This is Part 2 of a 4 part series on Talent Communities.  In Part 1, we discussed that Talent Communities have  four basic pillars for success:  commitment, strategy, content, and membership… it’s as simple as that.  Yet its simplicity is somewhat duplicitous as what comprises each pillar is complex.  What’s the saying… the devil’s in the details?  When it comes to creating successful online communities; success lies largely in the details.

Understanding Content & the Digital Content Strategy

CONTENT

“Thirty spokes share one hub.  Make the nothing therein appropriate, and you will have the use of the cart.” ~Tao Te Ching

It is the center hub of the wheel that makes it work; because it is that which allows room for the axle that it rotates upon.  Without the space of the center hub, regardless of the strength in numbers provided by the spokes; the cart is useless… the axle cannot connect and so the cart will not move.  In terms of the online community and your overall digital strategy; the “center hub” is the content.  Content on it’s own is nothing, really; but properly & consistently applied within the community & creates the axle that ‘make appropriate the space:’ conversations.  Conversations serve as the ‘friction’ that keeps the wheel turning; making the cart useful for its members & allowing you the use (purpose) for which it was created.

When considering content types, it’s not nearly enough to get members to consume (read) what you put out; it needs to compel members to actively “talk” about what was shared.  Ideally, content should be complex enough to drive open-ended discussion; nothing much can be gleaned from a bunch of  ’yes/no’ responses.  One of the markers of a community is that members must be able to benefit from each other; ostensibly through conversation.  While news stories are interesting, and company happenings make sense; the most compelling content is content about the community itself.  

Develop & Distribute Content for a Talent Community

This can be done in several ways:

• Sharing content created by or about community members

• Holding events on- & offline & then reporting on them in the community

• Creating debates that surround processes, best practices, etc on various roles or functions held by the community members (eg: Six Sigma Processes, Recruitment Strategy, Management Consulting in Leadership, HR Business-Line Partners vs Centralized HR Generalists, etc

• Actively write the community into the content you create/share for the community.  Rather than simply share content about a topic or relevant news piece; interview members within the community on their opinions or how it affects them

Let Logic Drive Your Online Recruiting Community

If the purpose around the community is to attract Talent; then the next logical step is to use discussions that stem from content as an opportunity to evaluate written communication skills, behavioral response patterns, etc.  Question/Answer topics are excellent for this purpose; some examples include:

• Problem Solving.  People, in general, like to show off knowledge.  Present a problem & ask for help solving it.  Another spin on this is the “How Would You Deal With  [Insert Topical Story Here];” allowing members to give their take on  how to handle things.

• Recommendations.  Asking people’s opinions or reviews on various services, technologies, org structures, etc. is another great way to not only gain insight on your community members; but tends to spur good responses & conversation as well (as long as it’s not constantly asking reviews on your products or services; which will just come off as “sales-ish”).

• More Hypothetical Situations.  The trick to getting people to respond in droves to these sorts of conversation starters lies in controversy.  Slightly subversive, progressive, and firebrand topics are fantastic because members of the community won’t all be in agreement on them.  Again, this is good because if everyone agreed then it wouldn’t be much of a discussion; just take care to avoid divisive topics (eg: religion, politics, highly sensitive morality issues such as abortion). “Is [this] really better than [that?]” or “Is failure imminent without [x, y, or z]?”  or , for example, “Is having the boss away the ‘X Factor’ driving success in today’s remote workforce… or do the mice really still just play?” are good examples of this type of conversation starter.

By following these guidelines and checking out Talent Communities Part 3 of this blog series on 6/7/12 on Membership.  (check out part 1)  you’ll help keep the talent in your talent community interested in coming back for the long-haul.

Crystal Miller, known on Twitter as @theonecrystal is a builder of talent communities, addicted to Instagram, and avid social recruiter who also co-hosts a weekly radio show called #TalentNet. Visit her blog, TheOneCrystal.com to learn more.

I appreciate statistics, but…

what do we really see?

While I appreciate statistics, I often question the numbers reported like current jobseekers and unemployment rates. How accurate are they? Are we counting those who have given up or who are no longer eligible for unemployment? Who is actually being polled or surveyed to come up with these stats? Personally, I think quoted percentages are often incorrect or made-up.

When I worked in-house as a corporate recruiter, I rarely used direct recruitment or cold calling.  85% of all my hires were a result of posting to a job board.  And do you know what?  I didn’t fill out one survey or receive one call asking me what I was doing or how I was filling my open requisitions. As a matter of fact, in all my years in the recruiting industry, I have never been polled.  Yes, I understand the concept of focus groups…, and with that said, I’d like to take a poll of who’s been polled.

If you have ever been asked how you are filling your open positions or how you are looking for a job, please tell me about it.  I question the precision, I wonder at the audacity and presumptiveness. I know that job board analysis and unemployment metrics contribute to our understanding of the some of the reported stats.  But merely quoting unemployment rates based on those that are receiving unemployment benefits doesn’t cut it and is inaccurate. Who isn’t reporting that they are unemployed? Who didn’t qualify for those benefits, thus being disqualified from inclusion in those numbers? Who worked part-time, became under-employed, because their hours were cut or they had to take “any old job”?

