in participation in their smoking-cessation program. (The quit rate was 34%.)

Wellness isn’t just about helping workers shed pounds or to finally kick their smoking habit to the curb. For large and small organizations, it is very important to remember that the way employees are managed affects their well-being. Offering flexibility to a great employee dealing with a difficult personal issue, or showing in small ways that you really care also falls under wellness (and being a decent human being).

I will leave you with an except from the book Wellbeing: The Five Essential Elements by Tom Rath and Jim Harter. It provides plenty of food for thought and a perspective that, I for one, find hard to argue with:

“ … the most progressive leaders not only understand that they are in the business of boosting their employees’ wellbeing, but they also use this knowledge as a competitive advantage to recruit and retain employees. They know it will be easier to attract top talent if they can show a prospective employee how working for the organization will translate into better relationships, more financial security, improved physical health, and more involvement in the community.

Leaders can’t just tell employees that they care about their well-being. They have to take action if they want to see results. And this requires continual measurement and follow-up to help workers manage their wellbeing over time. Just as the most successful organizations have worked systemically to optimize their levels of employee engagement, they are now turning their attention to employee wellbeing as a way to gain an emotional, financial, and competitive advantage.”

Pop quiz folks: What is a Twitter Trend? If you know the answer, you are already ‘in the know’ about how Twitter is considering the possibility to offer advertisers the ability purchase a “Twitter Trend” (much in the same way they’ve rolled out their Promoted Tweets advertising). For those of my non-Twittering friends (and there are many of you out there), a Trend that is a popular hashtag on Twitter (think #JustinBieber (ug), #MusicMonday, #FollowFriday, #omgfacts, #newmoon, etc.). If you need a quick lesson on #hashtags, check out this resource.

All Things D reported yesterday:

“Advertisers will be able to insert their own terms into the list of trends Twitter displays on users’ homepages and on its login page. Clicking on a term would call up a Twitter search results page, which would feature the associated advertiser’s “promoted tweet” at the top of the results.”

Peter Kafka also went on to discuss that Twitter plans to price Promoted Trends at “tens of thousands of dollars” for exclusive placement each day. (Hmmmm…not exactly within an average Human Resource Dept’s annual budget, but moving on…)

If implemented, a single advertiser could create a term to be  displayed along with “organic/natural” trends to (significantly) increase their reach, exposure, clicks, followers, etc. (see below image) The tricky part is to offer these exclusive premium positions to the Twitter user that a) isn’t annoying and provides a ‘value proposition’ that makes sense and doesn’t appear as “fake” b) it doesn’t compromise the real value of trends displaying on Twitter. I’m guessing the whole “share your location” concept/info within Twitter will be factored into the roll out of this new ad product as well.

If you’d like to learn more about what’s currently trending on Twitter, check out Mashable’s weekly post, always an interesting read for me. And, it gives you perspective of how big this “Twitter thing” really is.

So, what does this mean for the recruiting world? Well, not much right now since the possible price tag of $10K is more than some annual budgets. But (as all good things in life) the price tag will eventually fall so that the average mom-and-pop (aka. Your HR Dept) can tap into this as a recruiting resource.

I’m already thinking of possible uses:

1. Target Twitter profiles within a 100 mile radius of 19107 with the following Trend: #RewardingPTCareers.”
2. Link ‘fake trends’ to tweets directing traffic to a custom microsite focused on how incredible the Physical Therapy careers are at ABC Health System.
3. Provide the Twitter visitor the ability to directly tweet to recruiters within the HR Department about open positions, qualifications, key questions & answers.
4. Or, enable engagement via Twitter with actual PTs who are current employees within a therapy specialty of interest.
5. Upload/link to videos of the landscape & environment.
6. Provide a ‘quick form’ to capture email addresses for those Twitterers who don’t choose to ‘follow’
7. And on and on…

Or…maybe start a ‘trend’ campaign on #Gr8PhillySalesJobs #GreatCareerHere…kinda goes back to the good ‘ole days of making headlines within in-column newspaper ads, doesn’t it? (Now, anyone who knows what ‘fat agate’ is a true dinosaur like me.)

