Why a Bad Boss is Bad for Employer Brand

Why a Bad Boss is Bad for Employer Brand Theres nothing worse than working for a bad boss. But what if the boss is so bad that it tarnishes the good name of the company, or worse still damages the employer brand? In recent weeks Uber boss Travis Kalanick has  been in the news  for all the wrong reasons. Firstly for the damning open letter by former employee Sandra Fowler  about alleged sexual harassment at the company. Now Mr Kalanick himself published this profound apology  to all his staff after being caught on camera being abusive to one of his own drivers. Now there is the attitude that it is the boss company and they can do what they want, but can they really? The impact this kind of exposure generates is priceless and sometimes it could cause so much irreparable damage that the company may never recover. A Gallup poll of more than 7,000 U.S. workers found that the number one reason people quit their jobs is poor leadership. In other words, they are suffering under the leadership of a bad boss. “People leave managers, not companies,” Gallup wrote in their survey findings. “In the end, turnover is mostly a manager issue.” But how does a bad boss affect employer brand? Jonas Fischer is the co-founder of PeerCulture. He says: Employees often see their CEO as the embodiment of the companys core values. While a leader is certainly not the brand, great leaders are the difference makers when we think of the world-class, exceptional employer brands. When a crisis occurs, it can be an opportunity for the organization to reinforce their values by making the situation right. The key is how they respond. Talent attraction and retention Being a desirable place to work is one of the main reasons candidates seek to join a company and employees are loathed to leave. And it can be desirable for a number of things like the office location, flexibility, career progression prospects or the reputation of the company boss. There are some CEOs whose reputation is often bigger than their companies such as Teslas Elon Musk, Virgin boss Richard Branson and Ginnie Rometti of IBM. They are almost like super CEOs  so if they are in the press for the wrong reasons then its going to be difficult to attract and keep the top talent. Brand reputation The most successful companies to work for are known just by their brand name and its no different in recruitment and reputation is up there with things that matter the most to employees and candidates. Nowadays, saying who you work for is far more important than having a job. In fact,  research shows that 69% of job seekers wouldn’t take a role with a company that had a bad reputation, even if they were unemployed. Meanwhile 84% would consider leaving their current job if they were offered another role by a business with an excellent reputation. Morale Having a bad boss  doesn’t just affect the person at whom it’s directed â€" it can affect an entire office and more importantly the morale of that office. And if it spreads to other people, it could  affect employees’ overall perception of the company they work for and just like a  domino effect, this can affect the productivity of the company itself. The Harvard Business Review did a study on just how damaging a bad boss is  and found that no matter how much the company invests on things like  excellent rewards schemes, career progression, stimulating work environments, health insurance, and other perks â€" it wont make much difference to the people stuck with bad bosses. Culture Company culture and cultural fit can have a huge impact on a persons  happiness in the workplace  and if the issue is a bad manager then its a problem. When employees  feel like they are routinely being treated unfairly, or are being disrespected, you have a culture problem. A company with a culture that fosters a lack of respect will not only reduce a company’s productivity, but more importantly, it’ll make going to work a lot less fun for everyone and employees are likely to leave. Company culture is essential for a successful business  but if its the person at the top who is making the company an uncomfortable place to work then unless they seek to correct it, then it wont be long until they wont have a company at all. Management by fear If you ask any manager they would never admit they manage by fear, and their employees certainly wont tell them that they fear them. But sadly  there are fear-based managers everywhere. Its true that these managers use fear to control people or threaten their employees and keep them on edge in order to keep them compliant and docile. But it also means employees feel their managers are unapproachable about basic things like pay, just as Uber driver Fawaz Kamel found when he  complained his income was falling and blamed Ubers fare structure. At best this is annoying that you cant have an open and honest chat with your boss, but at the very worst this could lead to an employee suffering from mental health problems and lack of self-worth. This in turn means they will be off work with stress, or making excuses not to go in or they will end up leaving. Adam Glassman, Recruitment Strategies Manager at Alorica, says: Above all, your employer brand is driven by your people (its not your ping-pong table, sorry to say). How your employees work together, and more importantly, how your leaders treat their teams becomes paramount. That defines your culture, your work environment and the feel of the employees work experience. Working under a bad boss is bad news for everyone and while Mr Kalanick has admitted he needs help to be a leader, sometimes it takes a complete overhaul of the whole company from the top down to get things right.

