Sirona Says

IS this THE BEST job in the World? I dare you to argue!!

With all the doom and gloom around, I was amazed to see this fantastic job being that is currently being advertised on an aptly named website called Islandreefjob.com. Let me give you some of the details, and just see if you disagree with me, that this is THE BEST job in the world!

Tourism Queensland is seeking applicants for the best job in the world! The role of Island Caretaker is a six-month contract, based on luxurious Hamilton Island in the Great Barrier Reef. It’s a live-in position with flexible working hours and key responsibilities include
exploring the islands of the Great Barrier Reef to discover what the area has to offer.
You’ll be required to report back on your adventures to Tourism Queensland headquarters in Brisbane (and the rest of the world) via weekly blogs, photo diary, video updates and ongoing media interviews. On offer is a unique opportunity to help promote the wondrous Islands of the Great Barrier Reef.

Other duties may include (but are not limited to)
Feed the fish - There are over 1,500 species of fish living in the Great Barrier Reef. Don’t worry – you won’t need to feed them all.
Clean the pool - The pool has an automatic filter, but if you happen to see a stray leaf floating on the surface it’s a great excuse to dive in and enjoy a few laps.
Collect the mail – During your explorations, why not join the aerial postal service for a day? It’s a great opportunity to get a bird’s eye view of the reef and islands.

About the job package
Living above the Great Barrier Reef is a pretty unique benefit, but the successful candidate will also be paid a salary package of AUD $150,000 (approx £70k) for the six-month contract. You’ll receive return airfares from your nearest capital city (in your home country), accommodation and transport on Hamilton Island, travel insurance for the contract period, computer, internet, digital video and stills cameras access, plus travel to a number of the other Islands of the Great Barrier Reef. The six-month contract commences 1st July 2009.

About the location
Stretching for 2,600 kilometres, and composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands, the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia is the world’s largest coral reef system. The World Heritage Listed area supports a diversity of wildlife including whales, dolphins, sea turtles and more than 1,500 species of fish. The reef is an extremely popular destination.

It is no surprise to see that demand has been awesome!! They have advertise this in 18 countries, and surprise, surprise it crashed the website last week!!

Now someone tell me how this isn't the best job in the world currently!!

Now these results may surprise all you hardened online recruiters!

As part of a project to look at and examine the recruitment process for a large employer, we commissioned an external market research campaign based around employer brand. The survey was targeted at 1000 16-35 year olds in the UK, and was conducted by one of the UK market leaders in consumer research.

One of the questions, has provided some very interesting - and surprising - insights into how this age group looks for a new job.
When asked what medium they would use to find a job (from a list of about 12 choices) these were the top answers:

1. Job Centres - 54%
2. Online Job Boards - 47%
3. Local Newspapers - 43%
4. Company Websites (Direct) - 38%
5. Word of Mouth - 33%
6. Recruitment Agency - 32%

Has that surprised you, because I was not expecting the top answer to be the job centres! But should it be a real surprise? Maybe we do underestimate the role they can play in recruiting staff?

The only problem I have with them is the calibre (most of the time) of staff, that are in charge of the recruiting interface with clients. They usually have no experience of recruiting , and are there just to -seemingly - process numbers to interviews, whether they are right or wrong. Because of  the threat of having benefits cut, many job seekers from job centres are only interested in attending interviews to maintain benefits.

I guess that's why so many companies have had bad experiences with job centres previously. BUT is it time to revisit them and try again? Over half the survey sample of 16-35 years would go to the job centre to look for jobs - maybe it is time to reconsider?

The other surprise, is the number of people that would go direct to company websites to look for a job. This must definitely be a change in the marketplace, as more people have become more web savvy, and (maybe) less trusting of recruitment agencies?
It does highlight the need for companies to put some work into their websites, and to start to make them functional and appealing to job seekers - a good one that has just launched is the new Sky website.

So overall, job seekers between the ages of 16-35, use a mix of sources to find a job. Is that really so strange? I guess not, but the mix certainly is!!

Is your workplace a 'great place to work?'

We all have a place of work, but is it a good place to work? Some would say yes and others would say no. But how do you define what makes a good place to work? The Great Place to Work Institute (GPWI) believe that at the centre of their definition, a great workplace is measured by the quality of the relationships that exist there. Fostering positive relationships within a company at all levels is absolutely crucial to a great workplace.

But just what sort of culture is needed to foster such relationships to win the understanding, engagement and commitment of the management and staff?

Good relationships = Good communication = Good engagement

So how do you go about making the middle part above - good communication - the most effective you can in your workplace? After all if you get that right, then according to the GPWI, you will have good relationships and engagement, giving you a good workplace.
There are ten things that you can do to improve your workplace communication, therefore making your company a better place to work. So here they are:

1. Keep things simple. Work out a single sentence message that succinctly and exactly portrays your key message to your staff.

