Uncomfortable yet necessary.  That’s the underlying thought process and mission behind Blogging4Jobs.   Rayanne and I share content that sometimes makes you uncomfortable, and that’s okay.  You may not know it but it makes us uncomfortable too.  In fact, I want you to get mad, angry, upset, inspired, or passionate when you read what we have to say.  It’s part of the change process.  Things here on the site offer insights into leadership, technology, and the human capital management industry.  Sometimes that’s HR, Recruiting, and Social Media, but it’s often personal stories shared with an underlying business lesson.  The point is that change behind the uncomfortableness is never easy.  It’s riddled with anxiety, mistakes, difficulty, and sometimes pain.

Uncomfortable yet Necessary: Weight Issues

That’s a lot how I’ve been feeling lately, mostly the pain and anxiety, but also relief, confidence, freedom and clarity. In the nearly five years that I’ve been blogging here at Blogging4Jobs, I’ve never once blogged about my weight.  I just don’t talk about it.  Because if I don’t it’s a non-issue.  I muddle through.  I blog and plow through with a determined or smiling face and sometimes they are one in the same.

But in the back of my mind and at the end of the day, I wonder if I didn’t get that client or speaking gig because of my weight issues. It’s not just about the clients but more about my self-esteem coupled with my ability to change my own habits while I go around preaching to companies, recruiters, and HR professionals that they should adapt, adjust, and embrace change when it comes to social media and technology at work.  So instead I choose to blog here about being a domestic abuse survivor or being a teenage shoplifter when avoiding the one personal challenge I have that is staring me in the face: weight issues.

“Uncomfortable yet necessary.” 

Making Life Changes

In early December I committed to doing yoga 5 times a week.  Working with a private instructor, I have the entire room to myself.  Some of this reason stems behind the fact that I have a rather crazy schedule, but it’s also because I’m embarrassed and I also need the motivation.  I started slowly at first.  It was uncomfortable.  I was weak, and I also don’t like looking at myself in full length mirrors.  It’s something in most cases I try to avoid.  I don’t need to be reminded that I have a big butt or protruding gut when I’m about to go on stage for a keynote speech, but it’s something I can’t avoid.  Afterall, Spanx can’t fix everything.

Uncomfortableness & Yoga Poses

Then  a couple weeks ago I held this very engaged yoga strength pose for 15 full seconds.  It’s called the Dolphin Arm Plank.  Essentially, I’m holding myself up in push up stance except that my hands and forearms look like they are in prayer.  The forearms are holding up my entire body with a lot of help from my abs.  Killer stuff.  So I celebrated my success after completing the pose only for a moment until Mandy, my instructor moves me to the next killer yoga pose, the Side Plank all the while I keep thinking to myself, “Uncomfortable yet necessary.  Uncomfortable yet necessary.”

I’m nine weeks into my journey, committing to the change process that is uncomfortable yet necessary.  I want to feel better, have more energy, and look healthier.  I can tell you that while the beginning mission was to lose weight, the journey to get there is changing my own perspective.  It’s no longer about the weight.  It’s about making life changes and opening myself up to all kinds of change even the unexpected ones.  And so communicating the change is key. It helps solidify the change which is why I’ve chosen to blog about this today.

The Uncomfortable yet Necessary Change Process

Tower’s Watson’s 2011-2012 ROI of Change Management and Communication study supports my belief that change is hard but that effective communication eases the transition process. Companies highly effective at both communication and change management are 2.5 times as likely to outperform their peers as companies that are not highly effective in either area. You have to walk the talk.  Communicate the change and be committed to it and together the uncomfortableness is shared.

And so that’s what I’ve chosen to do today.  Share with you my journey, my success, and my vulnerability.  What types of changes have you personally or your organization have recently made?  What learnings can you share about that change and the growth you gained along the way?

Photo credit.  

Recruiting Strategy Key 2012 in War for Talent 

All signs are pointing towards an improving economy and yesterday’s release of Talent Technology’s State of Recruiting for 2012 supports what many in the industry are seeing.  Business is happening.  Hiring and adding new staff is in the works with 52% of companies planning on adding jobs in the next 12 months making the importance of an solid recruiting strategy even more important.  In case you were wondering, the survey which had 1,100 respondents offered insights mostly from the US and Canada with the majority of respondents coming from US companies between 100-999 employees.  The graphic you see below with the specific information was provided to me by special request.

Open positions are taking 45 days to fill with job boards still serving as the primary candidate source.  These findings are further supported by SHRM’s announcement that hiring in January will remain weak, and that makes since since many organization’s new fiscal years started January 1 and if new positions are taking 45 days to onboard new employees, it’s likely that we will not see an upswing in hiring until March of this year.

Online Recruiting & Jobs Boards Most Effective 

Talent Technology provides an interesting look at the state of recruiting in their infographic show below.  Their entire findings can be found here.  While the data doesn’t provide any earth shattering revolutions it does point to the increase in demand of talent and a likelihood that companies will experience a longer time to fill as the job and candidate market becomes more competitive.  In fact, this surge in jobs growth is expected to exceed 12% this year.  According to their findings job boards, followed by referrals and internal candidates, and career sites prove to be the top three online recruiting candidate sources.  Social media follows resulting in 12.5% of candidates.  Let the war for talent in 2012 begin.

