Sirona Says

Blimey - a Web 3.0 job advert in The Sunday Times!

I supposed we shouldn't be surprised to see this type of advert in The Sunday Times Appointments, but never the less, it is a little surprising when you consider most companies still aren't even using web 2.0 on their websites!

Obviously the 'client' is a foreward thinking organisation, and wants to stay ahead of its competition, but (this is a question for all you recruiters) how many true web 3.0 people have you actually come across?

I think it would have been better to gain some excellent PR and competitive employment branding, by using a branded advert, rather than the 'blind' advert that they have used here. I wonder how many more of web 3.0 adverts we will now start to see!!

Come on employers, Web 2.0 won't bite!

What is it with companies that continually moan about recruitment and retention issues, but still choose to do little about engaging with job seekers? Why is it about engaging with their future employees that is so awful anyway?
Web 2.0 has been talked about now for what seems like ages - in fact there is now talk of Web 3.0 and web 4.0!!
Whatever the talk, there seems to have been little take up by companies, even though Web 2.0 is what candidates actually want from a corporate website (actually any website)!!
The latest findings in the CIPD 2008 Recruitment, Retention and Turnover survey, show that a massive 80% of organisations do not currently use Web 2.0 online methods to attract or recruit employees with only 8% planning to start using the technology in the next year. WHY?? Are they mad?

• Why don't they want to engage with their potential employees with social networks, blogs and forums?
• Could this be the reason why there is such an issue around talent shortages?
• And if they won't engage with their prospective job seekers, does that also mean they lack engagement with their existing employees? Maybe that answers why companies are struggling to retain their staff?
• Do companies just think that Web 2.0 = Facebook and MySpace, and because of that dismiss it?
• Don't they know that with the extensive broadband coverage, more job seekers than ever are online and want to interact?
• Although other generations are online, do they understand that their future lifeblood, predominately lives online and expects to engage with companies online?

Come on employers, web 2.0 technology gives you a great opportunity to bring your employer brand to life, and create experiences online that allow potential and future employees to experience what it will be like to work within your company. They can watch videos of your workplace, view photographs, ask questions online and get involved with your company even before they send you a CV.
How can that be damaging to your company and your brand? If you don't actually dip your toes in the web 2.0 waters, then you will never even get a chance to find out how warm they can be!

Has Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) been around longer than we realise?

Are the principles of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), a key part of today's web world in terms of Search Engine Marketing (SEM), really that innovative? Compare them to the 'old analogue world' style and see what you think.

Three of the most important aspects of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) are;

1. Don’t do anything to upset the Search Engines means  in 'old world' parlance Play a straight game
2. Make sure that you’ve got good unique content means  in 'old world' parlance Offer things that add value
3. Do your best to link with other quality and relevant sites means  in 'old world' parlance Hang around and network with interesting people

Is the theory behind SEO that new after all? Admittedly it has been brought up to date, but the underlying concept is no different is it, if you consider the end game?

Can GlobalPitch replace your CV?

This week I received an email regarding this new site - GlobalPitch . It appears to be using the concept of online CV profile that, once created, can be used as part of the recruitment process. You can present your client with the link to the online profile as well as a copy of a CV. It does look a good idea - check out the profile of their CEO Syd Kain as an example - and is very nicely put together, but my reservation is whether they are different enough to of interest to employers. We already have the best business example of this with LinkedIn, so if you have a good LinkedIn profile why would you need anything else?  They do have a nice blog with some good tips on it.