Tweet to me your guess (or answer) – I’m now @JenHitchens

Laptops. Netbooks. iPhones. Blackberrys. Smart Phones. Mobile Devices. WiFi. Broadband. 3G. 4G. Mobile Broadband. The list of technological advances of the past 10 years is mind-boggling. It also means most office workers are connected to their jobs 24/7. The efficiencies we’ve gained IN the office mean we have more work to do OUT of the office. It may be one of the hidden reasons why worker productivity continues to rise while employee counts drop. 

As more and more of us work from home on our days “off” and telecommuting becomes more popular, it’s interesting to note that not being seen in the office can have a detrimental effect on your career. 

According to a recent article in the Sacramento Business Journal, the University of California Davis conducted the first-ever academic study of “passive” face time – when workers are seen in the office without any interaction. They found that bosses think more favorably of employees who are present. 

“Merely being seen – often from a distance and without any interaction or real understanding of what a person is doing – that in itself has value,” Professor Kimberly Elsbach says. “People notice.”

Workers who telecommute or have flexible hours often focus on quick and constant communication via phone or text messages. Others send e-mail late at night to show their dedication. But if you’re a telecommuter it pays to periodically come into the office–to see and to be seen because researchers have also found that face time has a direct, and sometimes unconscious, effect on how managers view employees. 

Career mobility still hinges on working hard, working smart and reviewing accomplishments with superiors. But even with all new technologies swirling around us, it seems that in 2010 good old face time still carries much weight when being evaluated in the workplace.

As VP of Client Development for Alstin, I (happily) find myself on the road a lot, talking to clients, prospects, people in the media, etc.–and I attend numerous industry functions each month. On Alstin’s blog, I’ll let you know where I am and what I’m hearing in the wonderful world of recruiting.      

 “In summer, the song sings itself.”  – William Carlos Williams

Ahhhhh! After one of the worst winters ever, summertime is here! Seems like we went right from the deep freeze to a ninety degree hotbox! Me? I’ve been happily doing the suburban dad thing: staining the deck, planting our vegetable garden, plus coaching and chauffeuring my two softball stars. With softball winding down, I’m looking forward to longer sunlit days, eating dinner as a family again, trips to quiet, beautiful Brigantine, and doing some local 5K races without collapsing. Enough intro, let’s get back on the road!              

Voorhees, NJ
Spent the day at The Mansion for the Tri-State HRMA’s 24th Annual Conference. A great day! Very well attended, with lots of Alstin clients and friends there networking and enjoying the wonderful lectures and seminars.

Philadelphia, PA
The 10^th Annual Delaware Valley HR Person of the Year. While I always look forward to catching up with the many clients and industry colleagues that attend, I really like that it’s a chance for a normally underappreciated bunch–HR professionals– to be recognized for all their hard work. Congratulations to all the nominees and winners, especially our good friend Greg Gast of Proxus, HR.Way to go Greg!

Philadelphia, PA
COO Mike Tedesco and I met with a long time newspaper friend who is embarking on a new career. She’s one of my favorite people in our industry, and I finally got to Jones, Stephen Starr’s comfort food restaurant. With decor that looks like the Brady Bunch’s den and yummy dishes like fried chicken and waffles, Thanksgiving dinner, meatloaf and more, this was a great day.

Baltimore, MD
Beautiful day, beautiful view! The annual MACHR luncheon this year was held at the Rusty Scupper, right on Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. The event, hosted by Nurse.com featured wonderful Maryland recruiters and breathtaking views of the Inner Harbor. Had time permitted, I would have loved to have toured and sailed on some of the historic ships there. Visiting the area? You can find out about the majestic seacrafts, tour information and more at www.historicships.org/

Bala Cynwyd, PA
PAACHR Luncheon graciously hosted (again) by Nurse.com. Very casual and informal; a fun afternoon with really good food. So nice seeing so many clients and friends in such a great venue.

Until next time, see you on the road!

I love working in Center City for many reasons, but the easy lunchtime access to great stores has to be one of the biggest. Just a few steps out the front door of our building and past a few lunch carts are a bevy of dazzling retail options sure to stimulate the senses of anyone interested in shoes, makeup, art supplies, clothes, fragrant bath products, and sports apparel.