Photo Credit. 

What does desperation do to you as a Businessperson? As a Salesperson? As an HR Professional? As a Recruiting Professional? Sometimes, there comes a valley in the activity and we stagnate, or get bored, or even become desperate. Working to close a deal can be exciting, hectic, hurried, and representing ourselves, our company, or our client properly – the best way possible – can sometimes fall by the wayside.  Caution and care must be taken that desperate times do not permeate through to your business persona and wreck havoc where none need be.

Do not sell anything that your client doesn’t need to buy, like a bad candidate or unnecessary services. Or like four bad candidates. There is a line in the tense movie, Glengarry Glen Ross - “What did I learn back on Western? You don’t sell a guy one car…, You sell him five cars over fifteen years.” Making a commitment to grow and develop your client base or candidate base doesn’t mean growing a nice garden, plucking out the big blooms, using their beauty and then walking away from the garden. You must cultivate that garden to grow and produce, not just big blooms but also small blooms, as well as seeds for the future.

Ponder on the long-term, not just the short-term deal. The path is lined with those who are being plucked by everyone…  A one-shot deal was great yesterday, but what are you doing today? Your Boss is worried about the deal today, as well he should.  You should worry about the deal tomorrow, thus motivating you to make the right decisions during today’s deal.  Trust me, desperation doesn’t pay the water bill.  I tried that once, back in 2008.

Does desperation have an ROI? Look beyond the desperation and recognize that a client is more than a big sale. And guess what? Clients still want face-to-face service, they still want to buy from an actual person. The internet is simply a tool to get the face-to-face. Merely average recruiters/salespeople/business professionals will be flushed out and have no place to run or hide.  They probably already have been.

So…, be the expert, be the source, be the “get ‘er done guy” or just be the guy who honestly says, “I don’t know but I know who to ask…” Almost unheard of, eh?

Are you convenient? Do you provide quality service? And can you deliver? If you nodded your head to these questions, then maybe you will survive another six to twelve months.  If not, well, do you have a back-up plan?

Rayanne Thorn, @ray_anne is the Marketing Director for the online recruiting software company, Broadbean Technology.  She is also a proud mother of four residing in Laguna Beach, California, and a contributor for Blogging4Jobs.  Connect with her on LinkedIn.  

Are you living up to it?

Paper money used to be backed by a supply of gold, actual gold.  Not the flecks that sometimes glitters in lakes and streams or in a quiet ocean, but solid gold. If you desired to trade your paper money in for the only bars better than chocolate, you could. There was a sense of value behind the bills in your wallet because they represented something that was considerably valuable.

Sadly, the Gold Standard is all but extinct now. Paper money is backed by accounts payable or accounts receivable. But the symbolism is still there, hopefully. And with such symbols, a certain amount of respect is due.

• Gold Records – with sales of 500,000.
• Gold medals – awarded to the best in the competition.
• Gold Rings – signify commitment to the one.
• Gold Cup – the best football/soccer has to offer.
• And the Golden Globes just aired last week – the best in entertainment is celebrated.

Gold has come to represent the best of the best with longstanding value behind it.  Kind of like putting your money where your mouth is.  Look past the symbolism and wrap your head around the idea that providing unsurpassed service or a superb product means more than just deserving a gold medal.  In youth sports programs everywhere, every player is awarded a medallion or trophy, no child should be left out or less than.  But is that the right  and true thing?  The BEST should be rewarded with intent and purpose, with the desire to show the greatest value. Not because entitlement lurks at every corner

In our daily work lives, when conducting business, is there opportunity for improvement or are you already giving 100% to clients and promising more to future clients? Is there “the better way” that 2nd century military leader, Hannibal spoke of? “I will either find a way, or make one.” His words were used to inspire his army, but they can work for you.  Find the better way.

Backing your words and efforts with a promise is not the same as backing them with actions and knowledge. When you say you will deliver, do it. When you sell yourself as the best at your craft, be it. The standard you set must not only be deliverable, but also recognizable. What is your gold standard? Are you reserves tapped out? Or have you built your store to draw upon for years to come?

“If money is your hope for independence you will never have it. The only real security that a man will have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience, and ability.” ~Henry Ford

Rayanne Thorn, @ray_anne is the Marketing Director for the online recruiting software company, Broadbean Technology.  She is also a proud mother of four residing in Laguna Beach, California, and a contributor for Blogging4Jobs.  Connect with her on LinkedIn.  

Independence VS. Dependence

I love George Carlin.  Posting a quote by him always makes me happy, because he says the things we think but usually don’t have the guts to say.  Given the current tumultuous state of the Republican US presidential primary and the vehemence with which many are speaking concerning the presidential election slated for this November, I find this particular quote most fitting.

