I am in transition phase to a new opportunity and in this time, I am catching up on my reading. I read the Monk who sold his Ferrari again and am currently reading 'Go Kiss the world' by Bagchi.
I should say that I have been influenced by Robin's thoughts and for the last couple of months, have been following some of his thoughts from the book. I also happened to chance upon a CD which my earlier boss gave me, where he talks about Leadership. Amazing....
These thoughts change the way you look at the world and yourself, in a completely new way. More to come once I implement these thoughts and see a change in myself.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Sunday, September 21, 2008
DQ Top 20 IT Employers
An interesting trend in the Top IT Employers for 2008, we see most of them are mid sized / small companies. These companies have scored in both employee votes as well as Revenue grossings.
Let's think on the HR front, which has made these companies, Top companies to work for. Employees are loving to be associated with these companies and its a good trend to see, when there is so much of turmoil in the market, uncertainity and pink slips. I feel the importance and hardwork by the HR team is shown in the results. The out of the box initiatives, better employee engagement models have worked for these companies. Is being BIG the main reason, where the biggies have failed to make the list?
Let's think on the HR front, which has made these companies, Top companies to work for. Employees are loving to be associated with these companies and its a good trend to see, when there is so much of turmoil in the market, uncertainity and pink slips. I feel the importance and hardwork by the HR team is shown in the results. The out of the box initiatives, better employee engagement models have worked for these companies. Is being BIG the main reason, where the biggies have failed to make the list?
Friday, September 19, 2008
Employer Reference Check
I came across a question on LinkedIn, asking details on the Reference Check, which gets done for the candidate community. This actually got me thinking, the different thinker that I am :), to see if there could be something different which could be done, in this line, which is getting crowded now.
Generally, the reference check is done on the candidate who wants to join the organization. Is there a way, wherein the candidate can get the reference check done on the company that he / she aspires to join and the reporting manager. We all have been told that people stick on / leave their managers, so doesn't it make sense to have the ref check on the reporting manager done?
This is basically an employer check, which right now might happen, thru some known circle or some ex employees, or hear say or some reports which get publised. But the actual financials, kind of environment the company offers, the way people are treated, the HR policies, appraisal / increment feedback, kind of work the employees are offered, etc. All these would be hyped / projected big, during recruiting and most of the times the truth would not come out, until the candidate spends some time in the company. Is there a way that we can get a first hand information on these aspects, which could be of great help to middle management to senior management professionals.
The candidates can be better prepared / would be able to take a call, whether they would want to work with that company / manager. This could help candidates in the mid to senior level.
Would this make a good business proposition? Would the current ref check companies be interested in looking at running this service?
Generally, the reference check is done on the candidate who wants to join the organization. Is there a way, wherein the candidate can get the reference check done on the company that he / she aspires to join and the reporting manager. We all have been told that people stick on / leave their managers, so doesn't it make sense to have the ref check on the reporting manager done?
This is basically an employer check, which right now might happen, thru some known circle or some ex employees, or hear say or some reports which get publised. But the actual financials, kind of environment the company offers, the way people are treated, the HR policies, appraisal / increment feedback, kind of work the employees are offered, etc. All these would be hyped / projected big, during recruiting and most of the times the truth would not come out, until the candidate spends some time in the company. Is there a way that we can get a first hand information on these aspects, which could be of great help to middle management to senior management professionals.
The candidates can be better prepared / would be able to take a call, whether they would want to work with that company / manager. This could help candidates in the mid to senior level.
Would this make a good business proposition? Would the current ref check companies be interested in looking at running this service?
Friday, September 12, 2008
Passion or Profession
Is it Passion or Profession? Am I happy with what I am doing to earn my daily bread and do I want to do it all my life or is it only to get my salary at the end of the month or do I have any other aspirations which I need to pursue later in my life? Is what I am doing today leading me to that aspiration which not only satisfies my inner side but also pays me to live and enjoy my life? Is what I am doing today, helping in giving something back to the society that I am part of?