But just when I thought Center City had the best one-stop thing going, I learned about social network landing pages. Turns out these pages (yes, of course Alstin has one and would love to make one for your organization…you didn’t think they were just going to let me rattle on about my shopping addiction, did you?!) give visitors to the page — or your web site, where many organizations house them — an at-a-glance look at all the places they can find you on the web. Think of it as a virtual mall kiosk, except instead of listing categories of stores, visitors find all the websites where the organization in question maintains a presence.

In addition to being a great time-saver, social network landing pages tell a visitor, client, vendor, potential applicant, etc. a ton about you. From watching videos you’ve posted on YouTube (um, professional ones) and following what your employees are blogging about to see who “likes” you, the places on your page help prove just how current and technological your organization really is.

In this case, much like scouting out a coming sale at a favorite venue, what you know can help you financially. Just like Alstin’s contest that will award a $250 Target (yes, Tar-zhay) Gift Card to one of the people who knows us (and our social network landing page) best.

Well, I must sign off. I ate at my desk and therefore only have 48 minutes left to check out the new running shoes at City Sports. Happy shopp…I mean, surfing!

Alstin is sending you on an expedition to win a chance for a $250 Target Gift Card! Go on our Scavenger Hunt for your chance to win. We’ve got it all mapped out for you, just click here to get started!

This years SHRM event in SanDiego promises to be an event people aren’t going to want to miss! With keynote speakers like Al Gore, Steve Forbes, Marcus Buckingham, Shannon Deegan, Michele Toth, Angelia Herrin and many others!

As the largest Human Resources conference of the year, the shrm.org site offers registrants the ability to customize your itinerary to ensure you won’t miss out on any key topics.

And, this year – a new twist in the blogersphere. SHRM Public Affairs Team put out a contest for HR bloggers to join their “Official Blog Squad.”  Check out the video they produced (which I think is great, by the way!).

The SHRM Public Affairs Team is looking for the best and the brightest HR bloggers to be a part of our OFFICIAL BLOG SQUAD for the 2010 Annual Conference. Our starting lineup of bloggers will cover the people, places and events at this year’s Annual Conference in San Diego for our online blog. We are looking for FIVE (5) individuals who have a passion for all things HR, a knowledge of social media and a willingness to wear outrageous apparel (ok … not that outrageous).

In addition to the blog contest, SHRM is promoting the SHRM 2010 event with the #SHRM10 tag. Registrants, and those who wish they were registrants, are tweeting away already about the event, booths to check out, promotions offers, and so much more. So, join in the conversation, tweet out using #SHRM10 and monitor the SHRM ‘buzz.’

The economy is in pretty bad shape still, duh. And recruiting budgets are typically the last to be restored as we crawl back, inch by inch, from the recent recession. It is no surprise that many companies, our valued clients included, have cut back, cut corners, just plum cut anywhere they can – a do-it-yourself in-house approach in order to save precious recruiting dollars. So when Philadelphia Coca-Cola Bottling Company needed to update their in-house flyers advertising their job openings (which change on a weekly basis) to hand out at job fairs, they needed a solution that combined developing a professional, branded image unique to Philadelphia AND the ability to change the content as their recruiting needs dictated without incurring the time and money it would take for a vendor to update and produce small run flyers that would be useless after a week.

The solution? The Alstin design team created a “bottle image” that incorporates iconic Philadelphia photos and the coke bottle design executed in both print ads and the folder shown. Inside we took the traditional “step card” which is difficult to print on a traditional office color printer and turned it into “step flyers” allowing Philly Coke recruiters to update and print in-house the “Job Opportunities” and “About Philly Coke” flyers that are inserted in the folder.

There are many ways we can help your organization develop an eye-catching, memorable brand that can be used in collateral materials, direct mail pieces, e-mail blasts, microsites, print, online, and more without breaking the bank. Also see my blog Multi-tasking, brochure style for another example how Alstin can work with your budget to create brochures you can get some mileage out of.

Good creative is worth it folks! Step away from the clip art.

As much as I love watching old commercials, there’s more than a few that make you want to hide under the table. This week’s spotlight: misogyny, which seems to be a staple of many old commercials. What’s really interesting (I guess disturbing is the better word) is the complete lack of subtlety in these ads.

1. Folgers Coffee

Harvey is mad–and with good reason–his wife can’t make a decent cup of coffee! He can barely hold back his disgust as he tells her (the wife doesn’t have a name of course, she’s just “Honey”) that the girls at the office (hint hint) make better coffee with their hot plates. Can this marriage be saved.? Yes, thanks to a girlfriend telling her about Folgers. Whew!