Attract a Large Brand Audience With Creative Storytelling - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Attract a Large Brand Audience With Creative Storytelling - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career How people can relate to your personal brand through content is just as important as what your business is about. In order to create interest in a compelling way you need to appeal to your audiences emotions with eye-catching visuals and content. Would you like to reach your community in an authentic way? Creating a brand story that will compel them to want to spread the word will not only build more visibility, but also generate leads and sales. A targeted and well-planned strategy coupled with good market research will enable your brand to better understand your audiences needs and help frame your articles and posts on social media. Successful brand marketing meets the needs of others, and presents a message that is compelling and moves people to action. Here are several strategies you can use to attract new followers to your personal brand through powerful storytelling. Building An Effective Brand Online Creating content that reflects the personal side of your business starts with a good connection with your audience in an authentic way. Use these steps to formulate a stand-out message: A modern design Most people will quickly leave a website if it doesn’t capture their attention right away. A clean, professional and mobile-friendly look is essential in todays fast-paced online world where people are perusing through the Internet very quickly on their devices. Convey what your personal brand is about on the front page, and can showcase any videos, photos, and articles that appeal to the readers needs. Show them how you are unique Determine what makes your brand different from the competition in your industry and bring this into focus. A truly genuine and appealing company will be noticed far more than imitating what others are doing. Dont be afraid to be creative and step out of your comfort zone, and use your target market research to appeal to a select audience who will be most likely to take notice of what you have to offer. Rally your audience around your brand A lasting impression from a company is one that actively communicates with its customers and loyal followers, and addresses questions and issues right away. Additionally there are creative ways you can connect through social media such as live chats on Twitter, webinars, professional groups on places like LinkedIn and Google Plus, and by inviting your community to share their feedback on Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat. Map out your marketing strategy in a way that gets your audience involved with your brand online. Creative storytelling for your personal brand will help you connect more with your leads and customers in a way that stands out from the rest. Entice your market with content that speaks to their needs and desires in a way that appeals directly to their emotions while projecting a clear message of what your business can offer them.

Great Things can Happen When You Realize This - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Great Things can Happen When You Realize This - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career When you realize that you are … Just an hour of someone’s day. This might seem harsh. And, in a lot of senses it is. But, the fact is … as you are scheduling your 24 hours of your day you should be cognizant and respectful that you are just an hour in someone else’s 24 hours. Realizing this sooner in your career is better. You will stand out in your career when people know you respect their time. When they know you will not ask for time unless there is a reason. When they know you realize that you are just an hour in their day … they will come to expect and respect that. Great things can happen when you realize this. The good news is … when you realize this you can also expect it from others. Whether you are a sales rep calling on a client Whether you are a partner or vendor providing an update or some services Whether you are an employee (or leader) in a small or large organization. You ARE just an hour in someone’s day. The sooner you realize and adjust to this … the better. Great things can happen when you realize this. Make The Most Of It It is incumbent upon you do to all the prep work, all the reading (and perhaps some of the thinking) to make that hour in someone else’s day be as productive as possible. Pro Tip: Give ‘em Something to React to What happens if you need less than an hour to get your point across, to get to a decision, to accomplish something, to achieve some milestone? That’s when you say HOORAY!   And, you give that person time back on their calendar. How often have you been on a conference call or attending a meeting in person that uses the full hour (and often more)? Have you ever been on a call or in a meeting that ended early … and the moderator “gave” you time back on your schedule? Which situation would you rather be in on a regular basis? (Be the person that makes it happen) Be Respectful of Time It should probably go without saying, but I do think it’s worth stating. When you are respectful of other peoples time… they respect you more. Don’t ask for 5 minutes and take 20. Don’t ask for a meeting if there is nothing that really benefits the other parties Don’t attend meetings or calls when no agenda has been provided Pro Tip: Decline meetings with no agenda. Corollary: Don’t send meeting requests without an agenda Your life, your career, your schedule will be better when you: Realize … You are just an hour of someone’s day. Great things can happen when you realize this.

The Age of Resistance is Upon Us - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

