College Students Value Social Media Access at Work (Some More than Salary)

Employers, take note: according to a new Cisco study,"The ability to use social media, mobile devices, and the Internet more freely in the workplace is strong enough to influence job choice, sometimes more than salary." The New Workplace Currency report, which surveyed 2,800 students and young professionals, gives clear guidance to employers who want to recruit top talent.

Fast Company reports,

According to the report, 40% of college students and 45% of young professionals would accept lower-paying jobs if they had more access to social media, more choice in the devices they could use at work, and more flexibility in working remotely. More than half of the college students surveyed indicated that if an employer banned access to networks like Facebook at work, "they would either not accept a job offer from them or would join and find a way to circumvent."

The report is interesting but not all that surprising, is it?  

Discussion Starters:

• What is most and least surprising from the report? (See full infographic.)
• From an employer's perspective, what are the downsides of offering the choice and flexibility that new workers want?
• As a job seeker, what is important to you? Which of the report's findings reflect your own priorities for a new job?
• During a job interview, what do you think is appropriate to ask regarding social media and mobile devices? What would you ask at a second rather than a first interview?

New Study: Social Media Posts Can Make or Break a Hiring Decision

Previous studies have shown that people involved in the hiring process search online for candidates. A new study by Reppler confirms that 91% search Facebook, Twitter, and/or LinkedIn before making a hiring decision.

This study gives us good and bad news about the results of these searches. Although 69% of employers have rejected a candidate because of what they saw posted, 68% have hired a candidate for the same reason.

The study reminds us that smart candidates post positive information about themselves online. Here's an enlarged infographic.

Assignment Ideas: 

• Google yourself and see what you reveal. Are you well represented on the web? Do you want to change anything to improve your online reputation?
• Create a LinkedIn page if you don't already have one. To bolster your online reputation via LinkedIn, add connections, provide more detail in your profile, and join professional groups.

Volunteer Experience Could Land You a Job

A recent survey has convinced LinkedIn to add a new field to online profiles: "Volunteer Experiences & Causes." According to the survey of 2,000 professionals, 41% of hiring managers believe that volunteer experience is just as valuable as paid experience, and 20% of hiring managers have made hiring decisions based on a candidate's volunteer work. Eighty-nine percent of the survey respondents had performed volunteer work, yet only 45% of them included this on their resumes, feeling that they didn't want to exploit the community group -- or because they didn't think about including the experience.

Volunteer work could give you skills and experience that employers want: teamwork, interpersonal skills, sales and marketing, and more. So why not include this on your resume, particularly in a tight, competitive labor market?

Discussion Starters:

• Do you currently list volunteer work on your resume? Why or why not? Will you add it now that you see how much it is valued by employers?
• What are the downsides of including volunteer experience on your resume?
• Looking back on your volunteer work, what competencies (skills, knowledge, or abilities) do you believe the experience developed that might be useful in your career?

Good Job News for IT Professionals

Despite the depressing economic news, tech hiring is booming. How does a $50,000 sign-on bonus sound? Trips, parties, and perks are in full force to lure potential candidates to technology companies such as Yammer and Dreamforce.For tech professionals, the unemployment rate is merely 3.3%, considered full employment by some. Jobs in high demand include "cloud computing engineers, security experts, and mobile developers as well as sales professionals in the technology industry" according to a BusinessWeek article. Some cities are seeing tremendous growth in tech jobs; tech hiring in Detroit, for example, has grown 66% as automakers use more sophisticated technology in cars and require specialized skills.

 Discussion Starters:

• How can technology job seekers distinguish themselves in this competitive market?
• How can you explain the boom in tech jobs when the rest of the economy isn't faring so well?
• Which perks do you consider most effective in attracting candidates to jobs? Which, if any, would be most likely to convince you to take a job?

"Gigs for Grads" Are Looking Up

Course Hero created this infographic to summarize recent research about college graduates' job prospects. You'll see quite a lot of good news according to the National Association for Colleges and Employers, including an average salary offer increase of 4.8% for 2011 grads. Also, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has identified several areas for large growth by 2018: education, business, multimedia and web design, nursing, and software engineering.

Discussion Starters:

• The infographic shows a discrepancy between growing fields and students' chosen majors. Does knowing that a particular area is expected to grow affect your choice of major? Why or why not?
• Eight of the ten highest paying jobs are in Engineering, but only 8.2% of undergraduates have chosen this major. Does knowing that you could have more income potential in Engineering than in your chosen field affect your career choice? Why or why not?

How to Get People to Respond to Your Emails

The New York Times published an article yesterday, "Is Anyone There?" voicing the frustration that many of us feel when our emails go unanswered. There are no guarantees, but here are a few ideas for getting a response to your email:

• Use a catchy, specific subject line. These can be full sentences, for example, "Can you come to the meeting on Friday?" Consider including your entire message in the subject line and adding "[EOM]," meaning "end of message." This saves people having to open your message. (See SEND by Shipley and Schwable.)
• Make responding easy. Ask specific, easy questions that don't require a lot of reading or a complex answer. If you need more, schedule a meeting -- there's just so much email can do.
• Put your main point in the first sentence. Don't ramble with two paragraphs of background information before you ask for what you need.
• Focus on the reader. Consider what's important to the receiver -- why should he or she respond? "Please let me know whether I can contact Maryann directly. I want to save you the trouble, but I don't want to overstep either."
• Give a time frame for a response. "ASAP" means within 5 minutes to me, but may mean a week and a half to you. Try, "Will you please let me know by Tuesday, 7/16, whether this outline is on track, so I can finish the report by Friday?"
• Use short paragraphs and write concisely. Edit ruthlessly.
• Consider different colors and fonts to make your email skimmable -- within reason.
• Pick up the phone. Either as follow-up or {gasp!} in lieu of an email, trying calling someone instead. Email is the default medium for most business communication, but it's not the only choice.
• Send an IM instead. For quick questions, try for a quick answer.