2. Buick Riviera

This one starts off innocently enough. A man and a woman flirt by driving their cars along the road together to some very mod sixties music. Car looks nice and fun to drive too. Then at the very end, when all seems safe, a voice over tells you–no, I don’t want to spoil it, just be sure to watch it until the end.

3. Pepsi

The video and sound quality on this one are absolutely terrible (probably because Pepsi doesn’t want the original out there). Ladies, grab your notebook–this commercial will tell you everything you need to know about how to be happy in life.

4. Geritol

You know the old story: Man come homes from work, the house is a mess, so what else can he do but pull a gun on his wife?

5. Goodyear Tire

I never realized why good tires are so important–it’s because you never know when a woman is going to be driving. Apparently, you ladies have a thing for lots of confusing signs and off-road maneuvering while horror movie music plays in the background. The tagline: “When a woman is at the wheel, [these tires] mean more than mileage.”

Memorial Day, a federal holiday celebrated in the United States on the last Monday in May to commemorate the men and women who have given their lives in military service to our country, has gained more significance in recent years for many of us. Our country is now fighting two wars overseas and more than quarter of the military consists of the National Guard and Reserves. Due to the downturn in the economy many of these men and women have returned home to find their employers closed and their jobs gone. In conjunction with Memorial Day, I am writing this blog post with the help of Rick Jones from RecruitMilitary on the benefits of hiring veterans.

Rick Jones is a 24-year Veteran of the US Marine Corps. He retired in 2006 and currently works as the Director of Sales for RecruitMilitary.

RecruitMilitary is a veteran-owned, veteran-operated, and veteran-advised. All of the account executives and search consultants are either veterans or active or former reservists

Theresa Hastings: Does the military have jobs that are compatible with civilian jobs?

Rick Jones: Yes it does. The Department of Defense (DOD) trains thousands of new military members in their specialty (Military Occupational Skill) during their first year of service. This adds up to thousands of skill sets in communications, information technology and many of the healthcare fields, which cross over into the civilian community with little or no training at all.

TH: How does military training transfer into experience for a civilian job?

RJ: After a service member completes their tour of duty, which may range anywhere from 3 to 6 years to over 20, that person has accumulated quite a bit of experience in their specialty and also factor in the conditions in which they have worked, this should qualify them for multiple opportunities in various disciplines. They often deal with deadlines and stressful conditions that could be of importance to our National Security.

TH: In your opinion what will an employer gain by hiring a veteran?

RJ: Employers will get the best of what this country has to offer. Our military members today have some of the best training in the world and do their jobs in conditions that most people couldn’t imagine. They have worked hard protecting us; don’t we owe them a chance at a new career?

Say you are a recruiter. A real good one. A recruiter that uses a wide variety of tools to recruit candidates on behalf of your employer. You’ve built quite a network, particularly on LinkedIn. Hundreds of connections are now at your disposal thanks to this service and thanks to your efforts.

Your efforts don’t go unnoticed. You get offered another career opportunity in recruiting. It’s a great one. A no-brainer and you take it thinking: Wow, I’m all set. And just look at this virtual Rolodex I’ve created. All my LinkedIn contacts are not for nothing. What a great foundation for me to use in my next super-awesome recruiting job. Yippie!

Hold up. Your soon to be former employer might have something to say about how you go about using your LinkedIn network.

I’ve tackled this question quite a bit from clients and friends in the recruiting world and I’ve always answered it this way. Your profile is yours. Your connections are yours. However, have you signed a non-compete agreement? If you have, be sure to follow its protocol or you could land yourself in a lawsuit.

That’s just what seems to have happened to Brelyn Hammernik. She’s a technical recruiter who was sued by her former employer TEKsystems. Both Hammernik and her current employer (yikes!), Horizontal Integrations, are named in the lawsuit.

If you have signed a non-compete and move on to a competitor will you (should you?) remove those from your connections for ultimate compliance? What sort of LinkedIn correspondence actually is a solicitation vs. a status update? This suit is one of the first cases that will set these sort of precedents when it comes to social networking and non-competes.

