By Paul Dumouchelle, Management Consultant, ADVISA
Previous versions of “The SIG Chronicles” described my experiences as chair of the Healthcare SIG. This edition covers my experience in a July meeting of all the SIG leaders focused on improvements to our program.
Our new VP of SIGs, Rex Parsons, called a meeting of all the SIG chairs in July to talk about the program and make plans for improvements.
At the meeting were Erika Pryor for Social Media, Ann Beeson for B2B, John Hondroulis for Internet/e-Commerce (which we decided to change to “Interactive”), Dave Demarchi for the In-Transition group, Bill Troy for International and Lisa Bowers for Nonprofit. Joining us was Martin Poston, new VP of Communications.
We kicked off the meeting with a short team-building exercise that I led using management tools from ADVISA.
In true marketing fashion we focused on research and communications. Rex shared some key research on SIGs that showed the primary reason, by far, for people to decide on attending a SIG was the speaker. Location, timing and networking opportunities were all much lower. This highlights the focus that the SIGs must maintain on developing topics and speakers of high interest.
Rex also shared research showing which SIG areas were of greatest interest to our audience – there was a long list but all I can remember from that slide is that Health Care marketing (my team’s focus) had the lowest number. Good thing I like a challenge!
Regarding content we discussed the growing importance of mobile technology and its impact on marketing. This is an area all the SIGs hope to explore more in-depth in the upcoming year. We also thought a day-long program focused on marketing involving all the SIGs might be a good approach to try – this would replace the regularly-scheduled morning programs for a time.
In the area of communications we discussed ways to improve the promotion of the SIGs. We plan to move the initial email blast earlier in the promotion cycle and increase the frequency. Martin is also looking at how to improve the interaction with the event registration program – currently there are very few people with the training necessary to effectively use the system. The website was another key topic – it needs a bit of help, for example the names of people associated with the SIGs (yours truly, included) had not been updated as of the time we met.
We also committed ourselves to goals to increase attendance and membership recruitment – which means we have to improve the content of the meetings, the speakers we include and communication of all this.
Next in “The SIG Chronicles” – Topic TBD!
About “The SIG Chronicles:” This blog series records Paul Dumouchelle’s experiences, impressions and insights gained as Chair of the Healthcare Marketing Special Interest Group for the Columbus branch of the American Marketing Association.
A growing number of companies use social media sites to post job opportunities, search for candidates, screen applicants, connect with customers and engage employees, and our industry is no exception. Yet, while many industry employers have a presence on social media sites, how they use it for varies greatly. Some post jobs, new hires and promotions. Others create social groups to target specific audiences based on their job function (media designer, copywriter), interests (job seekers, alumni of a college) or geography (west division, northeast territory). The more progressive actively use social media sites to identify frustrated customers who require attention, drive traffic to their websites and screen potential job candidates.
With the pool of potential employees growing larger, how can managers seek qualified candidates in a timely manner? Pamela Williams, executive director of the Cable and Telecommunications Human Resources Association, outlines the following reasons for using social media to boost your recruitment efforts:
Reach Passive Career Seekers: In some industries, there are some jobs that require specific and unique skills sets. The chances that an ideal candidate is employed and not actively searching out job opportunities is very good. In this case, a job posting isn’t going to reach that person. Fortunately, many employers have successfully leveraged social networking sites to find these elusive candidates. One industry employer actively searches social media sites to identify discussion forums for attendees at an upcoming or recently held professional conference. Often, the conference host will post the attendee list to spur ongoing professional networking among the participants. Finding a list like that is like hitting a gold mine as it yields contact information for a specifically skilled pool of candidates who may not be actively conducing a job search.
Screen Candidates: In addition to posting jobs and identifying potential candidates, many employers also use social media sites to gain insight into their job candidates. In fact, a CareerBuilder® June 2009 surveyof 2,600 hiring managers found that 45 percent of employers use social networking sites to research job candidates—more than double last year’s results. Industry employers have gained some interesting insight about candidates simply by visiting their online profiles—everything from illegal drug usage to how the candidate really feels about his former employer. But that sword can cut the other way, as 18 percent of the employers in the CareerBuilder survey reported they had hired a candidate based on insight gleaned from a candidate’s social networking profile.
“Social networking profiles often provide an employer with additional information that didn’t make it onto the candidate’s résumé due to space constraints. Examples include participation in community service organizations and extra-curricular activities. That information may be the extra something that separates one candidate from another in the selection process,” said Karen Bennett, Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Turner Broadcasting System Inc.
The bottom line is that if you aren’t using social media sites to recruit, you may be losing quality candidates to companies who are. And for those of you who are posting jobs on social media sites, consider expanding your usage to reach passive career seekers or screen candidates.
SIG Recap: Job Transition Group Meeting, August 25, 2009
A strong positive attitude will create more miracles than any wonder drug. – Patricia Neal
What an encouraging August meeting! We had two success stories. Congratulations to Joel Kohler and Meg Holley – each of them landed jobs since the last meeting.
As the usual introductions were made, it was clear we had a lot of talent in the room, including many new graduates.
Keri offered a great suggestion for those in transition. Instead of focusing on the same big employers in town (Alliance Data, Abbott, etc. ), open your mind to other possibilities.
Columbus Business First publishes a Book of Lists each year with listings of hundreds of industry-leader companies in the area by ranking. You’ll find titles and contact information for key decision makers at each company.
The Book of Lists will add value to your job search today, and can help with prospecting, networking and more after you land the perfect job. Well worth the $45 investment!
If you’re in transition, join us at our next meeting on September 22nd. Our EAST group meets on the the 4thTuesdays of each month.
Recognition:
Meg Holley (aka Margaret) serves the Columbus AMA chapter as the co-chair of the East Marketing Transition Group. She works for Fiserv as a Service Manager and can be reached at 614-861-5151 or via e-mail at holleymeg@yahoo.com.
By Bridget Weizer Granger
You’ve assembled the perfect creative portfolio and believe it speaks volumes about your skills and experience. But does your portfolio tell the right story about your experience and how it can translate to your next job? Even the most well-assembled portfolio doesn’t speak for itself: You need to be prepared to effectively present your work to prospective employers. In fact, how well you communicate your skills and talents during portfolio reviews can make or break your chances of landing that job.
As someone who has conducted many interviews, portfolio presentations are sometimes even more important than the actual pieces presented. If a candidate can effectively describe the reasoning behind his or her work during portfolio reviews, he or she oftentimes has the best chances of landing the job. Without a doubt, employers place enormous value on a candidate’s ability to communicate vision and strategy. It’s not just your work on display during a portfolio review; your ability to express yourself is in the spotlight, too.
By Brittany L. Eaton, M.S.
Some people believe that education is a ”recession-proof” industry. While this may be difficult to prove, one might argue that as long as our species continues to repopulate and age, education will continue to be essential for the survival of future generations.
My years higher education marketing have taught me a valuable lesson in economics – when the going gets tough, the tough keep learning. Studies show that more people pursue continuing education during a recession, whether through a half-day seminar, a certification, or a degree. Education is an investment in the individual that provides a great return – even if only a few years down the road when the market shifts.
by Brittany L. Eaton, M.S.
My mother always told me to find a job I loved so much that I would do it for free. Her wise words urged me to find my true calling in life – to follow passion over paycheck and power.
If you want to share and grow your marketing talents (and build your portfolio during a struggling economy) try following my mom’s advice by taking on some pro bono marketing work for a local nonprofit organization.
By Meg Holley, Job Transition SIG
“Opportunity dances with those already on the dance floor.” – H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
Wow – lots of marketing talent at our Tuesday Job Transition SIG meeting.
