Everyone knows how the internet is changing the way business is being done. But one very important change that too often goes unnoticed is what goes on within business. In chapter 8 of Socialnomics, Qualmann writes about what it is like to hire employees from the "internet generation." This part especially stood out to me more than other part of his book because I found some relevance within my own job experiences. In the past, it seemed like the company held the majority of the cards, whereas the employee was bound to whatever whim the employer had. Loyalty to the company was expected. But today, the marketplace has become more competitive and loyalty to the employee has become crucial. I definitely relate to how people from my grandparents' generation look down on people from my generation as being lazy and having a strong sense of entitlement. I myself have often had to defend myself and my peers against assults from the aging. The good news is that the baby boomers are starting to retire, so there is now a shift occurring in the workforce.
Traditionally, profits have been paramount to all else. This is not to say that making money is no longer important. But I firmly believe, based on some of my recent job experiences, that there are still many companies who are not focusing enough on employee retention. Unfortunately, many people still feel as though they are expendable commodities, which really reduces their overall efficacy and as a result, costs the company a lot of money in lost produuctivity. Taking full advantage of the internet and the social media applications it brings will possibly be a make-or-break sort of deal in the near future. The possibilities are virtually limitless. Qualmann notes how it is possible for former employees to retain contact with their former employers through social media outlets like Facebook, which ultimately can lead to re-hiring. A personal example: I still "like" one of my former employers on Facebook because they regularly post job openings, many of which I've been interested in. Qualmann writes that re-hiring former employees saves money. This should be a no-brainer for any organization.
On a "lighter" note, I'd like to send my resume to this company:
Neil, Have you heard about the companies that have instituted a "Bring Your Parents to Work Day?"
ReplyDeletehttp://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/32/lookfeel.html
Crazy!
That guy must be really flexible and/or boast abs of steel. Impressive.
ReplyDeleteI think this is an extremely well done commercial. C'mon, it feels good to laugh. And flatulation is always kind of funny, even when it's not. Neil, will you hire me if you get a job there? I have a lighter...
ReplyDeleteThe workforce is changing, but the way people search for jobs is also changing. I remember starting my first job search with a typewriter and The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Classified ads. Now, very few companies use the newspaper to post job openings. Today, like you said, many companies are using social networking websites to post jobs.
ReplyDeleteNeil you mentioned that it used to be that employees used to be loyal to their companies and now companies need to be loyal to employees. Sadly, I do not see that happening on a broad basis. To most companies, employees are nothing more than a cog in the machine. For example, yesterday a good friend informed me that after 19 years the company we both work for was letting him go. It isn't that he was not a valued employee either. Profits were put ahead of his service to the company. In corporate America large corporations have cut staff and then cut staff again. Now they sit on some of the largest corporate profits ever seen, while unemployment sits at 9.5%. Profits before people, that is the corporate mantra of today.
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