It was correspondence like this that got Brelyn Hammernik into hot water:

“Tom – Hey! Let me know if you are still looking for opportunities! I would love to have you come visit my new office and hear about some of the stuff we are working on! Let me know your thoughts! Brelyn”

Tip #1 – When you sign a non-compete, don’t send messages like these to your former clients and co-workers.

Tip #2 – If you have signed a non-compete and are moving on to a competitor for a new position, dust that thing off before you go off into the sunset. Read it. And make sure you ask questions on terms and conditions that seem questionable.

Tip # 3 – Want more on the legalites? Be sure to check out Rob Radcliff’s blog SmoothTransitions. He’s a Dallas,TX attorney specializing in such cases and offers a wealth of advice and information for employers and employees alike.

While reading up on how organizations are creating and mapping out Social Media policies for internal use, I stumbled upon (ha ha, yeah I know) a terrific article by Andy Sernovitz that highlighted some of the innovative things the Navy is doing within the Social Media space.

Andy’s article highlighted some of the key points the Navy’s Director of Emerging Media Integration, Scott McIlnay, had highlighted in his BlogWell San Diego case study presentation, “Social Media Integration & Strategy.”

Some of Andy Sernovitz’s favorite takeaways:

• Decentralized organizations need help collaborating on social media. Like many big brands, lots of individuals and teams within the Navy use social media to the benefit of the larger organization. Scott and his team use weekly e-mails and collaborative wikis to keep stakeholders up-to-date on relevant social-media developments.
• Social media isn’t just for brand-to-consumer conversations. Through their NavyForMoms network, the Navy is fostering conversations between mothers of kids in the Navy and moms who have questions about Navy life for their kids.
• Basic guidelines are helpful while you’re building your formal policy. While they’re finalizing their training program, they’re guiding everyone to be safe and smart with social media through the simple reminder “Loose tweets sink fleets.”

U.S. Navy: Social Media Integration & Strategy, presented by Scott McIlnay from GasPedal on Vimeo.

So, even if you’re not a 300,000 personnel operating nearly 300 ships and more than 3,500 aircraft…you should still create a Social Media Policy to avert potential problems down the road.

A few great articles I discovered include:

4 Things Your Social Media Policy Needs by Sarah Hartshorn

Is Your Social Media Policy Helping or Hurting Your Business? by Rod Low

Social Media Policy Examples

So enjoy the articles and samples, emulate those you think will work for your organization and discard those you think clash with your culture. Keep it simple above all else. (And for all our U.S. readers—speaking of the Navy—I hope you all had a terrific Memorial Day weekend remembering those who served our country [and enjoy the "short" week].)

Alstin wishes everyone a safe and happy Memorial Day Weekend!

A common misperception about design is that you just sit down, move some things about, make something bland look pretty. Good designers can make things look prettier than poor designers.

Seasoned designers often have a big bag of tricks that we can rely on. Experience tells us what works and what doesn’t before we even start, so yes, we can pull something out pretty quickly that will look good, flow well, and even have some sort of individual hook. In an industry that revolves around needing it yesterday, this type of work is often good enough. The client’s happy–onto the next job!

Unfortunately for everyone involved (other than the client’s bean-counter), this is not how the best work, the satisfying work, the award-winning work gets created. Design is not a eureka moment, but an evolutionary process filled with false-starts, multiple variations, successful directions, and yes, plenty of dead-ends. The more you play with an idea, the more you understand what it’s about, the better feel you have for where it needs to go. But you don’t have a map. You just have a gut feeling.

With my biggest projects, I like keeping all of my sketches. Seeing the thought processes. Realizing that at one point you thought you were close before you tried something new and took off in a whole new direction. The history of a design is often more interesting than the final piece.

So if you want something that does better than merely work, give your designers time to play. Time to get lost, start over, and get lost again. When the old stand-bys and cliches are allowed to fade into the process is when a real winner is allowed to mature.   - j

Recruiting is Social! Twitter Job Channels, Facebook Career Pages, LinkedIn Company Profiles, Blogging, Video Blogging … its all part of what makes up Social Media and most of us are already doing it. This question, however is still being asked quite a bit: Why should my company use social media as part of their recruitment campaign?

The most talented people aren’t looking for a job; they’re working for your competition. Social media gives you and your organization the opportunity to reach not only passive job candidates but also provides access to the competition’s talent. Social media is just another way – it’s not the be all, end all solution – to build and cultivate a pipeline of talented people that can be tapped into when an unexpected opening occurs.

