Posts Tagged ‘Social recruiting’

Mission accomplished at #hrpa2010

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

How do they do it? Among the sea of booths how does an organization succeed in standing out in the crowd?

With over 250 exhibitors at the 2010 HRPA Conference and Trade Show, it is important that you set your self apart from the others. But how? Some offer free giveaways such as environmentally friendly bags or key chains, others are able to offer larger incentives, such as the possibility of winning a trip or even a free car (who couldn’t use a FREE Smart Car?) or some offer a chance to play an exciting game – Klinkos anyone? Who hasn’t watched The Price is Right? Anything you can do to entice the attendee to stop by and learn more about what you have to offer.

A friendly and upbeat personality is a necessary ingredient to attracting people to your display. Overly talkative exhibitors can coax people to stop by, but may have a tough time keeping those potential clients there if they don’t stop talking and start listening. By simply offering your assistance with questions and explaining your products and services in a professional and welcoming environment will go a long way.

A very big NO-NO in the world of Trade Shows, are exhibitors who are MIA (Missing In Action). Nothing frustrates a potential customer more then when they have a viable interest in your product or service and there is no one around to speak with. Make sure to have enough coverage, or if you are one man short, save the breaks to off-peak times. Don’t lose the chance to make a good impression on a potential customer.

With a friendly attitude, drawing attendees to the booth is the easy part. Now that you’ve got them, use that chance wisely to make sure they are engaged, and connected not just immediately but more importantly after show, when the real selling begins!

Follow Sandra @sandragallacher

A Tidal Wave of Change (Part II)

Thursday, January 14th, 2010

Even with all the recent economic disruption and financial turmoil, companies must prepare for an oncoming tsunami.  Companies need to rethink their relationship with employees.  They need to change internally and externally the way they engage and communicate with their employees and prospective candidates.

Management will have to change their idea of organizational structure from hierarchal or matrix to peer-to-peer structures with their group work philosophy and power cliques.  A new environment will emerge where individual power within an organization doesn’t just come from position but is strongly influenced by connectivity, peer ranking, expertise, etc.  In fact, connectedness will have a greater and greater influence on power both within and outside an organization.

So those of you who scoff at a twenty somethings today with 2000 Facebook friends should be cautious, those same twenty somethings could one day wield tremendous organizational and market power.

So how do companies prepare for this coming tsunami?  They need to get involved now.  Engage social media, implement social networking tools internally and externally.  Allow employees to reach through the corporate firewall and form connections with the next generation of worker, engage them in a conversation, learn and absorb their culture and ideals.

In essence build a boat, get on board and meet the tsunami head on; you may get rocked around at sea but you will survive.  Stay motionless on land however and you’re bound to be crushed.