Recently it was announced that Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo!, planned to ban all employees from working from home, starting this June. This news is surprising, given that Silicon Valley has had such high adoption of virtual and telecommute teams, including at Yahoo!
While we’ve heard plenty of statistics stating that not only is telecommuting cost-effective for companies, it’s also boosting productivity levels. Mayer doesn’t seem to think so. And while Yahoo! has had plenty of negative press in the last few years, many don’t feel that its problems stem from whether or not all employees are physically on Yahoo! grounds for work.
Sara Sutton Fell, CEO of FlexJobs, thinks Mayer’s stance might reveal the other shortfalls of the company even faster:
“Management, collaboration, and communication problems will often show up as a problem faster with telecommuters than it will in the office, where people can hide behind “face time” as “evidence” of their commitment and presence, Fell says, “Unfortunately, Marissa Mayer seems to be endorsing that type of ‘head in the sand’ approach, and turning her back on all the many advancements that technology has to offer in terms of remote work — which is strange, because they’re a technology company.”
Will Employees Run Away?
Given that Yahoo! was once among the forerunners of flexibility in working from home, this change may turn off many who need — or simply want — to work from home. Parents who work from home to have more flexible schedules to pick up their children, for example, might have a hard time finding childcare for the new situation. And with so many other top companies in the Valley, many may simply choose to go elsewhere to keep the perk of working from home.
What About Those Benefits?
In Mayer’s private memo that was leaked, she rallies around the benefits of being in the same work environment:
“Some of the best decisions and insights come from hallway and cafeteria discussions, meeting new people, and impromptu team meetings. Speed and quality are often sacrificed when we work from home. We need to be one Yahoo!, and that starts with physically being together.”
Sutton Fell says, “Pointing the finger at working from home as being the culprit to the inefficiencies and lack of cohesiveness at Yahoo! is missing a big opportunity, and unfortunately doing it in a way that not only hurts the people who were promised this work arrangement, but it hurts the morale of the whole company. “
Mayer seems to be ignoring the benefits others tout in favor of working from home, or at least focusing on the benefits the company could gain, in her mind, by working in the office.
But maybe she’s right. Maybe we’ve put too much focus on the idea of working from home and not enough attention on how much better companies would be if they were having those impromptu meetings and brainstorming on new ideas face to face. Maybe we need a back-to-basics approach, and Mayer is the leader of this movement. Or maybe she’s just trying to cut costs easily by making remote employees quit with a new policy. At any rate, we’ll see what happens at Yahoo!, and we’ll see if other companies follow suit.
This is a guest post by PR Columnist, Alison Kenney.
- You have multiple identities on the social networks you use
- You reframe your witty ideas several times to get them under 140 characters
- You know that when the Chinese calendars rename 2013 the ‘Year of Beyonce’ it’s a testament to the PR team that coordinated her domino-like performances at the inauguration and Super Bowl, her HBO special, her appearances at the Grammy awards, magazine feature spreads, new album launch and world tour.
- You momentarily get excited when you find a spelling or grammar error in whatever you’re reading
- Your friends and family ask you to proof-read their writing
- Your reaction to Lance Armstrong’s appearance on Oprah is “what a great case study”
- You shake your head in pity when public announcements are handled poorly and immediately tick off the steps the organization should have taken (anticipating questions/backlash, prepping their spokesperson, considering the spokesperson) before making their announcement
- You consider time on the treadmill billable because it’s when you come up with your best ideas
- You bring your smartphone into the bathroom or into bed
- When you have a spare minute or are waiting in line, you look for headlines to scan
- You quickly digest the news in a breaking story and then dissect it to find out which reporter did the writing, who was quoted as a source and how the editor framed the lead.
- Planning a vacation means just fitting the same amount of work into less time
- In addition to the entertainment value you get from American Idol, The Voice or Dancing with the Stars, you watch to see how the celebrity judges are doing with their comeback efforts
- You justify new clothing and accessories by telling yourself that you are “in the image business”
- There hasn’t been a day this year that you haven’t looked into a computer screen
- You read lists like these to make sure you’re not missing any tactics
(Hat tip to Ragan’s PRDaily.com for their “you know you work in PR if” lists)
Alison Kenney an independent PR practitioner with more than 15 years of PR consulting experience. She is based on Boston’s North Shore and has worked with organizations in the technology, professional services and consumer industries. She writes a bi-monthly PR column on LindsayOlson.com. You can find her at www.kprcommunications.com. Learn more about Alison Kenney.