Career and aspirations, most of the time, do not go hand in hand. They could be 2 parallel tracks, which never meet, leaving many with unmet and un fulfilled wishes. Indians, at large, look at career only as a means of livelihood and not an integral part which we would love to do. Majority of the times, most of us are pushed into jobs which become a must do only to earn money. I feel its like a sex worker, who goes thru the motions only for money and does not get engaged emotionally with the job. In this case it should not be, but majority of the people who work are very similar in approach. A mention on the same lines has been published in The New Indian Express, quoted by Sampath Shetty of Teamlease Services. He expresses that Job Sculpting (I liked the word..) is the art of matching people to jobs that allow their deeply embedded life interests to be expressed. He is of the opinion that HR Managers or Bosses who hire the employees, should help bring out these deeply embedded life interests from its dormant state to a more active one. But how many have the time or the inclination to do it? Would their employees innate talent be of any use to the company's business? Would there be any connection to the talent / aspiration that an employee has to the business that the company is into? Can there be a match at all or is it just wishful thinking?
I feel there is a huge potential in identifying talents which match the requirement of the business and not just match the cv to the job description. Not many have the time, money or patience to go this way for want of short term deliverables and neglect the long term association. Then there is the crib of attrition at all levels. According to me, there are 3 phases in anyone's career - first phase, second phase and third phase.
First Phase - is where we are entering into the work life. Do not have much options, the only goal is to land a job and start earning.
Second phase - where we are a little sure about what we want (atleast in terms of money and role). We would be looking at growth opportunities internally or externally to reach the top position. We would aspire for money, comforts, prestige, status, etc in this phase.
Third phase - is the phase where you have done it all, seen it all and would like to pursue what interests you, rather than what you have in hand. Pursue your life interests, become a little spirutial, get into the consultative mode, etc.
Is there a possibility of identifying the talent in the second phase and match with the company's requirements. Dont know as of now, but I foresee a huge opportunity and potential.
Until next time, purse your passion...
Career and aspirations, most of the time, do not go hand in hand. They could be 2 parallel tracks, which never meet, leaving many with unmet and un fulfilled wishes. Indians, at large, look at career only as a means of livelihood and not an integral part which we would love to do. Majority of the times, most of us are pushed into jobs which become a must do only to earn money. I feel its like a sex worker, who goes thru the motions only for money and does not get engaged emotionally with the job. In this case it should not be, but majority of the people who work are very similar in approach. A mention on the same lines has been published in The New Indian Express, quoted by Sampath Shetty of Teamlease Services. He expresses that Job Sculpting (I liked the word..) is the art of matching people to jobs that allow their deeply embedded life interests to be expressed. He is of the opinion that HR Managers or Bosses who hire the employees, should help bring out these deeply embedded life interests from its dormant state to a more active one. But how many have the time or the inclination to do it? Would their employees innate talent be of any use to the company's business? Would there be any connection to the talent / aspiration that an employee has to the business that the company is into? Can there be a match at all or is it just wishful thinking?
I feel there is a huge potential in identifying talents which match the requirement of the business and not just match the cv to the job description. Not many have the time, money or patience to go this way for want of short term deliverables and neglect the long term association. Then there is the crib of attrition at all levels. According to me, there are 3 phases in anyone's career - first phase, second phase and third phase.
First Phase - is where we are entering into the work life. Do not have much options, the only goal is to land a job and start earning.
Second phase - where we are a little sure about what we want (atleast in terms of money and role). We would be looking at growth opportunities internally or externally to reach the top position. We would aspire for money, comforts, prestige, status, etc in this phase.
Third phase - is the phase where you have done it all, seen it all and would like to pursue what interests you, rather than what you have in hand. Pursue your life interests, become a little spirutial, get into the consultative mode, etc.
Is there a possibility of identifying the talent in the second phase and match with the company's requirements. Dont know as of now, but I foresee a huge opportunity and potential.
Until next time, purse your passion...
Name of my blog
The way my thougths are flowing and the writings that I am sharing, is making me think of changing the name of my blog.
Any thoughts..
Any thoughts..
Questions, not to seek answers but to make us think
You don't actually have to take the quiz. Just read straight through, and you'll get the point, an awesome one. .....
Take this quiz:
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss India contest.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.
How did you do?
The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers, they are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten.
Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.
Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel, appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
6. Name half a dozen heroes whose stories have inspired you.
Easier?
These are the people whom we relate with, who touch our hearts, who make us smile, motivate us, make us feel special, these are our real heroes. Like myself, many of us might have read this earlier, but each time I read the questions, I come up with one new name, which means that someone has made a difference to me positively. Let’s all try and figure in other’s list.
The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care.