“I do this real moron thing, it’s called thinking, and I’m not a very good American because I like to form my own opinions.” ~George Carlin

Not following herd thinking or mob mentality has always been a stubborn trait of mine. I like to challenge ideals and believe in the virtue of rational thought and reasonable talk.  Usually severely lacking in a political or religious environment.

Freedom from Dependence on or Control by another person, organization, and state equals Independence. So, how many of us have gained independence over the last couple years, did you became free of the control by an organization? or person? It might be an interesting study to see how many are now working under their own banner / slate or have changed jobs or have simply changed outlooks…

A baby is completely dependent upon its mother and father or guardian for care and nourishment. Without the care a parental figure provides, a human baby would die. No ifs, ands, or buts. As simple as that. We learn the basics, those survival skills, over a lifetime. Hopefully, we become proficient at it. And to another end, not very many of us are born with an innate business sense, to understand perfectly the steps toward business success or financial freedom. Yes, it is unfortunate, but true.

So, how can we grow into being business professionals? Well, we can go to school or we can watch our parents, a school, in itself.  We can go to work when we are young and be lucky enough to find ourselves under the tutelage of a master businessman or we struggle along, learning what works and what not to do as we go. We can eventually move up the ranks, learning through personal trial and error or careful observation.  How we apply what we have learned and gained through those teachers will determine the kind of business professional we become.

Not all of us are cut out to be independent, as a matter of fact, most are not.  Having to fend for oneself: preparing for the hunt, the actual hunt, the kill, the dicing up of the kill, and then the distribution through and to the proper channels may be a little daunting for the majority.  Having a chief that direct the hunt may make it an easier go but then direction must be followed and, of course, not all “professionals” are cut out to take direction.

Figuring out where you belong in the circle doesn’t need to be difficult.  But it shouldn’t be taken lightly either nor decided upon haphazardly. Independence versus Dependence. Weigh the options.  Be realistic.  Know when to say when.  Know when to pull the plug or the trigger.  But recognize that good things do not come to those who wait.

Good things come to those who get out there and take them.

Rayanne Thorn, @ray_anne is the Marketing Director for the online recruiting software company, Broadbean Technology.  She is also a proud mother of four residing in Laguna Beach, California, and a contributor for Blogging4Jobs.  Connect with her on LinkedIn.  

Like Me!

I sat on my couch munching the contents of a bag of regular Tostitos. Nothing better than hanging with my kids, tortilla chips and some homemade guacamole.  Chips and a movie, this time?  Ghost Ship, a family favorite  - there is a fantastic twist scene when all is revealed, check it out some time.

While snacking, I went to grab the bag of chips and noticed the Facebook button on the bag. Yep, Tostitos expects consumers to login, look up their fan page, and then “like” them.  I think the fact that I am eating right of the bag proves I like them.  But there you have it, Permission Marketing. Bring the consumer to you. Compel the consumer to follow a trail of bread crumbs and convert curiosity into brand loyalty. If you “like” the product, you have consented to contact, you have consented to receipt of future coupons or emails or ads up and down the right-hand side of your Facebook wall.

I have been talking about this exact thing for a few years now, actually advocating for it. But I must admit, it’s kind of scary to see it come to fruition. The potential was undeniable, it was exciting and different. It was new, it was contemporary and Corporate America seemed to shun the possibilities – for awhile. That is until a few took the plunge. I remember just two years ago seeing random companies adding Twitter and Facebook buttons to their advertising. Over three years ago, I consulted smaller companies and convinced them to create fan pages and start engaging. They were eager to learn more, especially when I told them their competition wasn’t doing it. Yet.

Currently, I like over 170 pages – translatable into a brand, product, service, person, or form of art. That’s down about fifty from last Fall, as I recently went through my Facebook likes and deleted those that I didn’t remember even liking, those I no longer liked, or those I saw no need to like and no longer wished to receive messages from. I will filter through my “likes” again soon – Spring Cleaning, as it were.

Facebook is now considered a strong and necessary marketing strategy. With its rate of growth, it will not be long before the number of FB profiles reaches One Billion, predicted to happen this summer or sooner. That is a lot of consumers – all in one place, all in one database.  Most companies get the picture of what that represents. Chance. Opportunity. Growth. Branding. But it also means maintenance. It isn’t easy, it won’t be easy. Make it worth the endeavor, not a wasted effort. The payoff will be a direct result of what is put in. It will require consistent work . That means exertion, which means it isn’t free.

So the old selling point of: Social Media is FREE?  Umm, no longer applies.

Do you think liking a brand, product, service, person, or art form that you don’t really like, that you don’t really use, that you don’t really care about helps that company / person?  Facebook is about YOU.  It is about you getting what you want.  I personally love the ads on Facbook, I love the tech/algorithms that make that happen.  It is incredible where we have come from and the future is intriguing and a bit scary, as well.

Rayanne Thorn, @ray_anne is the Marketing Director for the online recruiting software company, Broadbean Technology.  She is also a proud mother of four residing in Laguna Beach, California, and a contributor for Blogging4Jobs.  Connect with her on LinkedIn.