Having worked in recruiting for 15 years, I’ve become passionate about helping people find their ideal role, and helping companies create amazing teams. In honor of Valentine’s Day, here are six things I love about my work.
1. I help people achieve their goals and make life changing decisions. Changing jobs is one of the most important choices a person makes. The reasons people want to change jobs varies: sometimes people are actively looking and really need a job, while others are stuck in their comfort zone, and wouldn’t make a move if it weren’t for the little nudge from a recruiter. Whatever the reason, moving on to something better often helps people thrive, and I find that helping people tap into their talents and get that dream job is very rewarding.
2. I help companies build awesome teams. It’s also very rewarding when you can see how your work has helped a company grow. While I might them hire the first PR Manager, it often blossoms into a long-lasting relationship, and sometimes I get the fun of staffing out an entire agency team for a new group.
3. I get to learn the ins and outs about a business, its industry, and its management team. One of the things I truly love about my work is seeing what makes a successful employee at a given company, and helping both the new hire and the company grow. Without a recruiter on its side, the company may have a very limited reach to find the best candidate for the job. I pride myself on making great connections.
4. It’s different every day. Some people call recruiting a roller coaster, and there are days and months that it certainly is just that. Every person has his individual idiosyncrasies, so it’s challenging because there is not a single recipe for dealing with every situation. Every placement is a celebration for me, because it was hard work to get there.
5. I meet new people every day. And this leads to lifelong networks, friendships, and career development. Every conversation I have is an opportunity to learn something new. As a respected recruiter, candidates and hiring managers trust my judgment and come to me for career advice. But helping is a two-way street, because I learn something from every person I’m in contact with, and that helps me do better – professionally and personally. Some candidates become personal friends over time, our kids have played together, we share sewing tips, we’ve turned our conversations into new business partners and rolled around product/service ideas.
6. Recruiting satisfies my need to fix things. I’ve always liked to fix things. I’m the person in the house who can install a new electrical outlet or hem a pair of jeans. In recruiting, both parties have something that needs to be fixed. The company has a problem to solved: they have a position that needs to be filled so they can operate at full steam ahead. I’m fixing something for the candidate too – helping them find a better career opportunity, career advancement, a better work environment. And when it all works out, everyone is happy and their problems are solved.
This Valentine’s Day I’m considering this a professional love letter to what I enjoy most: recruiting! Happy Valentine’s Day!
This is a guest post by PR Columnist, Alison Kenney.
Many folks smarter than me have struggled to answer the question, “What is PR?” (Heck, I can’t even explain it to my mom.) Last year, PRSA attempted to define public relations once and for all. Since it’s a new year, I propose a new attempt at solving this dilemma and respectfully suggest that the reason we can’t see ourselves to a clear definition of this profession is because the lines around it are so blurry.
Take the buzz around ‘content marketing.’ To me, much of what content marketing purports to do sounds a lot like PR. Creating content – whether it’s a white paper, a book, a video, shareable research or a forum for customers – has been a staple in the PR pantry for years. Only now, marketers are using technology to assign analytics to these efforts so they can be linked more directly to lead generation, further blurring the line between PR and other members of the sales team.
Sometimes, there’s so much content already out there that we PR folks are tasked with side jobs like editing and curating. We comb through this content, select the best pieces for our needs and incorporate it in our pitches and social media efforts.
When it comes to the ‘relations’ part of our name, we know we can’t afford to focus solely on the media. As most of us know, there are many ‘publics’ that we need to be concerned with. What’s new is a practice of communicating directly with customers, which means the line between public relations and customer service can get blurry.
Some will argue that PR is best suited to managing an organization’s social media efforts (whatever that means!), but that isn’t likely to end up being the last word. Since the sales, customer service, HR, etc. roles also invested in social media efforts, PR’s involvement in managing the process could end up blurring the lines between PR and those various functions.