The percentage of jobseekers truly gaining employment as a result of job boards will be higher than those reported because most recruiters maintain a CRM or database rich with candidates they have inputted as the result of previous recruitments, previous job postings. Candidates sent resumes or filled out applications. You know, candidates who responded but were not quite the right fit for that particular requisition. Savvy recruiters do not throw resumes away.  That resume is either a future candidate or a future client.  No question.

How many times, when given an open requisition do you just start from scratch? A smart recruiter goes to the bull pen. A smart HR professional has been keeping records. Ever heard of an Applicant Tracking System? Job boards are dead, huh? Here’s some news…, interestingly enough, Monster is still big and still kicking, Careerbuilder is still building, theLadders is still being climbed, there’s no gamble at Dice, and Craigslist is making Craig rich.

No funeral here folks, just change. Evolution has always been a part of the plan.   This, I know.

Welcome to technology.

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

Sometimes we are careless.

careless or mindless

Careless with our words or worse, careless with time, the time of our clients or customers…

When we display carelessness, we show a lack of true connection with those with whom we strive to impress or sell to or persuade. It isn’t always easy to stay in the moment and lose “the act“. Most people recognize when someone is being unauthentic or purposefully removed from a situation. I have long professed that if you do not like people, you should not be in the recruiting business.

I expect some push back from this statement.

Getting to know someone, getting to the heart of a discussion, or uncovering an undiscovered truth is not possible without a great deal of discernment but I would also add that caring/liking to talk to people and wanting that connection has to be part of that mix, as well.

It’s easy to fake it, to act like you care. But then what do you get out of it? A paycheck, ok.., that’s worth a lot these days - true.  And maybe that is enough satisfaction for you.

Can that truly be true?

It is never enough for me nor is it my driving motivation. It just isn’t my reason. I started off doing “name gen” or sourcing, when I first got into recruiting . This was pre-Boolean and the only way to get a name was by picking up the phone, making the call, and connecting.  Yes, I said connecting – just on a different level.

I soon realized that I could get the info I was looking for and then present the opportunity in the same call. I didn’t need to pass my info to a recruiter – I could connect and make it happen, myself. I loved those early days of making a 60 to 80 calls, getting four presentations in , two interested candidates /jobseekers and then longing for the elusive resume. Waiting to hear that fax come in or the clink of an email dropping in. There is nothing like the send-out you really care about. The one you “pegged” for the job, the one you knew was the fit.

There are those that can keep it separated. I am not one of those. I have to leave a voicemail… always. Even now, when trying to develop biz or setting up a sale. I can’t just hang up and move to the next name. I have already invested. I have already decided the call was worth making. The next one won’t be a cold one, it will be at least lukewarm. It is worth the investment if you make it so. The difference is in you.

You choose.

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

“Failure is nature’s plan to prepare you for great responsibilities.” -Napoleon Hill

Submerged in Culture

Five years ago, I worked on a retention campaign within a small technology start-up company. I loved my job and it was made even better by the fact that I hired most of the people on the floor that I daily walked.  And walk I did.  I think I took two or three strolls every day, weaving in and out of cubicles and stopping to chat in open-door offices, in addition to gathering with others in the break-room to discuss the latest news and biz developments.  It was an exciting time with portfolio companies growing out of every corner.

I literally couldn’t wait to get to work each morning.  I was pleased with the department that I had grown and recruiters I had trained.  I enjoyed the relationships I had developed with all of the Hiring Managers.  It was truly a joyful place to be.  Hiring individuals with whom you work  and see on a consistent basis is unlike being a contract or third-party recruiter.  The nature of the beast is just very different.  I think you hire differently, specifically when you have a difficult requisition.  Or you are expected to staff positions far below current compensation ranges. Which is often the case in a start-up.

Given that certain positions were difficult to fill, I wanted to keep those folks with the company, not only present - but present and engaged.  Indefinitely. From the moment a new hire came on board, I tried to submerge them in the culture we had worked so hard to create as quickly as possible. We often had company lunches, UNO games, celebrated successes, joined in charity events and had all-hands staff meetings regularly.

My daily strolls were part of my underground crusade to hang onto employees.
Mostly, I made sure that those that we hired knew they were valued.

It is not an easy thing to do.

Struggling start-up, low compensation packages, crappy insurance, waning capital , and constant cross-functional team meetings – all mean that other opportunities look mighty tasty in the right light. I cajoled, I sang, I made little signs for desks, I interfaced on a consistent basis, I laughed, and sometimes cried.  It was a time of extreme growth for me, for all of us. I learned more about business during that short year than during any other time in my career.

Why do people stay with companies?
Why do they consider counter offers that rarely (read: never) work?

We hear so much talk about “the right fit” and company culture. Are they really that important? You bet they are.

And, sadly, that lovely start-up began to fail – I knew my job was in jeopardy so I reluctantly left – a decision that took me two months to make. The people who I had worked so hard to embed in that culture couldn’t and wouldn’t leave.  As a matter of fact, most of them stayed until the eleventh hour when they were all laid off over the course of three months.