Social media also gives employers the opportunity to take positive control over their employer brand by personally conveying the meaning of a career at the company and connecting with people directly.

There were plenty of great speakers on hand this Tuesday at the Social Media Plus Business Summit and for me, a couple of real standouts.

Here are a few interesting facts from Brian Cavoli’s presentation on “The Future of Recruiting is Social – Leveraging Social Media to Attract Quality Candidates Faster and at a Lower Cost”:

· Facebook recently topped Google as the most visited website
· Facebook is more popular than email (If you are on Facebook think how often you communicate with your friends and family there vs. an email message.)
· Time spent on Social Media jumped from 2 hours a month to 5 ½ hours a day (Do we have games like Farmville to blame for that one?)

Of course social media should not replace all job sourcing and should not be used to just push jobs. Social media, plain and simple, is people helping people.

If your company isn’t using social media then it might be time to catch up. How do you get started? Besides calling Alstin (shameless plug, I know, I know) I agreed with Brian who suggested creating a plan, like this:

People ->who is your target audience, where are they and what are they doing

Objective->what are you looking to achieve?

Strategy->how will you achieve your goal?

Technology->choose the appropriate technology

Still don’t have any ideas? Check out your competition.

Are you worried about your employees? Afraid they might say or do something wrong? Most of you are. Nadine Hogan, who presented “Social Media in Recruitment and Branding – How Do You Start?”, suggests creating a social media policy that communicates the risks and rewards of social media, list the dos and don’ts and make sure internal and external social media outlets are included. Your employees are probably already using social media. Give them the chance to tell their story and what a job at your company means. Remember employees are your company’s strongest advocates. Alstin’s got a little more on how to go about creating a policy and some examples here too. And I am always open to more discussion on all things social media and HR, so drop me a line here or email me at blog@alstin.com

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Are you still holding out, not yet ready to jump on the social media band-wagon? If so, your company will suffer the consequences of not evolving with the times. The consensus is in – Social Media is not a fad. Organizations must get onboard with this new resource or give your competitors the upper hand. As the job market begins to open up, the search for qualified talent now requires social networking to build and maintain a talent pipeline and recruit the right hires, while cutting back spending.

The Social Media Plus Business Summit held yesterday in Philadelphia provided a slew of sessions led by some of the brightest accomplished professionals (and fave bloggers) in social media today. Human Capital Solutions, LLC put together this summit covering all of the questions and concerns that most companies have about social media in the areas of Sales & Marketing, IT, Executive, and HR.

Technology is constantly changing the way we do things in business and in our personal lives, so we must learn to stay current and move forward. Floating from session to session, the message was clear: Social Media is a requirement for business today, and in networking online, we should be customer service focused.

Echoing in most presentations were Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and a number of other outlets we should be using to connect and build a rapport with our employees, with possible candidates, and to invite the world to “get to know us.” A lot of us may have begun to acquire a page or 2 or 3 of these networking tools and simply need to know where to go from there. Well, here are the must haves/dos you may be missing:

- It’s everybody’s responsibility! Social Media should be in sync throughout all departments. It’s about customer service – find out about your audience and what they’re doing, and strategize to achieve your established goal.

- Educate your employees! You must incorporate a company-wide Social Media Policy. Keep it simple and accessible (put it on your “About Us” page). Your policy should be clear and concise, spelling out these guidelines for all to understand. Make it clear that these guidelines are for this new media, and that all other policies still stand.

- Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn top the list of the main sites your company should have a presence on for social networking. Your pages should be kept up to date with a strong profile, and current status. Your page should display a more personal understanding of your company leaders, employees, and culture.

- A Facebook Page specific to Careers is a must. This should be separate from your main company page created by Marketing.

- Enable your employees to be company advocates. Blocking social media access is a costly exercise that doesn’t work. Most have internet ready phones and are prepared to use them. LOL! Recent studies showed that employees with access were more productive. Get senior management onboard and remember that employees are your best Brand Ambassadors.

- Social Media is Interactive! Are you blogging/commenting/discussing online? We need to share conversations with fans, followers, employees, candidates, and industry groups. If any HR employees are bloggers, it’s a great idea to add links to their relevant posts. You must do more than just push out jobs.