2. Make it interesting. Maybe make a series of messages, but with a common theme - like a campaign.

3. Listen. Engagement needs to be two-way, so make sure there is a way of receiving feedback.......and make sure you listen to the responses. Even better, comment on the responses to show your staff that you have read them!

4. Keep it real. Don't use actors in the delivery, use your own staff, it is much more meaningful and respectful.

5. Management and planning. As you reach out with more channels of communication, make sure you are able to handle the effects and the responses of the messages. Multiple channels means many streams of returning information!

6. Channels. Make sure you use more than one channel to communicate. You need to reach as many people as possible.

7.Be creative. Use different mediums and different locations to distribute your messages.

8. Business strategy first. Your communication strategy should be based firmly on your business strategy, and it should be embedded into as many of your projects as possible.

9. Money. You will have to commit to a budget to allow you to deliver your message. You will also need to commit staff resources to the project. You don't have to spend a fortune, but none of this is going to be free!!

10. Do it because you want to! You need to want to embark on a communications strategy, don't just do I because you have been told it is the thing to do. If it is delivered with belief and passion it will mean so much more!

What do you think? Is your workplace a good place to work? How would you improve your workplace?

Thanks to Phil Morley from Blue Goose for the inspiration for this post.

The Top 10 companies that marketers would like to work for most

 
Each year Marketing Week and Michael Page do an employer survey amongst marketing professionals, and they ask them a series of questions about employment within their sector. This year has seen the first change in the top for three years, which, I believe, reflects the power of the web. Google has taken over the top spot from Virgin (who have actually slipped to fourth).
The Top 10 companies of 2008 that marketers would like to work for most are:

1. Google
2. Apple
3. Innocent
4. Virgin
5. BBC
6. Diageo
7. John Lewis
8. = Audi
8. = Coca-Cola
10. Marks and Spencer

So, does that surprise you? Would you rate Google as your No. 1?

On winning the award, a Google spokesman (why wouldn't they give a name, they have just won an award!) said, " working at Google means tackling the toughest problems in information technology and developing and marketing innovative products that make a positive difference to tens of millions of people."
So why does he think people want to work at Google? - "Many employees are intrigued by the founders and the culture they have fostered at Google. Working at Google provides a chance to tackle some of the most interesting, fun and challenging problems out there"

Now being a cynical person, do you think that this response they have given has been worked over and 'white-boarded' to  make sure it gives the correct Google answer? It just sounds like brochure speak to me!!  What is wrong with some good old fashioned pride and passion?

For all of you in the recruitment industry, and who are exposed to candidates that have exited these companies, what do you think - would these be your Top 10?  Maybe you know a 'little more' about what it is really like to work for these companies, having debriefed candidates.

From personal experience, what I can add into the mix, is that my daughter works for John Lewis, and they are proving to be a fantastic company to work for, so if the top 10 list is correct, then that would make the seven above them absolutely brilliant to work for!!

Now, I am just being silly.................aren't I?

Talent Management and free beans for a year!!

If someone mentions the product, baked beans, to you, which brand is synonymous with them? Well for me there is only one brand - Heinz. The same goes for soup, Heinz again!
But even with two such powerful brands (and others of course), the company were starting to lose market share, and even confidence in their own products - they didn't even serve them in their own canteen!

So, a new CEO was ordered  - the third in four years! So how did the new one, Dave Woodward, turn around the performance?
He realised that the future of the company lay in the strength of its talented employees. He encouraged employee involvement, engagement and empowerment - after all the employees should know their product and have their own great ideas and opinions, shouldn't they?
He went about the task like a steam train, firstly replacing ten of his twelve senior managers within four months, and put in place new talented managers who believed in his vision that success can be driven by internal talent - but only if they are correctly managed and motivated! Some of the other interesting changes he made were:

• At 8am every Monday morning, his most senior managers would attend a tasting session to tase every single new product.
• Every month, there would be meetings for all the 2300 - by video if needed. He used texting as the medium to collect questions to be asked at these meetings.
• He set up a group of 42 leaders who had to work in the factories, visit the retailers, talk to in store customers and even spend time in consumers homes!! He wanted them to get closer to their product and their customers.
• Introduced a Dragons Den initiative to help staff present their new ideas. Successful new products have been produced because of this. Rewards for this? Well one was a years free supply of beans!!

His belief in his staff and the initiatives he put in place worked because now two years later, Heinz have regained their No 1 position in their respective markets

I believe many companies should show more belief to their existing employees. Given the encouragement and involvement, they may well find that many more of their staff join internal talent management programmes. It will also improve staff retention, help further develop an employment brand and will help improve staff recruitment.
Companies don't always have to go externally to find the talent they need. They may just have to look a little harder - and maybe therein lies the answer. Is talent spotting the real issue?