Along with this, many PR pros are becoming more involved as an advisor and managing conversations and interactions between brands and customers. I don’t think we’re there yet, but I wonder if this ‘trusted counselor’ role could mean that the line between PR and legal teams is getting fuzzier? Will we see an increase in PR firms hiring staff with legal expertise?
There have always been people who have confused PR with advertising and new terms for different forms of advertising aren’t helping the matter. Gini Deitrich recently blogged about a new form of advertising, native advertising, that is subtle and blends with other content in this post about how native advertising will affect public relations (read the comments, too). Gini’s description of native advertising sounds like the ‘branded content’ campaigns that Ad Age covered in this article 7 Branded Content Campaigns that Got it Right in 2012. And they all sound like ideas that a PR team could have worked on.
What other roles have you seen morph with PR’s responsibilities lately?
Alison Kenney an independent PR practitioner with more than 15 years of PR consulting experience. She is based on Boston’s North Shore and has worked with organizations in the technology, professional services and consumer industries. She writes a bi-monthly PR column on LindsayOlson.com. You can find her at www.kprcommunications.com. Learn more about Alison Kenney.
It’s a new year and a fresh start. Whether you’re looking for your next career move or are angling for a promotion at your current job, take a moment to create resolutions for what you want to accomplish professionally in 2013.
Take Stock of Where You Are
Are you where you want to be professionally right now? Do you feel like you’re churning your wheels and are ready for the next thing? Do you think you’ve outgrown your current role? These are all important to take stock of when creating your professional resolutions at the start of a year.
Write down all your major professional accomplishments over the past year. Include any new skills you gained, promotions granted or new job secured. It can be beneficial to start by looking at all the great things you’ve done.
Now consider what you want to accomplish this year. Be Realistic If you just got a job promotion or a raise, you might not realistically be able to expect another one this year.
And if you’ve been angling for a Director position, you might need to come down to Earth and realize your resume doesn’t yet stand up to the job requirements.
When creating goals for yourself, it’s important to have a realistic view of what you can feasibly do in the coming year. That being said, you also need to make your goals just painful enough that you have to work hard to achieve them.
Consider Your Options
If you’re unhappy in your current role, consider the possibilities. You could: ask your boss for more responsibilities in an area you’re more interested in present your case for a promotion apply for another job in your company apply for another job outside of your company It’s not enough to say “I hate my job.” You need to then determine what you will do to change the situation.
Once you do this, create action steps to make your resolution a reality. For example, if you think you deserve a promotion, find out what the role you want to take on requires in terms of experience and skills. Then assess your experiences and be honest with yourself about where you fall short. Find the opportunity over the next few months to develop those areas.
Once you feel you’re ready to present yourself as a qualified candidate for the role to your boss, set up a meeting. Discuss the achievements you’ve made in the past few years and pitch him on how you’ve worked hard to get the necessary skills and your accomplishments.
That Being Said…Write it Down on Paper and Share!
Studies show that writing down goals can help increase the chances that you achieve them. Sharing them with someone else can help you keep on track. So give yourself every opportunity to make them become a reality.
Keep your list of resolutions on your desk or refrigerator where you can see them every day, where they will serve of a reminder of what you are working toward. Then when you achieve them one by one, you can mark them off your list!
I’ve come up with a few of my own resolutions – particularly around productivity.
As a mother of a toddler and a baby, this is the spot in my personal and professional life where I need to find more harmony and less guilt.
- Spend more time talking with professional contacts and colleagues, and less on email, Facebook, and other places where interaction is limited by “likes”, retweets, and send buttons. Relationships are the key to my business. While social media definitely enhances the relationships and keeps me connected, more one-on-one time with individuals will pay off in the long run.
- Focus on specific tasks without interruptions. Stop wasting time by “multi-tasking”, disconnect from the internet and focus on the given task. I know I will be 100% more productive if I minimize the distractions, shut off email and the cell phone, while working on projects.
- In addition to expanding Paradigm Staffing, I want to branch out our public relations job board, Hoojobs, into other geographical markets outside the United States and launch at least one new job portal for other industries. What are some of your professional goals for 2013?