Signs of destined failure. Culture. Fit.

Do we need to be mindful of these factors in the recruiting process? Of course, but even so – there are those who say no and are tired of the hype. When it works, it works.

And How can you argue with success?  When failure is at the door?  And what determines failure?

Though I sadly left and the full scope of my recruiting plan was never realized, I cannot bring myself to label that time as a failure.  Ever. 

“There are no failures – just experiences and your reactions to them.”
- Thomas Krause

Satisfy, Justify, Mystify

You’ve probably heard of Spotify.  I have it on my iPhone, laptop, and all three of my desktops.  I love it.  It has changed the way I select, play, and listen to music.  If you haven’t yet checked it out, you should.  A new world of free music is just a click away…  Yes, you can use it for free, but it is much better if you buy a premium package which allows for better streaming and unlimited music, no advertising.  $9.99 a month. Gotta love that…

You may not have yet heard of Chirpify.  I was so excited when I heard about this.  Why? Because I seriously cannot wait to use my phone to pay for everything.  And Chirpify is one step closer to that.  This app is lovingly referred to as Twitter Commerce – get it, chirp?  With Chirpify, you can pay for services and goods, as well as make donations over Twitter.  Start transacting on Twitter now…

Likify Me

And now, we have Likify.  This is a new semi-automated way to social market.  Combining the power of QR Codes and social networking, Likify allows the marketer or supplier to create a code for consumer-choice sharing.  Once downloaded, the consumer can select how they will social share a product or service.  They even have case studies from Nike and Sephora.  Their website is simple, self-explanatory and makes me wonder… have we gone too far?

By the way, a QR Code is a Quick Response Code. They were first created by Toyota to track auto parts.  You can learn more about QR Codes for HR & recruiting here .

Isn’t social media, social networking, and successful social marketing all about organic sharing? How much automation before we lose touch with the reality of true sharing?  Will virtual living, buying, and selling take over?  Will IRL only be an acronym?

I know, hard to believe that I, me – Rayanne – is saying this/writing this.  I am a fanatic when it comes to mobile technology and social media… I have 8 social profiles that I visit daily.  And countless others that receive weekly and monthly attention, as well. One of my favorite books and plays has always been Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.  It thrilled me while scaring the crap out of me and there are days when it feels like we are headed that way…

Books becoming obsolete, thanks Kindle, Nook, and iPad.
TVs the size of walls.
Big Brother and Marketers watching everything you say, write, read, watch, buy, sell…

And yes, I am a marketer.  And yes, I specialize in social marketing.
But I think at some point,  it will come back to  me – you – every person  strolling through the market, squeezing avocados, checking the color of tangerines, stopping at a shop, trying on shoes, stepping inside a little bakery to pick up a loaf of freshly baked bread that smells incredible…

That’s organic.
That isn’t automated.
That is sensory…

And that cannot be squelched, or stifled, or silenced.       Thank goodness.

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

The story of me and surviving knobby knees

That's me...

Ever since I was a little girl, I have felt different, like I didn’t fit in. I had a big mouth, beyond loud, just big. I was very skinny with knobby knees and pointy elbows. I wanted so badly to be popular, I hoped the“popular fairy” would visit my house every single night and grant me the wishes of instant friends and admiration. It wasn’t easy being me. I thought big thoughts and wanted so much more. I guess most kids feel the way I felt.  ”This town isn’t big enough for me…”

Most of my friends wanted to be nurses or teachers. I could never really settle on any one career. I went from actress to fireman to CEO.  I know…, big dreams for old knobby knees, but I loved thinking that there just had to be more for me.

So think I did.

I reveled in books, sports, and entertainment. I could be anything I wanted in my own imagination. I guess I should have checked out the big book of jobs at the library because not only had I never even thought of being a recruiter; I had never even heard of it, other than the obvious Uncle Sam finger pointing at you.

If, as a nine-year old, I had known that recruiting could be a career, I can imagine that I would have shunned the possibility, I would have shook my head declaring that it was not big enough for me.  I would never have understood what it meant or how it could effect or change my life.

The recruiter? Must be low maintenance (everyone else comes first), can flip the switch easily (able to jump from one search/one client/one req to another quickly, without skipping a beat), grasp concepts rather quickly (frickin’ evolution of technology), fearless (can talk to anyone about anything), tenacious ( I get knocked down, but I get up again), accepting of defeat (your candidate isn’t getting invited to the show/I don’t need your services), risky (willingly spending your last dollar for a cup of joe with a candidate or client), and like people.

There, I said it… you need to like people.

I have heard it said that you don’t need to like people to do this job. I respectfully disagree. You have to be engaging and at least, feign concern. And if that is the case, if you are feigning, then you aren’t recruiting, you are acting. You have to be different. You have to act differently. You have to think differently. You need to be magnetic. That means everyone, candidate and client, have to enjoy you - the person, in order to get them to open the kimono all the way.  To hear the stories and know. Know that you can fix their problem.

That is what makes you different.
What makes you unique.

Success is wrapped in a promise…

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