Take this quiz:
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss India contest.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.
How did you do?
The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers, they are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten.
Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.
Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel, appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
6. Name half a dozen heroes whose stories have inspired you.
Easier?
These are the people whom we relate with, who touch our hearts, who make us smile, motivate us, make us feel special, these are our real heroes. Like myself, many of us might have read this earlier, but each time I read the questions, I come up with one new name, which means that someone has made a difference to me positively. Let’s all try and figure in other’s list.
The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Fruits of hardwork and efforts
I read a small story which appeared in a yahoo group - HRCommunity today, and 2 mails sent from my SBU head on the performers and award winners, which I wanted to share with all. Incidently, both these make so much of sense to me today, that I shared it with my entire team. This tells us about the we need to keep working and putting in our efforts and the results would be reaped one day, but the best part is to visaulize that success / results today, while we are putting our efforts. In my line of profession, that is recruitment, we need to be able to visualize revenue from the efforts that we put in today with respect to the pipeline that we build in terms of open positions, candidates, interviews, offers and joiners. Here it goes....
Clark and Mason were sitting in the break room talking about business strategies for their small company. Mason, ever the worrier, was expressing his frustrations over how "quick success" seemed to be eluding them. Mason said to Clark, "I can't see any evidence of our hard work. It seems like everything that we have done has been to no avail."
Clark, a more seasoned businessperson, sat listening to his business partner, while peeling a big red apple. He understood Mason's frustration. Early in his business career, Clark had similar feelings and often gave up on his goals prematurely because he did not believe in himself. Fortunately, Clark gained understanding of the need for belief and patience.
Holding up the apple he was peeling, Clark said to Mason, "See this apple, Mason. When I cut it in half, we can count the number of seeds in it." Clark cut the apple in half and noted the number of seeds in the core of the apple. He held up one seed for Mason to see. "However," Clark continued, "we cannot count the number of apples in one seed." Mason looked at Clark as he momentarily struggled to understand how Clark's example related to his concerns.
Clark continued, "We cannot know how many “trees” will grow and bear fruit from our efforts thus far. Now is the time to assume that our seed will bear fruit, to see the orchard filled with trees loaded with apples, which have been fertilized with belief and confidence, and watered with enthusiasm. We must be careful not to allow the weeds of negativity and doubt strangle the new plants as they struggle to grow into fruit-bearing trees."
Our ability to see thousands of apples in one apple seed may separate the truly successful people from those who experience only a modicum of success.
Affirmation:
“I will maintain a vision of what I want, need or desire, confident in my abilities to achieve success even when I cannot yet see the results of my efforts.”
Have a clear vision week!
Clark and Mason were sitting in the break room talking about business strategies for their small company. Mason, ever the worrier, was expressing his frustrations over how "quick success" seemed to be eluding them. Mason said to Clark, "I can't see any evidence of our hard work. It seems like everything that we have done has been to no avail."
Clark, a more seasoned businessperson, sat listening to his business partner, while peeling a big red apple. He understood Mason's frustration. Early in his business career, Clark had similar feelings and often gave up on his goals prematurely because he did not believe in himself. Fortunately, Clark gained understanding of the need for belief and patience.
Holding up the apple he was peeling, Clark said to Mason, "See this apple, Mason. When I cut it in half, we can count the number of seeds in it." Clark cut the apple in half and noted the number of seeds in the core of the apple. He held up one seed for Mason to see. "However," Clark continued, "we cannot count the number of apples in one seed." Mason looked at Clark as he momentarily struggled to understand how Clark's example related to his concerns.
Clark continued, "We cannot know how many “trees” will grow and bear fruit from our efforts thus far. Now is the time to assume that our seed will bear fruit, to see the orchard filled with trees loaded with apples, which have been fertilized with belief and confidence, and watered with enthusiasm. We must be careful not to allow the weeds of negativity and doubt strangle the new plants as they struggle to grow into fruit-bearing trees."
Our ability to see thousands of apples in one apple seed may separate the truly successful people from those who experience only a modicum of success.
Affirmation:
“I will maintain a vision of what I want, need or desire, confident in my abilities to achieve success even when I cannot yet see the results of my efforts.”
Have a clear vision week!
Leader or Mentor
There is a lot of hue and cry about Leadership - trait identification, facilitation (if possible), orientation, training, et all. We also have a lot of Leaders within our circles - whether personal or professional.