• Here’s a great idea that some companies have taken to….. Certify/Reward your social media advocates! This is a chance for employees to shine, connect with the company, contribute, and refer. Acknowledge and Reward those who add to your efforts- building morale, increasing the talent community, and sharing the fun part of your workplace.

- Video Sharing- a fresher step to engaging your fans & followers is to implement your videos on your network pages. We are a visual society. Start a Careers Channel on You Tube and personalize your company leaders; demonstrate “why to work here”. Video interviews with hiring managers for positions was a repeated suggestion.

- There should be a Dashboard in place to monitor your activity and track your traffic. A common contact is crucial to the reporting of more accurate metrics. (I refer you to one of my earlier posts – “Metrics. Could you be sabotaging the measurements that may help productivity and ROI?”

 - Are you watching your community page? There are a number of tools out there designed to aid you in monitoring what’s being said in your industry and about your company. Utilize the available tools to collect RSS feeds for real-time updates on industry discussions and any mention of your company. This could be as simple as setting up a Google Alert with your company name as the search term.

If you’re lacking in any of these areas and need a helping hand, contact your Account Executive at Alstin for consultation. As social media evolves with each passing day, there will be more ideas and best practices on the way for your recruitment efforts. Check back in with our blog regularly, and stay on top for your next move!

Hello friends! I’m getting ready to head out for the Social Media Plus Summit in my hometown of Philly, the City of Brotherly Love. And, I can’t wait! It’s been a few weeks since I’ve been in Center City (you always know the people who aren’t Philly natives because they call it ‘downtown’). Anyhoo, I’m looking forward to my Septa train ride, the walk through Market East station and hopefully my lunch and shopping excursion in the Reading Terminal Market. (I really hope there isn’t some  ‘brown bag lunch’ break out session, no offense Joe.)

The line up for the Social Media Plus day includes:

The Future of Recruiting is Social – Leveraging Social Media for Recruiting by Brian Cavoli

How Organizations are handling social media in the workplace by Kathy O’Reilly

Social Media in Recruitment and Branding by Nadine Hogan and Jim Kerr

Legal Risks (and how to avoid them) of social media by Margaret DiBianca

HR Panel: What’s next for Social HR with Sue Marks, Lance Haun, Frank Roche, Kevin Regan and Brian Cavioli

So, join me in the discussion and dialogue by using #SMPlus on Twitter and I’ll be tweeting about my thoughts and summaries on each session, so follow along! I’m @JenGreenfield

I saw this TV commercial on one of my favorite blogs, AdFreak (forget the Super Bowl – this is where some of the funniest spots wind up and the write-ups are sometimes even funnier), and it only made me picture what it would be like if all of us here at Alstin heard what sounded like an ice cream truck in the office. Would I be running for cover, or running to be first in line?

Six months ago (which equals 4 years in social media time), I wrote a blog post with my thoughts on Twitter. That means it’s high time for an update on my Twitter experience.

A little disclosure here: While I am the person who tweets for Alstin (yes, that’s me behind the curtain), I make no claims on being a Twitter expert (I get a lot of help from my co-workers). My opinions should be viewed as someone who is learning, stumbling and improving along with the rest of us.

First and most importantly, here’s what hasn’t changed: TWITTER IS A TOOL. A tool with great possibilities if used correctly, but still a tool. It’s not a strategy, it’s not a process, and it’s not a social media plan; it’s a tool. If you think a Twitter account is going to fix your woeful recruiting function or somehow make you seem instantly hip to a new generation of candidates, you’re in for a big disappointment.

Okay, on with the update! Here’s what I’ve seen over the last few months:

What’s good:

• I continue to “meet” business colleagues and interesting people I want to hear more from, plus I’ve reconnected with some old clients, industry pros and friends.
• Just by regularly following good people and their tweets, I’ve been directed to so many resources, great articles and valuable information I know I would have never seen otherwise.
• TweetDeck–oh, thank you, TweetDeck! I’m not sure I would’ve made it without you. I love your multiple columns of different accounts, direct messages, mentions and searches. Thanks for helping me make sense of it all.
• I’m getting better at using Twitter every day–there really is an art to looking at tweets. It’s a hybrid of reading/scanning, picking out the good info, ignoring the bad–I certainly cannot explain it well enough, but everyone who tweets knows what I’m talking about.
• Breaking up on Twitter is easy to do. You’re stuck with the crazies in your family, it’s awkward to de-friend on Facebook, but Twitter? Just cut ‘em loose. Chances are they won’t even notice.
• I continue to shun the limelight–most people outside of the twittersphere think it’s just a place for dopey celebrities to publish the minutiae of their lives. I steer clear from reality tv twits, movie stars, athletes, politicians, etc.–and the swirling vortex they generate for fear of getting sucked in.

