The job-ads jungle of job-sites - vanishing employers and traps of thick phrases

From Ralf Junge's blog entry: Im Stellenanzeigen-Dschungel der Jobbörsen – damit Arbeitgeber nicht verschwinden

We talk a lot about what makes a good employer. In my preview for 2014 I wrote, the matter of identity will be of more importance. Employers will have to (re)think their position and perception. The 'finding of employer brand' plays a particular role as well.

Yesterday, I read an interesting article in the newest edition of Markenbrand (a magazine about Employer Branding) about perception of employers at job websites. In 2012 more than half of all job-seekers used online-job markets. For companies these job-websites offer a wide range  of possibilities of job-ads, also. Why it is not wondrous that the number of offers increase continously. Yet, this causes piling problems because the result when searching becomes an unstructured mind map of googillion possible matches. For Users, especially career-starters, it faster gets difficult to distinguish between all different offers - a true information overload.

When checking the hits of a search it more and more turns into pabulum - or as the German would translate literally 'unit goo'. All phrases are on repete. Honestly, it is no fun to continue reading. Maybe you know the following phrases: 

"We offer a challenging and exciting job in a growing firm", or "we offer an attractive work place in the heart of (city xy)", or "a motivated team awaits you". All of this has got nada to do with poyitioning an employer brand!

Have job-websites reached their limits? Do companies have to think of other more expedient channels in order to reach candidates better and to be recognized? Will companies drift away from job-portals?

Redesigning the concept job-ads on websites
The answer is no. Job-websites offer so many possibilities to create job-ads exciting and attention-grabbing, differing from other companies. Of course here are creative heads asked - in graphic design as well as writing. It starts with the job-title which is the first point of contact of a job-ad. Do you remember the campaign by Axel Springer which showed "applicants" with self-ironic and funny job-titles? Remember to put in enough buzz words so the proper search result is shown. 

Further possibilities are offered by design and within the display text. Important and often underestimated is the time of publishing. There are peaks where job-searchers are most active - working days between 6 and 8 AM, around noontime and in the very evening. On top of that, the job-ads published on job-sites should be shown on the companys websites as well. Another factor is the kind of application. Offer an online-mask with option to upload files or ask for an application by eMail. Figure out how your target group ticks and after which criterias the job-ads are regarded - and optimize your online presence in the jungle of job-websites. 

Ralf

HR and Social Media - success by targeting aims properly

From Ralf Junge's blog entry: Erfolgskontrolle von Social-Media-Aktivitäten

By now there is a lot of information about how Social Media Channels can be integrated in Personnel Communication. But the control of success appears to be a challenge for companies still. WHen does Employer Branding via Social Media pays off? With a study KTH Royal Institute of Technology got into the matter of this question just last year. Multiple referents for personnel communication were asked how they measure the success of their activities, what digits matter. What digits show if employer branding via social networks are reaching the pinned goals successfully.

In line of the study the goals of use of Social Media were analyzed. As primary goal Recruitment was identified. Secondary goals are the perception as employer, the attraction of matching candidated, and the development into an 'employer of choice'.

On the basis of these goals exact classification figures can be drawn and defined for the measurement of success. The number of entered application due to Social Media Communication is a significant indicator for fruitful recruiting activities. But not only the quantity of applications, the interaction with the target group show if and how the company is perceived as employer. In its quality again, it shows, if relevant candidates were addressed - got the right target group. The reputation of a company demonstrates (if) Social Media presence influenced the decision of a candidate to chose pro company as employer of choice. Too often though, it is difficult to draw the success of Employer Branding back to Social Media measurements alone. Hence it is advised to include the feedback of candidates when doing the success control.  

What does the control of success at your company look like? 

Ralf

Resources:  Reischauer, Tessa ( 2013): Employer Branding in Social Media – An empirical study on how social media contributes to achieving employer branding aims, KTH Royal Institue of Technology (unveröffentlicht).

Attention, Advertisment! For a more dynamic HR-work

Translated from Jannis Tsalikis’ blog entry: Achtung, Werbung! Für mehr Dynamik bei der Personalarbeit ...

It seems they still exist, the dusty HR's. Isn't it horrible actually?

Not unreasoned I am happily working as HR in the media industry for the longest. I hardly can imagine working in a different industry Why? In the communication and media branch reigns a special kind of dynamic which exists in its daily HR-work as well. More frequent personnel change, young, hungry employees, continuesly changing business aso.. It is just never getting boring. The opposite! Challenges are mastered and the next ones are waiting already. Great! Aint it?!

After wild 13 years I can say, just do it too and...

1. keep your curiousity: Every now and then, I unfortunately met HR's who rested on their success. Time runs differently now though. Who doesn't think further, keeps moving and stays curious about what happens in the world does not only miss out but misses the connection. Stay tuned! Sit with the trainees at the canteen. Talk with the colleagues from other divisions or with HR's from other companies (i.e. at HR BarCamp ;) Be open for and to the new digital world.