This is a guest post by Sam Peters.
Unfortunately, nobody is going to be standing next to the stage waiting to hand you the keys to a brand new office and six figure job when you graduate. While the daydream is nice, the practicalities of finding employment are a little more involved than that. Don’t worry, though: with these steps, it won’t be long before you become one of those project management staffers you spent your years in business school admiring.
Your Foundation
Hopefully you will have found a way to gain some practical business-related experience while you were still in college. Maybe you had a part time job at a bank as a teller. Perhaps you worked in the business office for your work study job. You undoubtedly have had at least one internship (most colleges won’t allow you to graduate without at least one these days) and hopefully you found one within your field. This is all experience that you can mine for potential employment after graduation.
Your Resume
Make sure you list all of these positions, even if they were gained through work study grants, on your resume! A potential employer wants to see that you have at least some practical experience in your field! Don’t worry if the experience is scant. There are plenty of ways that new graduates can beef up their resumes.
Community Service
One of the best ways to not just beef up a resume but gain some real world experience (and, potentially make the connections you need to get a job) is by volunteering. Offer to help out in the business office at a local non-profit. While volunteering doesn’t pay off monetarily it pays off in other ways. It gets you out of the house regularly. It gives you “real world” experience that you can list on your resume. It also helps you meet people. These are people who might be able to help you find the paying job you need so much. If nothing else, they are great references to list on your resume and job applications.
Bridging the Gap
Unfortunately you might need to find ways to bridge that gap between graduation and gainful employment. This is where knowing how to create and live by a budget is important. You might also look into taking on at least a part time job to help with expenses. You’ll most likely need to live with a roommate. Don’t worry, these things aren’t permanent (except the budgeting thing—sorry readers, that’s a lifelong thing that you’ll just need to get used to doing).
The good news is that you will get there eventually. You just need to keep plugging away and stay active. That corner office will be yours before you know it!
Sam Peters is a blogger who enjoys writing about the employment market and education.
Rather than overdosing on eggnog this time of year, you’d be better off dusting off your resume and positioning yourself to find your dream job. Many people think now isn’t a good time to find a job, but that’s not the case. In fact, 32% of employers hiring administrative and commercial roles plan to do so for the fourth quarter this year. If you’re looking for your next job, now is still a good time to do it.
1. Look at your resume with fresh eyes
It’s easy to glaze over when you look at your resume, but if you haven’t updated it in a while, there are likely spots where you can add new skills or polish up your writing. Have a friend look at it and make suggestions for improvement.
2. Get a party strategy
Looking for a job during the holidays doesn’t mean you have to forego the annual office Christmas party. You simply have to come up with a strategy for what you want to get out of the event. If you’d consider moving to a different department at your company, now’s your chance to cozy up to decision-makers in that department. Just keep it professional; office parties can sometimes toe the line of impropriety, and you want to be the level-headed partygoer in this situation. Your career might depend on it.
3. Tap your recruiter network
If you’ve worked with recruiters in the past, now is the time to let them know you’re on the hunt. Even if you’re not seeing a lot of jobs on job boards, a recruiter will have better insight into who’s hiring at the end of the year.
4. Tap your social network
While you don’t want to update your Facebook status to “hungry and looking for another job,” you can use social media to see who’s hiring. Don’t be shy about sending a private message on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn to a contact who works for a company you’re interested in. Gauge her knowledge of the hiring situation and see what advice she can provide.
5. Update your online profiles
Because many recruiters and hiring managers Google you before even reaching out for an interview, you want to make sure what they find in those search results is what you want them to see. That means sharing links on your industry, writing blog posts about your field, and overall making sure that your profile is 100% professional, and that any personal tidbits or photos you don’t want potential employers to see are hidden.
6. Make coffee dates
Workloads tend to be a little lighter this time of year, so that might create opportunities for you to network with people you’ve met that might have a lead on a job. Invite a contact a week out for coffee or lunch and pick his brain.
7. Assess your career goals
Ask yourself why you’re looking for a job. Is it that you’re unhappy at your current position? Or maybe you’re looking for a promotion. The end of the year is a fantastic time to evaluate where you are professionally, as well as take direction on where you’d like to go in your next role.