The Age of Resistance is Upon Us - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career We are living in a very different world than we were a few years ago. We are now inundated with so much content and advertising, across so many media streams, that weve started to become resistant.   We are opting out of email newsletters, unsubscribing to magazines and newspapers, unfollowing on Twitter, de-friending on Facebook, and putting emails in a spam folder. Name brands, such as Lady Gaga and Coca Cola will be sought out by fans and their messages will continue to spread, since they are differentiated, have high brand equity, and an extremely large foundation of fans.Lady Gaga has over nine million Facebook fans, while Coca Cola has almost six million Facebook fans. For the average person or company, it has become much more challenging to cultivate a fan base and become well-known, despite the global population of social network users, and the amount of communities one can join. It is true that if you started building your online identity years ago, and kept with it, then you have a major competitive advantage now because people already know who you are, what you do, and are familiar with your logo or your face. Noise is hurting our ears and our eyes If youre reading this, then I bet youre following thousands of people on Twitter, you skim a hundred blog posts per day or week, and you watch twenty advertisements per day, sometimes without even noticing. We arent built to intake the amount of information provided to us, and with the sheer volume, that is increasing by second, were becoming smarter about what we read and what we ignore. These statistics show how much time we use, and possibly waste, in the online world: 90 trillion emails sent on the internet in 2009 (Hubspot) 500 billion minutes per month people spend on Facebook (Facebook) 14.6 billion YouTube videos watched in May (comScore). 2 billion tweets per month on Twitter (Mashable). 200 million blog posts have been published on WordPress.com blogs (Mashable). We are starting to build a strong resistance against companies and people that weve never heard before. We are also questioning blog authors, social network users, and other online personalities that dont already have social proof and influence. Trust, credibility, history (how long youve been around) and a strong relationship (if youve previously interacted with a brand and enjoyed the experience), are now the most important factors when someone decides to read your content or do business with you. Dont be fooled by the low barriers to entry for online branding You can build an online business for a very low cost because there are no real barriers to entry. All you need is a host, a domain name, some HTML skills, and a creative idea. The real cost is your time, or so it might appear. The benefit to having no barriers to entry is that talented people, who arent millionaires, can be successful online (and can potentially become millionaires). It gives everyone a chance to make a difference, whether they succeed or fail. The negative aspect of having no barriers to entry is that EVERYONE becomes your competitor, whether they are in the same industry as you or not. People are fighting for attention, and attention is harder to obtain than ever before. The changing competitive landscape Two years ago, it was safe to say that you didnt need money to break through the noise, establish your brand, and turn your passion into a business. Today, were living in a very different environment and the rules are starting to change fast. How to lower resistance in the most competitive market in history You arent going to be able to compete by publishing two posts in a week anymore. That simply doesnt cut it in a world where there are million of status messages and posts being published every second. So, how on earth do you stand out? Become a talent scout. You cant scale yourself or your time, therefore, its a wise idea that you find other people that share the same passion as you. By pairing with others that are looking for a platform to share their voice, you can expand, grow, and break through the noise. Conduct a search through Google blog search, Technorati.com, Twellow.com, and other search engines in order to find people that you can partner with in some fashion. Invest money in web design. I would never recommend that someone starts a WordPress.com, Typepad.com, Blogger.com or any other blog that you dont completely own. I advised people to use these services years ago, but now its a major disadvantage if you do. You cant completely customize any of these services. The days of just having a place to store content are over. You need to step up your game! By investing in a custom design for your site, including a logo, you have a shot at breaking through the resistance. Otherwise, you are still just another blogger. People trust others that invest money in their brands. Hire a personal branding expert. Its extremely valuable to have a third party help you in your branding endeavors, especially for those with no marketing backgrounds. Im being really bias here, but you should really considering paying for online branding support. People, such as myself (and my company Millennial Branding, LLC) know how to analyze your current situation, help you figure out what makes you special, then position you in your market, and finally provide you with marketing support to increase your visibility. One-to-one relationships instead of one-to-many. Just like a job seeker shouldnt blindly apply to one hundred job openings for the sake of it, you shouldnt go spam everyone and add to the noise. Instead, become as specific as you can with who your audience is and work as hard as you can to form relationships with influencers in that market. This way, you save time, energy, and will achieve greater results in less time. Long-term instead of short-term thinking: A brand isnt built overnight. As I stated before, you want to find a topic that you can write about for years, instead of months. This way, people knows that youre serious and will potentially commit to reading your work. It takes a long time for people to recognize you as a serious online participant. Get an industry influencer to sponsor you. What were going to see more of over the years is brand association, partnerships, and sponsorships. New bloggers are going to be seeking mentorship and promotional support from the veterans in different markets. This way, people that arent well-known can become well-known faster, and have a shot of breaking through the resistance. Become more exclusive. When you create scarcity, you create demand. If you can prove the value of what you have to offer, then you can charge for it. For instance, I read an article about how someone created a premium network for chefs. Chefs are hard to reach, so the value of the network is worth people paying for it. If you can find a niche thats hard to target, such as college students, then this exclusivity actually breaks through the noise because people will seek you out. Brand matters more than ever Branding will always become more important because a brand creates a sense of trust, loyalty, and overall experience thats hard to replicate. Those who are already established in their fields will become even more successful over the coming years because its easier to build upon a foundation, rather than from scratch. Those who arent established will need to become established using the above seven strategies Im offering. Brands have leverage, control, and prestige. They lower resistance   by providing evidence of previous successes, and a commitment to maintaining quality and service. Your turn What are your recommendations for standing out and lowering resistance?