 

Web 2.0 will reduce your carbon footprint

Earlier this year, a survey showed that 69% of businesses banned social networks such as MySpace & Facebook from the work environment, yet networking and relationship building are vital aspects to any business.
But are these same companies missing a trick when it comes to web 2.0 technologies? I don't just mean loss of morale  or loss of business, but something more important for their future (and ours!) - their carbon footprint!

Last year over 12.2 million business flights flew in to and out of the UK's airports (Office of National Statistics).
Why aren't companies utilising the power of web 2.0 to reduce the time that their employees spend in the air? 
In today's climate, globalisation, home working and outsourcing are all growing rapidly, and at the same time we all need to curb pollution from travel and better use existing resources. So surely it would make sense to use all the online tools that people love using every day, to also enhance their business communications, wouldn't it? Certainly in our industry we are seeing more styles of interviewing taking place via online, telephone & video for example. There are companies that do use things like;

• Cloud Computing
• Instant messaging
• Social networks
• VO-IP
• Webinars
• Video conferencing
• Webcams
• Widgets

to communicate, but with 12.2 million business flights, my guess is that not enough are doing so. Informal communication is a real driver within business, and that doesn't have to be done around a physical water cooler. This can be moved online, whether that be instant messaging or internal social networks, to allow a shared and open communication between staff and their employers.

I accept that within business you do need to have a certain amount of face time, but with the advent of social networking, people have become more accustomed to virtual relationships - in fact gen Y'ers have become very skilled at it!
So while there may well be the need for initial meetings and 'bonding time' (just for the record that means having a few beers!) needed, how many meetings from that point do really need to be scheduled face to face? Just think how much money your company would save if they only flew you over the the US once a quarter instead of twice a month? And of course how many '000's of tonnes of CO2  would you save polluting the environment with by doing so?

Instead of fearing the advent of web 2.0, surely they should be analysing, learning and capitalising on them to aid their business efficiency (and costs) with the added benefit of saving the environment at the same time. Take the three biggest areas of cost within a business - time, resource and travel. Web 2.0 communication technologies could improve all three, but travel will be the most affected as the virtual world will take over. 

Troublesome Talent - the Mavericks in your business

Every business has them, and you probably won't have to think too hard to write two or three names down from your company. The people I am referring to are Mavericks - also known as Troublesome Talent. They are both good and bad for a business, but do need special management to harness their skills. The lady that defined the phrase Troublesome Talent, Judith Germain of Dynamic Transitions, defines Mavericks as simply," Being Willfully Independent".
The upside of these Mavericks is that they are very talented, creative individuals that are extremely passionate about their work and are very comfortable challenging the established status quo. They have no fear confronting authority - but often do so with constructive ideas and arguments. Although some times they can be too confrontational and aggressive in the style. Larger organisations, with more rigid management structures may find it hard to deal with such Mavericks, because of their inflexible corporate nature. SME's and mid -sized companies, however, seem to be the ideal arena for Mavericks to flourish.

So with Talent Management such a key issue, should the big corporates try and get hold of, and harness these Mavericks? The answer is yes, but only if they are prepared.

Snap, Crackle & Pop off for the afternoon!!

The summer is now well and truly here, and for many companies it is the start of problems. As the temperature starts to crank up, in between the many rain showers, staff start calling in sick and simply skiving off. Their destination - not the doctors or the proverbial sick bed - is the beach, park or back garden to just enjoys the rays of sun.
One large company - who ironically rely on the sun for the products they produce - Kellogg's (UK Office), introduce a Summer Hours Scheme for this time of year. It allows all of its staff to switch off their computers and leave work at Mid-day on Fridays, as long as they have completed their weekly hours quota of 37.5 hours, through making up the hours during the rest of the week.
Last year 90% of the employees took advantage of this scheme - my only question is what happened to the other 10%??

For me this is a great example of the work life balance issue, being used in a fair and appealing way. Jacqueline Grainger, Kellogg's UK HR Director comments, "Flexible working is something we take very seriously, to ensure we provide work life balance opportunities to all employees". I just wonder if the traffic to their career site increases with higher temperatures, as other employers are quite as forward thinking.

Don't forget the Forums for recruiting

At last, some companies are starting to use new ways of recruiting staff. RIM - makers of the most awesome Blackberry (alright I am a little biased here!) have done what I have been saying to companies for a while - go and find your forums!!
Search for forums (not necessarily blogs) that are specific to your industry (and even the niche that you are in). Then use them, making regular comments on them - hopefully helpful industry advice! This way you are not only building great company credibility, but also developing your employment brand further. You can also add any specific jobs to the forum - just don't abuse this and post loads of jobs (after all that's what you have a career site for!).
This is exactly what Rim have done for one of their roles in Australasia. They need a Blackberry evangelist - where better, than to find one on a Blackberry forum, where all the BB nuts hang out!

Go on give it a go!!

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!