8. Apply for jobs
This should be a no-brainer, but don’t overlook jobs you find online that aren’t ideal, especially if they’re in a company you really want to work for. Even if you’re not a good fit, the hiring manager can keep your information on file. At the very least, you get your foot in the door.
9. Make time for interviews
It can be tricky, taking time off from your current job to interview for another. But with a more laid-back schedule at work, you might find more time to fit in interviews. Just do it wisely so you don’t tip off your boss.
This is a guest post by PR columnist, Alison Kenney.
Stealth-mode PR. It sounds like an oxymoron, but I bet you know what I’m talking about.
You know — a company hires PR talent to raise its profile, but doesn’t want to put itself too far out there. For instance, a small private startup might want to convince investors and potential employees that it’s the next best thing, but doesn’t want to tip off competitors by revealing too many numbers (e.g. revenue, customer data, etc).
This can put the PR function in a bit of a bind.
It’s tough to get top media outlets to profile your company if you can’t show why you’re relevant to their readers by mentioning customers with recognizable names or spotlighting your meteoric growth and attractiveness as a potential investment.
However, if you find yourself in this situation – working with a client who doesn’t want to reveal too many ‘secrets’ or even just one who is less aggressive when it comes to PR – here are a few suggestions:
Take the focus off the company and its product and build awareness of its ‘thought leadership.’ The term ‘thought leadership’ has been around for awhile and is the label for establishing an individual as an authority or forward-thinker on a topic or in a particular field. The work can involve strategizing about messaging, brainstorming new language terms and making ideas come to life through examples and application. Tactics can include writing white papers and bylined articles; speaking/delivering presentations before live or web audiences; authoring a book; conducting surveys and sharing the results; and establishing and sponsoring an awards program.
Or, focus on the personalities behind the business. Concentrate your efforts on the firm’s leaders and managers, perhaps even without mentioning by name the business they’re working with currently, by promoting them as speakers, award nominees and online authorities.
Build an online presence. Invest time in developing a web site (perhaps you don’t publish all of the content at once if it’s deemed sensitive) and social media channels. You can also monitor and respond to industry- or topic-specific online communities. Building a following online will come in useful when you are able to share news. It can also result in better SEO and search results that may be important to other company initiatives.
Plan ahead and prepare for the moment when you hear “go.” Brief influencers, such as industry analysts and significant customers, so that they can serve as references when you’re ready to tell your story. In the same way (using NDAs if necessary) prepare the media by offering bloggers and key beat reporters a background briefing and general outline of your future plans.
Develop non-news content. Content is king and even pitchable these days. Create and build a bank of quality content by interviewing other people (experts, customers, etc.) about your industry or issues; record summaries of industry events (e.g. highlights from tradeshows); develop case studies (and make them anonymous if necessary); or hire a comic who can create original art for you.
Align with the company’s current goals. If publicity isn’t a priority, understand what goals are most important to the company’s success right now and how PR can support those goals. Is it developing channels for customer communications, e.g. emails, newsletters, online chats, online portal sites? Helping the sales team with support materials? Organizing events to facilitate networking? Participating in industry groups to gain credibility and meet partners?
Have you ever been in this position? What did you do?
Alison Kenney an independent PR practitioner with more than 15 years of PR consulting experience. She is based on Boston’s North Shore and has worked with organizations in the technology, professional services and consumer industries. She writes a bi-monthly PR column on LindsayOlson.com. You can find her at www.kprcommunications.com. Learn more about Alison Kenney.
This is a guest post by Sam Peters.
It is a fact that the US spends more on healthcare than any other country of its kind. The total estimate for national healthcare coverage is up to $2 trillion a year and with costs on the rise companies are looking for ways they can cut budgets without negatively affecting their employees. One such way is through employee wellness programs that get employees into exercise, and helps them to reshape their daily habits into a health conscious lifestyle. By offering incentives for employees to participate in these programs healthcare companies are working with employers to help lower costs more efficiently.
