Sirona Says

Jobs for the Vindictive - yes, it's China again!!

It's Friday, and so I would share a funny and slightly dis-believing video someone sent me. Can you imagine the job description of the station guards at this chinese railway station? Equally can you imagine the sort of people that apply for the jobs in the first place?

So of all of you that commute by train, and moan about overcrowding - just imagine being in this carriage after the door has closed!!!

They are the WWW Multi-People - the Media Snackers

There has been much written about generation Y- who they are, what they are, what they do, their attitude to work etc. But trying to explain to people who have never heard of the phrase generation Y, can sometimes be very challenging. Have you tried explaining to a boomer about how the gen Y's are THE next most important part of the workforce? Just try it and see the abuse you get!!
Something that might help is a video that in 1.27 minutes explains succinctly what these 'youngsters' are all about. Interestingly they are referred to as Media Snackers in this great video, by the company of the same name. I think DK (the founder) has coined a much more descriptive name than generation Y!
They describe this generation as the WWW generation - Wherever : Whenever : Whatever - and for a parent who has a two daughters in this age group, I think that sums them up perfectly. So enjoy this definition of a media snacker!

Ernst & Young's strange recruiting video

There is obviously something in the Swedish water that makes them find strange things amusing. I found this recruiting video for Ernst & Young - it is a little off the wall, but it is short!!  A strange candidate attraction strategy.

My only question is for whoever designed this, is, who is the target audience??

This could only appeal to the Generation Y'ers!!!

When I saw this online, I first thought it was a p*** take. But then I realised that actually it is something that should be read in more detail - after all they have a patent pending(!!!). A little clue on this - it's in the name ....Handvertising - simple but true! If there was anything out there to appeal to the socialites that are the Generation Y'ers, then this is it.

It is quirky enough to appeal to them, and also it gives them something else to prattle on about, in a non-meaningful way on Facebook and Myspace. Of course there is a business sense to this for events, bars and clubs, but no doubt there will soon be a cult like status afforded to certain "limited edition" hand prints!! For all us Generation X'ers and Boomers, our answer would be simple - we would give them a pack of coloured pens to draw on their hands with - much more fun!!

It does make you think what other body parts they have tacked on to ..'vertising' and registered as web domains doesn't it??

Discrimination, what discrimination? - China's 'Skills for helping the disabled' guide

China has never been known for their caring and compassionate approach to people, so I guess their latest public statement will not necessarily surprise too many people. The subject is of course the Olympic Games in Beijing later this year. Like all large sporting events, they need many volunteers to make them work, and there is no shortage of people wanting to take part. But they have embarked on a specific recruitment campaign  - to find people that will help with all the disabled athletes and visitors to the Olympic Games. That's great, until you see some of the content in their 'Skills for Helping the Disabled' guide!! Here are some of the pointers in the recruiting guide that describe disabled people as:

• "special group with unique personalities and ways of thinking"
• "Some physically disabled are isolated, unsocial, and introspective. They can be stubborn and controlling . . . defensive and have a strong sense of inferiority"
• "Sometimes they are overly protective of themselves, especially when they are called crippled or paralysed. Do not use ‘cripple’ or ‘lame’ even if you are just joking."
• "volunteers should not sit in someone’s wheelchair just to satisfy a personal interest"
• "often optically disabled people are introverted"

I believe legal action is already forthcoming - it's a shame some of the highly paid consultants didnt consult with the western world first!!

Are Generation Y Women really 'Accidental Mashers'?

I have just read a fascinating article about how generation Y women are using their social networking skills to gain advantage in todays workplace. The utilise technology-friendly attitudes towards work, as well as the skills developed in the social networking world to improve their working lives. Serena Software, responsible for this survey, tag them as 'Accidental Mashers'!!

Just for the record, they define a Masher as a person who is able to use technology to be more productive in their personal life and at work.

Serena believe that the social networking skills learned online by the generation Y'ers, will actually be as important to their success in the work environment as their school/college classroom learning experiences. The study identified five unique segments - they call them Mashers - among technology early adopters. These five segments are:

• The Alpha Masher - The tech elite, drenched in technology, Alpha Mashers see it as having significant positive impact on their lives and ability to communicate. At work they are delegators, developing solutions to hand off (think: senior director, consulting firm). The most likely to agree that technology has a positive impact on the world (94 percent) and to be working full-time (91 percent). Predominantly males 35-44.

Web 2.0 as it should be used.

There aren't too many websites that are currently utilising multiple social media technologies on their website. Chris Russell has highlighted the American company Southwest Airlines as a good example. They are using a blog, a photos stream via Flickr, video stream via YouTube, an interactive poll, RSS feeds and Podcasts. And to add to that they link to the social media sites of YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIN and Twitter from their page footer. (not sure about the URL though!)

And when you have a look at the site you will see it is not overly cluttered, it actually works very well. It's a shame there are not other companies prepared to be brave with web 2.0  and social media technologies!

The Top 10 Lucky Interview Charms - what's yours?

Interviews have strange effects on people, and because of the nature of them, interviewees feel the need to use some luck to improve their chances of being successful. How lucky they are going to be, seems to be dictated by which lucky charm they take with them to the interview!! A very interesting, funny and slightly worrying piece of research done by Peninsula shows a top ten of interview lucky charms!!

The resounding top spot went to underwear - apparently 60% of us wear lucky underwear for an interview to give us luck!!!

The Top Ten Lucky Interview Charms are:

1. Lucky Underwear (sometimes unwashed!)
2. Lucky Jewelery
3. Brooch
4. Lucky shoes
5. An object from Childhood, i.e. blanket/teddy
6. Four leaf clover
7. Key ring
8. Lucky stone
9. Lucky Pen/Pencil
10. Lucky photograph of someone i.e. boyfriend/relative

Some people believe that luck plays no part at a job interview at all and that it's down to how we perform on the day - but obviously many people think differently!!

So have you got a lucky interview charm??

Can YOU tell me why people think the PWC Recruitment Blog is any good?

I have recently seen a couple of blog posts recently (the latest), that have highlighted the PWC recruitment blog as a good recruiting blog.....why??

Can anyone please tell me why this so called recruiting blog is any good? Am I missing something here? For all the contributers they have listed, there has only been 5 posts in the whole of 2008. And even then they are not really recruitment related, so why is it cited as a good recruiting blog?

Has it won awards like Peter's blog  or is it providing recruitment expertise like Stephen's blog? No is the answer.

So, is it just because it has the PWC name attached to it, that people assume it must be good?

Someone please explain!!

A career site designed to appeal to Generation Y'ers

While writing a review of the TARGEtjobs 2008 National Graduate Recruitment Awards, I had the pleasure of looking at the graduate career sites for all the winners. Most of them were excellent, and no doubt have the desired effect of attracting the generation Y graduates into their programmes. There is one site that, for me, was that 'little bit different'. The Audit Commission isn't a massive graduate recruiter, so you could argue that there job of attracting these Gen Y'ers is actually harder. Have a look at this innovative and appealing career site. I think it works well.