I have always wondered, whether people (read common man) require more leaders or mentors. I know that all leaders are mentors but all mentors are not leaders, mentoring is an integral part of leadership, etc etc. But a Leader is a Generalist and Mentor is a specialist.
Leader a Generalist? how, well a leader is great manager, mentor, guide, high and calculated risk takers, personality, etc. But a Mentor is a mentor and concentrates on mentoring only. Whom would it take to get the common / average person to perform consistently - leader or mentor? Should the leaders concentrate more on mentoring? Now mentoring is an integral part of leadership, but can it be the most important trait in leadership for the future, as we are having a knowledgable generation going forward. Access to information, developing of personality / traits, getting oriented, etc help most average performers to come close to a leader.
Hmmmm some thougths to ponder
I have always wondered, whether people (read common man) require more leaders or mentors. I know that all leaders are mentors but all mentors are not leaders, mentoring is an integral part of leadership, etc etc. But a Leader is a Generalist and Mentor is a specialist.
Leader a Generalist? how, well a leader is great manager, mentor, guide, high and calculated risk takers, personality, etc. But a Mentor is a mentor and concentrates on mentoring only. Whom would it take to get the common / average person to perform consistently - leader or mentor? Should the leaders concentrate more on mentoring? Now mentoring is an integral part of leadership, but can it be the most important trait in leadership for the future, as we are having a knowledgable generation going forward. Access to information, developing of personality / traits, getting oriented, etc help most average performers to come close to a leader.
Hmmmm some thougths to ponder
Friday, September 5, 2008
Determination: Key for impossible dreams
A forward which was shared by Varsha Mishra, a Technical Manager in an IT Company, told me about the importance of having a dream and how that even the most distant dreams can be achieved by determination and persistence.
In 1883, a creative engineer named John Roebling was inspired by an idea to build a spectacular bridge connecting New York with the Long Island. However bridge building experts throughout the world thought that this was an impossible feat and told Roebling to forget the idea. It just could not be done. It was not practical. It had never been done before.
Roebling could not ignore the vision he had in his mind of this bridge. He thought about it all the time and he knew deep in his heart that it could be done. He just had to share the dream with someone else. After much discussion and persuasion he managed to convince his son Washington, an up and coming engineer, that the bridge in fact could be built.
Working together for the first time, the father and son developed concepts of how it could be accomplished and how the obstacles could be overcome. With great excitement and inspiration, and the headiness of a wild challenge before them, they hired their crew and began to build their dream bridge. The project started well, but when it was only a few months underway a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling. Washington was injured and left with a certain amount of brain damage, which resulted in him not being able to walk or talk or even move.
"We told them so."
"Crazy men and their crazy dreams."
"It`s foolish to chase wild visions."
Everyone had a negative comment to make and felt that the project should be scrapped since the Roeblings were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built. In spite of his handicap Washington was never discouraged and still had a burning desire to complete the bridge and his mind was still as sharp as ever.
He tried to inspire and pass on his enthusiasm to some of his friends, but they were too daunted by the task. As he lay on his bed in his hospital room, with the sunlight streaming through the windows, a gentle breeze blew the flimsy white curtains apart and he was able to see the sky and the tops of the trees outside for just a moment.
It seemed that there was a message for him not to give up. Suddenly an idea hit him. All he could do was move one finger and he decided to make the best use of it. By moving this, he slowly developed a code of communication with his wife.
He touched his wife's arm with that finger, indicating to her that he wanted her to call the engineers again. Then he used the same method of tapping her arm to tell the engineers what to do. It seemed foolish but the project was under way again.
For 13 years Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger on his wife's arm, until the bridge was finally completed. Today the spectacular Brooklyn Bridge stands in all its glory as a tribute to the triumph of one man's indomitable spirit and his determination not to be defeated by circumstances. It is also a tribute to the engineers and their team work, and to their faith in a man who was considered mad by half the world. It stands too as a tangible monument to the love and devotion of his wife who for 13 long years patiently decoded the messages of her husband and told the engineers what to do.
Perhaps this is one of the best examples of a never-say-die attitude that overcomes a terrible physical handicap and achieves an impossible goal.
Often when we face obstacles in our day-to-day life, our hurdles seem very small in comparison to what many others have to face. The Brooklyn Bridge shows us that dreams that seem impossible can be realised with determination and persistence, no matter what the odds are.