According to one report companies using wellness programs have revealed less absenteeism as well as a higher retention rate for current employees. Other benefits of workplace wellness programs were lowered rates of illness and injuries at work, improved morale and relationships between the employees, and an overall increase in work productivity. Healthcare costs were down between 20-50% and short term sick leave was reduced up to 32%. The participating individuals lost weight, improved their health and stamina, reported lower stress levels and overall felt better about their personal wellbeing.
Different ideas for promoting health within the work environment include allowing the employees to have access to a gym by having one on sight or offering a discount to a local club. Some businesses are starting sports clubs for their workplace which not only encourages health, but fun and team work as well as great marketing for any teams that might wear jerseys. Incentives are always a huge plus as well like running various promotions for weight loss, walking, or other healthy activities and then giving out gift cards, weekend trips, or other prizes that will motivate people to participate. Some firms are even partnering with companies like Keas who specialize in providing fun and enticing wellness programs that can get up to 70% of the workplace involved in healthier living.
Other great things enterprises are doing are to offer health screenings and classes for people to be more educated and aware. One case study showed 185 program participants who had not previously been heart patients of any kind, but tested as high risk through a cardiac screening at work. After six months of working with a wellness program almost 60% of them were retested and found to be low risk and normal. Another document showed a comparison of companies that did these programs versus those that did not and they saw that businesses that did the programs reduced healthcare costs by as much as $1,400 per person, versus the others who did not intercede that only saved $6 per person a year.
The reality is these work programs are not just saving money, but they are saving lives. In addition they are bringing morale back to the workplace and improving work quality and productivity. Any company, regardless of size can benefit from some type of wellness program for their employees. The long term will result in healthier happy employees and a stronger, better business.
Sam Peters is a writer who enjoys writing about career development.
You might be approached by a recruiter when you don’t need to hire new staff, but when you do need to hire, you want fast access to a talented recruiter with contacts in your industry.
1. Send a Quarterly Email.
A quick note can let the recruiter know where your company is and what hiring needs you might have coming up. It also gives her the opportunity to let you know about job candidates who have a special talent for your company, which might pique your interest.
2. Go Out for Coffee, When You’re Local.
It never hurts to have coffee with a professional. You get the same results as with #1, but with the added benefit of face time. This can aid the recruiter in getting to know you a bit better, which can help her tune into the right “culture fit”.
3. Talk to Your Employees.
Many of them may have been recruited at some point in their career, even if it was not for their current position. See who they worked with and get recommendations for who to work with.
4. Talk to Your Industry.
If you’re in a specialized field, you may fare well by speaking with other employers in your industry to see which recruiters they work with. These recruiters will be able to tap job candidates with highly-specific skills and experience.
5. Weed Out the Door Knockers.
You’ll likely be contacted by far more recruiters than you could possibly work with. Rather than dilute your efforts, work on building a few relationships with people who you like and can deliver results. Not only is it easier for you, you’ll get more productivity out of third-party recruiters who know the candidate pool isn’t being hit by a multiple firms. Most of us are only paid if upon a successful hire.
6. Join LinkedIn Groups.
There are groups for every industry in every niche on LinkedIn. Join them, get insight from others in your field, and get advice about hiring. Often, recruiters will be there to share their own advice and connect.
7. Be a Joy to Work With.
Or at the very least, be specific in what you are looking for in your next hire. We need to know the good, the bad, and the ugly to source the right candidates and manage the process. Moving the goal post and rewriting job descriptions often is a surefire way to make a recruiter spend her efforts on a search that she’s more likely to fill.
8. Give Feedback.
Just like your staff, the recruiter who works with you can benefit from your feedback. During the process, let her know what did and didn’t work for you with the candidates sourced for the position and the process. Your feedback will only help her find the right candidate and learn more about you and the company for future searches.
Having a solid relationship with a recruiter can help you grow your company faster by getting the right people on board. But just like with any relationship, your connection with a recruiter needs to be nurtured. Make sure she knows where you are with your strategic plan, as well as what your outlook is on hiring in the next month, quarter and year. If your expectations are clear, she will be more than happy to help you find your next great new hire.
This blog is to share my recruiting experiences and discuss thoughts on the job market, PR industry and technology.
Alison Kenney is an independent PR practitioner with more than 15 years of PR consulting experience.
