The lifestyle and culture publisher Bustle Digital Group, which houses titles including Bustle, Gawker and Nylon, told employees Friday morning that it plans to transition from its current part-time staffing model into a full-time staffing model, according to a document obtained by Adweek. The shift will affect brands within its Lifestyle portfolio, including Bustle, Nylon,…
Serena Smith spent a summer weekend at an Airbnb on the Jersey shore, laying out by the pool with her laptop in hand, going out to dinner every night and frequenting a beach within walking distance of her rental home in Stone Harbor, N.J. The Crossmedia analyst, who lives in San Diego, wasn’t technically out…
Amazon secured the prime spot on the 2022 LinkedIn Top Companies List for the U.S., which was released Wednesday. The professional network’s annual list reveals the 50 best workplaces in the country for professionals to grow their careers, focusing on organizations that invest in career development and employee success and using LinkedIn data to rank…
Pinterest plus flexibility equals PinFlex. The company introduced its new work model Monday, combining the ability for its employees to work from anywhere they choose with a focus on “intentional in-person collaboration” at its offices. Pinterest employees will be able to choose whether to work from their home, a Pinterest office or a virtual location….
As businesses realize the potential windfall from becoming more purpose-driven, such initiatives are increasing. There is no shortage of evocative statements coming from companies that had historically found pride in espousing naked capitalism and ruthless efficiencies. These outward-facing messages and campaigns are imperative to look good in the eyes of the consumer and salve the…
An employment guide for the British advertising sector around the LGBTQ+ community has been published to improve workplace inclusivity. Led by Outvertising, the Employer Inclusion Guidance is a 20 step proposal for advertising and marketing bosses to help improve employee experiences within the workplace and to build a better framework for LGBTQ+ inclusion. Outvertising is…
I have been applying to various agencies, consulting firms, digital design houses, and the like, and one of the so-called Human Resources’ policies has moved on my “corporate irritation scale” from irk’d off to pissed off. For the sake of this writing, I include only the personnel departments at advertising, marketing, online agencies, vendors, and companies as the places I’ve been focusing upon.
When did it become standard for HR Departments to determine they need not respond to applicants? Doesn’t this seem a bit counterproductive, especially at a time when companies are refocusing their entire efforts on personalizing relationships, speaking to their audiences on a one-to-one basis?
During the past year, many professionals have been let go, from C-level executives on down. Thus, there’s been a glut of qualified pros searching. As a professional, when I fill out an application and submit my résumé (usually using Taleo or some other third-party vendor), a cover letter, and samples in a nice package, it’s indicative I either know your company well and am an “enthusiast,” or I’ve researched it enough to realize there’s strong potential for both parties to match on various levels, creating a win-win situation.
Thus, I submit what’s required when I apply at XYZ. Not two seconds later, I receive an e-mail stating that after review, if my qualifications are a match, I may hear from someone. Otherwise, due to the volume of applicants, I will not hear another word. First off, this is not only rude, but belittling. I have 11 years experience, and if I qualify, you may contact me? I cut my chops. I have respected your requests, filled out your paper in addition to submitting my own, and you “may” get back to me? It’s at this point I regret applying, job or no job.
A week passes.
I call the office switchboard. I’m dumped into the HR general voicemail. No once calls back. Knowing I already have no contacts within the organization, I try to figure out if there is another way to get past the wall of silence. I begin to dial the main number with a ploy to speak to the Marketing VP I just looked up on LinkedIn.
While waiting, I wonder what’s transpired. Is the job closed? How many applicants applied? Are they still accepting applications? Was my résumé submitted correctly? Was there something that screamed out I was wrong for the position? Did I make it to the final first cut, only to be weeded out due to my salary requirements?
I leave a voicemail for the VP. After a couple weeks without contact, I make a note on my spreadsheet that no one ever responded and move on to another opportunity.
Social media
Surprisingly, I see a lot of HR people using social media, especially on LinkedIn, Twitter, and blogs. To me, this states that HR departments are versed in basic social-media tenets:
- Listen.
- Ask questions.
- Listen some more.
- Initiate on-to-one communication.
HR departments use social media to recruit. Why then is it so difficult to get anyone to respond? Why do I have to call the VP of Marketing to get a response, knowing at this point my job hopes have just been shot down?
HR peeps I know say it’s due to the massive amount of résumés they receive, and they’re too busy.I have to say this is a cop out.
Everyone is busy, everyone does more with less, and times are tense. However, most people at a business (with one exception) cannot risk ignoring anyone who contacts them, especially in an industry as fickle as this one.
As HR is capable of using social media for recruiting, then why not use social media to keep job posts updated?
It’s efficient, simple, and effective. Set up a blog page with job updates. Send out Twitter updates that a position’s been filled. Write a Facebook App that will cross-reference a job number with a status update. Have a prerecorded job line that applicants can call to learn of any updates.
Problem Solved.
Jeff Louis: Media Planner, Brand Project Manager, blogger, and aspiring writer. Please leave a comment or follow him on Twitter. As always, thanks for reading.
Upon reading a recent article on CNN.com, “7 Great Places To Work,” I happened upon Maya, a creative consulting firm in Pittsburgh, PA. At Maya, once an employee and new parent finishes his or her paternal or maternal leave, the creative agency allows the parent to bring that newborn baby to work.
This article got me thinking: if this industry is supposed to be on the cutting edge and creative, then how come more advertising, design, marketing, and other communication companies do not top these types of lists?
As this industry demands more and more hours and brain power, some “big idea power” must be allotted for the HR department.
Jinean Robinson is a CCIO (Chief Creative Infections Officer) in this industry for over eight years, specializing in creative strategy and implementation, 360 branding, and brand development. Join her @Twitter or her firm Germ, LLC.
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