Even the most distant dream can be realized with determination and persistence.
In 1883, a creative engineer named John Roebling was inspired by an idea to build a spectacular bridge connecting New York with the Long Island. However bridge building experts throughout the world thought that this was an impossible feat and told Roebling to forget the idea. It just could not be done. It was not practical. It had never been done before.
Roebling could not ignore the vision he had in his mind of this bridge. He thought about it all the time and he knew deep in his heart that it could be done. He just had to share the dream with someone else. After much discussion and persuasion he managed to convince his son Washington, an up and coming engineer, that the bridge in fact could be built.
Working together for the first time, the father and son developed concepts of how it could be accomplished and how the obstacles could be overcome. With great excitement and inspiration, and the headiness of a wild challenge before them, they hired their crew and began to build their dream bridge. The project started well, but when it was only a few months underway a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling. Washington was injured and left with a certain amount of brain damage, which resulted in him not being able to walk or talk or even move.
"We told them so."
"Crazy men and their crazy dreams."
"It`s foolish to chase wild visions."
Everyone had a negative comment to make and felt that the project should be scrapped since the Roeblings were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built. In spite of his handicap Washington was never discouraged and still had a burning desire to complete the bridge and his mind was still as sharp as ever.
He tried to inspire and pass on his enthusiasm to some of his friends, but they were too daunted by the task. As he lay on his bed in his hospital room, with the sunlight streaming through the windows, a gentle breeze blew the flimsy white curtains apart and he was able to see the sky and the tops of the trees outside for just a moment.
It seemed that there was a message for him not to give up. Suddenly an idea hit him. All he could do was move one finger and he decided to make the best use of it. By moving this, he slowly developed a code of communication with his wife.
He touched his wife's arm with that finger, indicating to her that he wanted her to call the engineers again. Then he used the same method of tapping her arm to tell the engineers what to do. It seemed foolish but the project was under way again.
For 13 years Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger on his wife's arm, until the bridge was finally completed. Today the spectacular Brooklyn Bridge stands in all its glory as a tribute to the triumph of one man's indomitable spirit and his determination not to be defeated by circumstances. It is also a tribute to the engineers and their team work, and to their faith in a man who was considered mad by half the world. It stands too as a tangible monument to the love and devotion of his wife who for 13 long years patiently decoded the messages of her husband and told the engineers what to do.
Perhaps this is one of the best examples of a never-say-die attitude that overcomes a terrible physical handicap and achieves an impossible goal.
Often when we face obstacles in our day-to-day life, our hurdles seem very small in comparison to what many others have to face. The Brooklyn Bridge shows us that dreams that seem impossible can be realised with determination and persistence, no matter what the odds are.
Even the most distant dream can be realized with determination and persistence.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Desire for excellence
A great message to start the day !!
A gentleman was once visiting a temple under construction. In the temple premises, he saw a sculptor making an idol of God. Suddenly he saw, just a few meters away, another identical idol was lying. Surprised he asked the sculptor, do you need two statutes of the same idol. No said the sculptor. We need only one, but the first one got damaged at the last stage. The gentleman examined the sculptor. No apparent damage was visible. Where is the damage asked the gentleman. There is a scratch on the nose of the idol. Where are you going to keep the idol? The sculptor replied that it will be installed on a pillar 20 feet high.
When the idol will be 20 feet away from the eyes of the beholder, who is going to know that there is scratch on the nose? The gentleman asked. The sculptor looked at the gentleman, smiled and said, "The God knows it and I know it ".
The desire to excel should be exclusive of the fact whether someone appreciates it or not.
Excellence is a drive from Inside not Outside. Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but rather we have those because we have acted rightly.
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.
-- Aristotle
"The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor."
A gentleman was once visiting a temple under construction. In the temple premises, he saw a sculptor making an idol of God. Suddenly he saw, just a few meters away, another identical idol was lying. Surprised he asked the sculptor, do you need two statutes of the same idol. No said the sculptor. We need only one, but the first one got damaged at the last stage. The gentleman examined the sculptor. No apparent damage was visible. Where is the damage asked the gentleman. There is a scratch on the nose of the idol. Where are you going to keep the idol? The sculptor replied that it will be installed on a pillar 20 feet high.