2. stay courageous: When new tasks approach your HR-Division, just say, "YES, we can!" - even if at first you have no clue how to solve the new problem. Or even better, when knowing there are a couple of things which have to be changed, just start! Without being asked by the boss!

3. accept criticism: God, it is the most difficult. The more experience and knowledge you collect, the harder it is to allow and accept criticism. Who is bold enough to admit being a fool?! No, me neither. But, the ability of self-criticism is truely turning us into a better HR. Doesn't it?

Why don't you let yourself be inspired by my words and do it like the dude in the picture. No matter where you are, get up, pose like a winner and shout out "YEAH, today is going to be an awesome day!". Then clean your table and innovatively solve a problem or task which was bugging for weeks already. YES!

Jannis

What happens in HR in 2014

Fram Ralf Junge's blog entry: Das passiert 2014 im HR-Bereich

A new year lays ahead - and with it plenty of new chances, more swing and innovation to be brought into HR. After all reviews on 2013 were written I looked around for trends of 2014. (Latest in twelve months I will see if I was right with my subjects.)

Identity is not only of central meaning for brands but also for users. The page says: "Who you are is increasingly dependent on how you appear online, which pictures you upload, hich groups you belong to and which mindset you present. (...) Brands also know, stiffness and dim appearances of a Corporate Identity are passé. A living identity is only able to be developed by integrating the addressees."

Brand officers are being pushed more strongly to involve their target group when building or adapting an identity. And the target group wants to participate. The great chance in it is to design custom-fit concepts and campaigns. I would wish for it much, especially for the Employer Branding. Hopefully we will see more authentic employer-brands, eventually. 

Candidate Experience after Active Sourcing is the new trend – this labelling appears in plenty of blogs and magazines curently. In leaning on Marketing's Customer Experience Candidate Experience just means and applicants' perception and experience of a company as employer. This implies the complete process, starting from the first contact by a potential applicant to the company over to Onboarding and Retention Management - the Candidate Journey. Naturally, this demands a clear and integrative Employer Brand for a consistent employer brand eyperience.

In this context the often discussed subject of Mobile Recruiting is continueing its relevance and gain in meaning. 

"Classic accession criteria are potential prodigality", according to a thesis by Thomas Sattelberger about labor's future, which was published in last years Handelsblatt (a German economy magazine). In near future things as emotional intelligence and intercultural competence will play a role of increasing importancy in recruiting new employees. The needed occupational expertise can be learned or adapted thanks to the great teaching offers online. Actually I find the idea appealing - recruiters clinging onto résumés but instead checking on how capable a candidate is in order to fulfill the open position. Due to the great diversity of positions and titles capability certainly isn't something to be read from CV's. But do recruiters really want to work without work samples and résumés? What would job-interviews and assessment centers look like then? I wonder, if this way of accession of new employees does prevail. 

One subject I find very interesting is Jobsharing. It means, two persons share one job. The goal is to even out work-life-balance, enabling more time to live. The concept is a great answer to the demand of so many young professionals and offers more freedom. Jobsharing fosters a flexible and more productive working world and definitely is one of my favorite HR-subjects for 2014.  In the coming week I will go into the matter more extensively and show you how Jobsharing can work. 

2014 certainly holds exciting subjects for us and I am looking forward to plenty, new ideas and innovations.

Ralf

German HR's of 2013 - Innovators and Influencers

From Ralf Junge's blog entry: Personaler des Jahres 2013 – Innovatoren und Influencer

The start of a nw year is usually a great opportunity to look back at last years important and exciting events and highlights. From me as well, happy new year, I wish you a healthy and successful 2014. And I am looking forward to great topics and discussions.

Behind all achievements of 2013 stood important people and deciders - partially innovators, whom we follow and whose trends we are admire and/ or copy. Here I go, presenting you my personal Top 5 of the HR-Influencer of 2013.

Sirka Laudon (Leader Personnel Development, Axel Springer AG): Right at the beginning of 2013 I received an important impulse regarding Learning in Company. In line with the HRBarCamp in February she held a session about Guerilla Learning – for me, this is an innovative path for spreading knowledge within a company. I wish to see more of these creative and innovative approaches, past the conservative ways. Just dare something  - sounds almost like a great resolution for 2014.

Thomas Sattelberger (former Chief HR Officer, Deutsche Telekom AG): The working world as we know it is changing. With it also the organisation of companies, the leadership of employees and last but not least the recruiting and personnel development as well. Obviously most companies are still ducking this matter, hiding behind blinkers. Doing so they miss the change and will have to live with the consequences eventually. Thomas Sattelberger put the future of HR-work into German words with these central theses. This is why he is one of the leading figures of innovatibe HR-work of 2013.