Sample Resumes For The Job Market

Sample Resumes For The Job MarketIf you are looking for sample resumes for the upcoming 2020 job market, you will definitely find that there are plenty of them available on the internet. This is due to the fact that there are a lot of resumes that have been filled in the past. Since these samples have already shown that they are reliable, it's recommended to try and get your own resume using these samples.However, it's also important to note that if you want to make sure that you're getting your own resume using the sample resumes, you must remember to do all the necessary research. A good thing about getting these samples is that you can see what it's like to receive a resume from a previous employer. All you have to do is go online and take a look at these sample resumes and see if you have an idea on how to write one.There are some tips that you should keep in mind when writing your own resume from the sample resumes. First of all, there is a good chance that you will need to go o nline and download a free resume software. Most of these programs offer templates that are going to help you in making your own resume. You just have to use these templates and modify them in order to meet your needs.However, there is still one thing that you need to take into consideration. While it's okay to use these templates because they are free, you still need to remember that not all employers are going to accept these samples as genuine. Because of this, you should also make sure that you will always ensure that you have proof that your resume is real and original.The most important thing that you should consider while writing your own resume is to make sure that it's not too lengthy. It's no good if you are filling out the same resume time and again, so make sure that it's not too long. By the same token, make sure that it's not too short either.You will also need to be careful when it comes to choosing the font that you are going to use in your resume. One thing that you need to consider is the fact that there are some people who are not going to appreciate having lots of white space. They may not be able to read the text anyway. In order to avoid this problem, you should opt for a bold font.The next thing that you need to do is to focus on making your sample resumes reflect the personality that you have. While this may not be something that is easy to do, it's very important to remember that you need to make sure that you express yourself clearly. If you don't think that you are good enough to write your own resume, then you should hire someone else to do it for you.Another thing that you should be aware of is that not all employers will accept sample resumes for their consideration. This is why you should make sure that you have proof that your resume is original and genuine.

Avoid These Two Extremes in Your LinkedIn Headline - CareerEnlightenment.com

Two, people looking to fill positions are busy people. They don’t have the time to translate the meaning of “I help companies with go-to-market planning.” You’ve got less than 10 seconds to get them to click on your profile from a search results page with a long list of your competitors.Here’s the fix: clearly and concisely state your job title as it is described by your target organization. If you are currently employed, you should also note this in your headline.Write for ImpactWhile it’s important to clearly state your job title, there is no way your title will take up all 120 characters available to you in the headline area. And because the headline is your first impression, you have to find a way to differentiate yourself with a little personality.For example let’s take our earlier headline and spruce it up a bit:Senior Marketing Executive experienced in go-to-market planning in the software industry with a knack for adding excitement to business solutionsAre You A ddressing a Need?All this creative work is great, but it goes only so far if you haven’t uncovered the needs of your target organization. In our example, although it’s a great headline, it would fall short if this person’s target company doesn’t need a strong go-to-market strategy â€" what if what they need is a marketing analyst?Avoid the two extremes of too simple or too creative and give those recruiters a break. They will thank you for it!

Finding the right fit, culturally speaking

Finding the right fit, culturally speaking Have you ever found yourself in a company and realized that it isnt right for you?   You may feel it is dysfunctional, managements communication style is harsh, you have different values from your co-workers, theres no opportunity for growth, or whatever? Can you change any of the things you dont like about the company?   Not easily.   And even if you could, how long would it take for those changes to come about?   Maybe longer than you would want to be there. Usually, we dont notice these differences during the interview process.   There may be glimpses of some, but typically we tend to ignore the signs.   Just as employers have difficulty defining what they are looking for in a candidate, so do we have difficulty identifying what we want from an employer. Here is a way for you to begin assessing what is most important to you in your next role. Select your preference from each category. Rank in order of importance your top 3. How decisions get made Centralized decision-making Decentralized decision-making How teams/individuals work together Cooperative atmosphere Internal competition Is there a career path Well-defined career path Flexible career opportunities Whats the work environment like Casual atmosphere Formal atmosphere How is my role defined Clearly defined responsibilities Varied/fluid responsibilities Process and procedures Loosely defined procedures Formalized procedures Communicating company goals Clear, well-communicated vision Flexible, adaptable corporate goals Whats important to the company Focus on public good Focus on company success How does the company recognize good work Individual performance-based rewards Team-based rewards Now that you have determined your top 3, begin crafting questions to ask during an interview or while networking that will shed insight on the answers.   I dont mean asking questions like, Does your company have centralized or decentralized decision-making?   Instead, the question may sound like: When requisitions need to be signed, what is the process and then, How long does that typically take?   Ask the employer the same type of Situational questions they are asking you in interviewstell me about a time when one of your employees was recognized for an accomplishment. For those employed, can you do  what it takes to change the culture or will you begin looking for the next great employment opportunity? If you decide to stay, what will the short-term implications be?   Will you disengage and become less productive?   Will you argue with management, will you disagree with co-workers, will you become negative on the job?   These are dangerous behaviors that can/will lead to termination, so be careful. Fit and belonging is our responsibility.   We can either move on or adapt our expectations and behavior. Have you ever had a bad fit?   Let me know.