I admit it: I still own a daily planner. With paper pages. Years ago, my husband tried to push me into reality with a PalmPilot. It looked simple enough, and I really liked the cute pen that came with it, but I returned it. My explanation was the same as the one he gave me when I got him a down comforter before we were married: “I like what I have now.”
Note that he didn’t say, “I like what I have better.” After all, he wouldn’t have known which he preferred since he didn’t give the down comforter a chance. My impassioned assertions of the feathery heaven that is down didn’t sway him. He was good with the status quo.
But in the past few years, the status quo for communications has been turned on its ear — especially for recruitment. The choices for connecting with prospective candidates are exciting and enticing. New electronic tools and technologies seem to roll out on a daily basis. And thanks to the web, our ability to share with others is instantaneous.
With copywriting the heart of my responsibilities here at Alstin, I began watching all the change warily. I wondered what would happen to flyers. Direct mail postcards. And brochures. Turns out, those print standbys are still here. They’ve just entered the digital age. It’s been cool to watch collateral turn electronic, and even cooler to see clients who mix and match both worlds.
One such Alstin client, Christiana Care Health System, recently took one of business’ first networking tools — the business card — and turned it into a ebusiness tool. Its new job? Directing prospective candidates, current employees, vendors, and even patients to social networking sites they can be found on.
Recipients learn that the system has career-focused content on social networking sites (in their case, Facebook and Twitter) and can check them out, “Fan” or “Follow” them, and even link directly to their Careers site to apply for a job.
All that from one little piece of recycled tree pulp? It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.
It also gives me hope for my daily planner, housed in a soft leather binder that stores an address book, a calendar that I run my life with, a hodgepodge of articles and lists I’ve ripped out of magazines, and a bunch of my kids’ old baby pictures.
Hmmmm? What’s that you say?
PalmPilots, Blackberrys and iPhones can do all that, in less space and with more efficiency and connectivity?
Excuse me while I crawl back under my down comforter.