When the idol will be 20 feet away from the eyes of the beholder, who is going to know that there is scratch on the nose? The gentleman asked. The sculptor looked at the gentleman, smiled and said, "The God knows it and I know it ".
The desire to excel should be exclusive of the fact whether someone appreciates it or not.
Excellence is a drive from Inside not Outside. Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but rather we have those because we have acted rightly.
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.
-- Aristotle
"The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor."
Monday, September 1, 2008
Talent Branding
A topic which I have been toying around for sometime now, is Employment Branding, a term most of the times neglected or under valued, and often confused or made good with Organization Branding activities. Most of the organizations use the same funda for pitch which is used to get clients. The message you give or use to pitch in for a client is different from the message you give to acquire an employee.
Employment branding includes but not limited to talent identification, talent acquisition, talent management and talent retention. so why not call it "Talent Branding", as everything we do in Employment branding is relevant to "Talent" for and in the organization. A study by CareerBuilder India comes out with some interesting results;
When looking for a new job, workers cited the following factors as the most important in evaluating a potential employer:
· Good work culture (62 percent)
· Stability and longevity in the market (61 percent)
· Reputation for being a great place to work (60 percent)
· Good career advancement opportunities (53 percent)
· Ability to offer flexible schedules (49 percent)
When asked what would most likely get them to respond to a job listing besides competitive pay and benefits, workers ranked different factors as follows:
· Company’s stability and growth potential (50 percent)
· Clear sense of what the job entails (49 percent)
· Good career advancement opportunities (47 percent)
· Training and learning opportunities (42 percent)
· Programs for healthy work/life balance (37 percent)
· Sense of ownership in one’s position (34 percent)
· Camaraderie, family-like work environment (33 percent)
· Employee recognition programs (28 percent)
All these are the "Pull" factors for candidates to look at prospective employers. Are these messages communicated to prospective candidates and employees on a regular basis? But how do you convey all this as message to the talent community at large and consistently? That's where the specialized "Talent Marketeers" come into picture - utilizing the print media, online media, blogs, community forums, job / education fairs, etc, to convey this message. If these "Pull" factors are used effectively internally, within organizations, it would result in retaining talent and keeping it motivated.
Are we as consultants, doing justice in communicating all this about our clients to prospective candidates? Do we consciously discuss on these lines when they are scouting for talent? I feel if we are able to do this effectively, the backout / offer declines could be reduced by a large margin, as we and the client, together would have sold what the candidate wants. On the other side, have we as consultants, been able to educate our clients on the importance of realising this and continuously talk to the candidate community?
Employment branding includes but not limited to talent identification, talent acquisition, talent management and talent retention. so why not call it "Talent Branding", as everything we do in Employment branding is relevant to "Talent" for and in the organization. A study by CareerBuilder India comes out with some interesting results;
When looking for a new job, workers cited the following factors as the most important in evaluating a potential employer:
· Good work culture (62 percent)
· Stability and longevity in the market (61 percent)
· Reputation for being a great place to work (60 percent)
· Good career advancement opportunities (53 percent)
· Ability to offer flexible schedules (49 percent)
When asked what would most likely get them to respond to a job listing besides competitive pay and benefits, workers ranked different factors as follows:
· Company’s stability and growth potential (50 percent)
· Clear sense of what the job entails (49 percent)
· Good career advancement opportunities (47 percent)
· Training and learning opportunities (42 percent)
· Programs for healthy work/life balance (37 percent)
· Sense of ownership in one’s position (34 percent)
· Camaraderie, family-like work environment (33 percent)
· Employee recognition programs (28 percent)
All these are the "Pull" factors for candidates to look at prospective employers. Are these messages communicated to prospective candidates and employees on a regular basis? But how do you convey all this as message to the talent community at large and consistently? That's where the specialized "Talent Marketeers" come into picture - utilizing the print media, online media, blogs, community forums, job / education fairs, etc, to convey this message. If these "Pull" factors are used effectively internally, within organizations, it would result in retaining talent and keeping it motivated.
Are we as consultants, doing justice in communicating all this about our clients to prospective candidates? Do we consciously discuss on these lines when they are scouting for talent? I feel if we are able to do this effectively, the backout / offer declines could be reduced by a large margin, as we and the client, together would have sold what the candidate wants. On the other side, have we as consultants, been able to educate our clients on the importance of realising this and continuously talk to the candidate community?
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