Alberta Business Marketing

According to a new study co-authored by professors from Dalhousie University, Carleton University and the University of Guelph, all four generations in the Canadian workplace value similar things. So what might cause employers headaches is that they value them in different ways.

The Millennial Generation (in their 20s) is most likely to covet a job that offers quick advancement, congenial co-workers and a lot of fun. Gen-Xers (in their 30s and early 40s) put the most value on work-life balance. Boomers (aged 46 to 64) are most likely to say they want to continue to grow and use their skills on the job and get clear information from management on what’s expected from them. Mature workers (over 60) are more concerned about their advancement than boomers or Gen-Xers.

Job-hopping, apparently, has become a fact of life for younger employees. The study indicated that it’s not the economy that is making them jump ship, but because they feel that they have to keep moving because they are not getting what they want from their current jobs.

I’ve previously blogged about inter-generation tension within the workplace. But according to this new study, maybe the key takeaway for employers is that they should provide more flexibility for young and mature workers alike, and create more opportunities for employees to move within the organization to accumulate experience and enhance capabilities. Once companies are able to make this a reality, they should also try to brand themselves that way to attract the right people.

Tags: Human Resources
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Meet Gerry Johannson, Steven Kotlowitz and Ritch Winter - Edmonton-based NHL agents and recruiters

Tags: Gerry Johannson, Human Resources, Out Front, Ritch Winter, Steven Kotlowitz, The Sports Corp.
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Whether brands are aligning with a cause, assessing the environmental impact of their operations or going to market with new green products, there’s one important group of stakeholders they shouldn’t overlook: their employees.

Employees aren’t just the suppliers of expertise or facilitators of transactions. They are an essential part of a brand, particularly in industries with a customer or client service component. From the team behind the counter at a quick-serve restaurant to a specialist at a professional services firm, employees are responsible for making a brand come to life with their every interaction.

For this reason, a brand needs to be much more than just a framework for external communications, as noted by Ruchika Joshi of Interbrand. If a brand is to successfully convey its promise, it needs to inspire employee engagement and provide guidelines for employee behaviour.

This is not an easy task. A brand is much more than a logo, tagline and set of customer promises. A brand must also reflect a company’s strategy for coping with a changing society, one where the public expects business to be accountable for a growing list of environmental and social issues. When employees buy into their employer’s brand, they are by default buying into its sustainability strategy.

And, in truth, no brand could successfully pursue a sustainability strategy without the support of its workforce. Brands depend on employees to align company operations with corporate values. As explained by the National Environmental Education Foundation, employees make decisions everyday that can have sweeping environmental and social consequences for a brand. Or, to put it more simply, in today’s marketplace, “all jobs are green jobs.”

Engaging employees in sustainability issues isn't just good for the health of the brand. It also has an impact on recruitment and retention, particularly among the next generation of workers.

A PricewaterhouseCoopers study found that 88% of Millennials will choose employers whose social responsibility values reflect their own – and 86% would consider leaving if the company’s values no longer matched their expectations.

In fact, a third of CEOs decided to take action on sustainability issues specifically because of the impact on employee engagement and recruitment, according to Accenture’s 2010 CEO Study.

Establishing a sustainability strategy and getting employee involvement quickly becomes a virtuous circle for a brand.

A clear sustainability strategy signals to the marketplace that this is a brand with longevity in a world where supply chains are under increased public scrutiny and any misstep quickly ricochets though Twitter. Employees are then attracted to companies with a progressive stance on environmental and social issues. And those engaged employees will ultimately build a stronger brand.

Stephanie Myers

Tags: Branding, corporate social responsibility, Human Resources
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Times are tough. Lots of people are competing for fewer jobs. And applying for jobs can be difficult at the best of times to begin with.

I recall when the economy was 'good' and I'd receive dozens upon dozens of qualified resumes. Ones that actually met the hiring criteria and didn't have any grammatical errors, typos or inappropriate profiles on social networks. (Yes, any employer worth their salt is going to Google candidates, check them out on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.)

But even with sufficient filtering a hiring manager will still be overwhelmed in a tsunami of resumes. So what do job seekers do? How does one differentiate themselves? How does one stand out from the crowd? What can they do that is innovative?

A friend of mine, Heidi Jackman, is the CMO at Sliderocket. The company was founded in 2007 with the simple goal of building better presentations because we all know how painful some visual presentations can be.

Heidi recently forwarded me an terrific story. Where an aspiring job seeker by the name of Hanna Phan put forward her intent of looking for position at SlideRocket. But she didn't do via resume. Take a look here or below.

Pretty impressive. As Heidi aptly commented "This is both such a great story, an amazing show of creativity and a bright spot in our tough job economy."

So I'm sure it's no surprise to you that Heidi hired Hanna. Here is an explanation in Hanna's own words of why she did something different.

My point is not that everyone should use SlideRocket although I'm sure Heidi and Hanna would love it if you did.

Figure out as a leader, marketer or job seeker (agency side or client side) what you can do in a genuine and innovative way to stand out from the crowd. Odds are you can. And odds are it's not just another campaign or resume.

Sulemaan Ahmed
Twitter @sulemaan

Tags: Branding, Human Resources, Marketing Talent, This and That
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The wildfire that tore through Slave Lake on May 15 - 16 destroyed 733 homes and caused an estimated $700 million in damages. What the town lost, and how it plans to get it back

Tags: Human Resources, Slave Lake
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