What’s not so good:

• I’m reading more and more that while Twitter has awesome capabilities, it’s really not as “social” as Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. While I do reply and direct message frequently, the vast majority of tweets involve the “pushing” out of info as opposed to a stream of back and forth engagement. For more detail, read John Zappe’s ERE article: “Twitter: Media or (Un)Social Network?”
• Goodbye to SocialOomph (formerly TweetLater). These tools allow you to bank your tweets and release them at set times during the day, or when you know you’ll be away, but want to keep tweeting. It’s probably a very useful tool for some, but I found I was using it more as a way to fabricate tweets (sometimes when I didn’t have much to say), and then I wouldn’t tweet something relevant because a pre-scheduled tweet had just gone out 5 minutes ago.
• Business-to-business? Twitter rocks! Finding and connecting with people you respect or want to learn from? Even better. But our industry is recruitment, and, with some wonderful exceptions and great case studies, I haven’t seen Twitter really take off as a recruiting tool. Long term, the question is whether Twitter has recruitment capabilities other than “posting” job announcements out to followers.
• The biggest bummer: a lot of our clients–the people Alstin is here for and happily serve–still aren’t on Twitter, or they’ve set up accounts but aren’t “active” users. Of course, I keep hoping that will change.

That’s my thoughts for now. Of course, in 6 months it will all change again!

I watched this video last week and said aloud to the computer monitor in front of me, “That is awesome.” Admit it, from time to time you Google yourself. Alex Brownstein, who is in the habit of Googling himself “embarassingly frequently,” figured the top five creative directors he wanted to work for probably did too.

For $6, just 15 cents per click, his message got top billing whenever one of the five did a Google search on their name. I already know the power of Google AdWords. A little budget can go a long way toward targeting and connecting my clients jobs to talent. It sure went a long way toward getting this guy his dream job. Way to go!

Five years ago with the invitation to “broadcast yourself,” YouTube launched on the web. Google (which owns YouTube by the way) in celebration of YouTube turning five this month announced that the site gets 2 billion views a day. A day!!!

Viral videos on the site have made people rich, famous, certainly laugh and even learn through countless how-to videos.

Here are some facts:

• It’s the third most visited website in the world (Alexa)
• There are local versions in 23 countries and in 24 different languages
• It gets 24 hours of uploaded video every minute
• You would need to have about 1,700 years on your hands to watch every single one of its hundreds of millions of video clips now on the site
• Lady Gaga “Bad Romance” is YouTube’s most viewed video of all time, with (at this writing) 206,604,999 views (That one really reminded me that I am fast approaching my fourth decade on the planet.)

Some stories are best done visually, so it is no surprise that YouTube is now part of our daily vocabulary and part of how we communicate with each other. So, as a recruiter, think about how you are currently communicating to people about what it’s like to work for your organization? Or for that matter, what it actually means to be an employee where you work? I know that there’s some pretty compelling stuff that can come out of answering those two questions. Compelling stuff that can be made into a video that you can load onto YouTube, embed on your career web page or recruiting blog, job postings, you name it. (Remember, YouTube is the second largest search engine - people are also looking up “your company story” here too.) The link to that video can also be included in every email you send to candidates and prospects. You can even embed a YouTube video on a SlideShare and add it to your LinkedIn profile. View my full LinkedIn profile (and connect with me while you’re at it!) to see what I mean.

A video much in the style of this one, that doesn’t technically involve any video being shot I want to add, can be developed to communicate your employer brand. This one we developed to showcase some branding work we’ve done is now playing on Alstin’s YouTube channel. Think of how valuable a cost-effective tool like this could be for you. Want to learn more or discuss a bit further? Watch the clip and be sure to drop me a line here, or email me at blog@alstin.com.