Robindro Ullah (Head of Employer Branding and HR Communication, Voith GmbH): Work in Human Resources is not always dead serious, actually there is a grand amount of humor with it. And sometimes it is appropriate to  laugh at oneself. Looking at the current HR-scene of Germany one could believe quite easily HR ought to be about a bunch of grimmy, humorless HR's. That this isn't the case at all shows us  Robind together with Maité Jagau and the Human Resources Tumblr, where countless HR-topics are caricatural and encountered with a great portion of humor. 

Jannis Tsalikis (HR Director, VICE Germany GmbH): Speaking about humor - the Golden Mangel Award was definitely one of the Highlights of the HR-year 2013. (even cited and talked about in newspaper. Which is why I count Jannis to one of the distinguishing people of last year. Together with Henner Knabenreich he initiiated the award. Unfortunately, not all companies were able to show the same humor. This being said, I wish for more humor in 2014. 

Thorsten Petry (Professor, Wiesbaden Business School): Thanks to the rather controversial HR-Blog Ranking does Thorsten Petry count to the more critical HR-people of the last year.  But the ranking tightened the Blogger.Community and made us reflecting our blogs more intense, fiying the negatives (faster). 

So what do we take from the HR-year 2013? It is simple: more bravery for unconventional means, more innovating drive, more humor and more reflection of our work - actually quite good achievements. 

Before all shout out and claim incompletion or even feel insulted - these are my personal Top 5. What are yours? I am looking forward to reading about your personal Top 5 HR-people of 2013.

Ralf

My personal review to 2013 and preview to 2014...

From Jannis Tsalikis' blog entry: Mein ganz persönlicher Rückblick auf 2013 und Ausblick auf 2014 ...

Hello dearest readers and friends of employer brand's friend and especially the German version as well "Mein Freund die Arbeitgebermarke". I am back on track. After almost four weeks of Social Media hibernation I am finally and officially back online.

Looking back at 2013 this short hibernation was needed. 2013 was a very moving and exciting year for me. Just to sum up a few highlights, there was the HR BarCamp 2013 at the Ahoy, different events where I was allowed to narrate, such as the HR vs. PR in Leipzig or the 8. HR Lounge in Berlin.  In the book "Innovative Talentstrategien" I was honored to contribute an input to "Die Karrierewebsite - die virtuelle Repräsentanz des Arbeitgebers" (the career website - the virtual represence of employers). And the year was crowned with the Golden Mangel Award on December 4th (picture below). Last but not least, I switched employers and went from the PR-Agency of the year (MSLGroup Germany) to the Magazine of the year (VICE Germany).

2014. The year has just begun and new, exciting events are already in the pipeline. The HR BarCamp 2014 is in march! Now at (an even better) location, within the heart of Berlin. On top of that, there are further events I will be attending and narrate a little or hold a workshop, i.e. the Personalmarketingkongress 2014 in Munich or the Zukunft Personal in Cologne. Well, and after the great success of the Golden Mangel Award 2013, there will most likely be one in 2014.

It is going to be again quite a year of interesting, exciting, controversial and teaching moments. That things (will) happen as they did I owe especially to my friends and contributors! Thank you, Christoph! Thank you, Ralf! Thank you, Henner! Thank you, Stefan Peukert! Thank you, Jo! Thank you, Nina! Thank you, Robindro! Thank you, Jörn! Thank you, Frau Ewers! Thank you, Herr Böttger! Thanks ti the guys from Wollmilchsau! Thank you, softgarden (especially Sibylle)! Thanks to the BPM (especiall Nina)! Thank you, WuV! Thanks to MSL Germany! Thanks to VICE Deutschland! And thanks be to many more colleagues and friends I cannot name right now. Cheers to 2013 and 2014 to be great!

Jannis

Mobile Recruiting-Apps for Smartphones not so smart?

As I found myself with a great lack of time for the regular check-up on the job market I also found myself at lost for the proper "findings". Even, or maybe especially, LinkedIn and XING are hardly any help. Other Portals turned into app is seldom setting my HR-heart on fire.

Ralf blogged last week on how mobile recruiting-apps are of hardly any relevance according to a recent published study by trendMonitor. It stated that 81% of the persons asked are prefering other methods besides mobile recruiting. 

I took a look on the other side of the world for better answers to my question. What is about it anyways. 

(from blogg.careercloud.com)

And one gets it. To follow current job-offers via smartphone on platforms like InstaJob is awesome. To apply with it directly? Meh, not so. 

As HR I rather have applicants who pay attention and effort in their cover-letter/ -mail and résumé rather than having not-well-structured profiles thrown at me via wordless mail. And as HR I also advice my applicants to put some more work in it when they mean to work for a company for real. 

It leaves recruiting apps to only get the message and employer brand out there. Sometimes it is the only thing that's needed. 

By the way, if you wanna browse a little regarding all kinds of recruiting apps, this might help.

Nan