Here are some more ideas, but reserve these for when you don't care too much about maintaining a relationship with the receiver:

• Send emails with a receipt. This is sure to annoy anyone into either responding or never opening another email from you.
• Send "Second Request" in the subject line. Truly overwhelmed emailers may appreciate this, but others will consider it an insult -- particularly if sent 3 hours after the original message.
• Copy someone important. This may inspire someone to jump in your behalf but also may embarrass someone into further non-response.

Sometimes, a non-answer is, in fact, an answer. If you don't hear back after an interview, yes, the recruiter is rude, but after a week or so, you probably have your response.

Discussion Starters:

• Have you sent email that didn't get a response? In retrospect, what could you have done differently?
• Have you ever ignored email sent to you? Do you consider it rude? Why or why not?

Future Doctors Tested for People Skills

Medical schools are finally seeing the importance of a good "bedside manner" and are testing applicants for people skills. The "M.M.I." or multiple mini interview is now in place in at least eight medical schools in the United States and 13 in Canada. Applicants face ethical questions, such as circumcision and alternative remedies, and have to discuss their views in nine brief interviews. A New York Times article explains:

"Candidates who jump to improper conclusions, fail to listen or are overly opinionated fare poorly because such behavior undermines teams. Those who respond appropriately to the emotional tenor of the interviewer or ask for more information do well in the new admissions process because such tendencies are helpful not only with colleagues but also with patients."

Discussion Starters:

• What is your opinion about the new selection technique? In what ways is this similar to employment interviews for corporate jobs?
• What do you think about the emphasis on people skills for medical school students? Is this important, or should doctors just be good scientists?
• What is your experience with doctors and their people skills? Do you see room for improvement that this selection process might help?

As "Sheriff" of Vancouver Riots, Social Media Nabs Several People

Disappointed fans rioted after the Vancouver Canucks' Stanley Cup loss, and now some are paying the price. A University of British Columbia student, caught up in the action and caught on video, took two pair of pants from a store. She has since apologized on her blog. 

Cacnio wasn't the only one identified in riot videos (she can be seen at 1:30 - 1:33 below). According to a Globe and Mail story, "Social media has become the sheriff of this unlawful event, in essence rounding up a number of rioters by posting their pictures on the Internet and encouraging people to identify the people in them. That has led to online shaming of those named, some of whom have since turned themselves into police and are lining up to publicly apologize online."

Discussion Starters:

• If a prospective employer Googled you, what would he or she find? (Try searching for yourself to make sure.)
• How do you assess Cacnio's apology? She has quite an extensive list of people to whom she apologizes. Do you think this is appropriate given the situation, or did she do more than was necessary?

Fiesta Bowl Responds to Accusations

The Story

The Fiesta Bowl, a college football game, is charged with reimbursing employees for political contributions totaling more than $46,000. These employee donations -- and political fundraisers hosted at Fiesta Bowl facilities -- apparently violate federal election laws. A watchdog group has encouraged the Federal Election Commission to investigate the situation. CEO John Junker was terminated in light of other improper expenditures and reimbursements, including this example: "In March 2010, the bowl paid for $75 worth of flowers sent to an admissions official at University of Texas-Austin where Junker's daughter was accepted into the honors program." Read more.

Discussion Starters

• From your understanding of ethical decision making and gift giving, how do you assess the examples of impropriety at the Fiesta Bowl?
• What are the consequences of this situation for brands associated with the Fiesta Bowl: Tostitos and Frito-Lay? See the Bowl's sponsor page.
• Read the Fiesta Bowl's press release about the situation. What do you consider the most and least convincing arguments of this company's message?

Assignment Ideas

• Write a policy for giving gifts for Fiesta Bowl employees. Draft your own version first, and then search online for similar policies. Revise yours to include topics you may have missed.
• Write a shorter version of the Fiesta Bowl's press release for employees. How can you adapt this message for an internal audience?
• Review the full report and analyze the features, organization, and writing style. Write a memo to the authors with your analysis. What do you see as strengths of the report, and how can it be improved?

U.K. Tweets Can Appear in the Press

The Story

Sarah Baskerville, a U.K. Department of Transport government worker, tweeted about being hungover at work (among other issues).  Although intended only for her 700 followers, newspapers published the story.  One newspaper published Baskerville's tweets under the headline, "Oh please stop this twit from tweeting, someone."  Baskerville claimed invasion of privacy, but the Press Complaints Commission ruled it was not.  According to the Commission, tweets are public because followers can retweet them to anyone.   

 

Discussion Starters

• What is your reaction to the Commission's decision?  Do you agree with the decision?  Why or why not?
• What have you tweeted or posted on Facebook that may embarrass you?  If anything you post could be considered public -- and publishable in newspapers -- would you adjust your online content? 

Assignment Ideas

• In pairs, search online for comments by or about the other student.  If you were a recruiter, what content could be considered questionable?  Give the other student feedback about what he or she might consider changing.
• On Twitter, search for tweets that may embarrass people. Find a tweet that you know the writer would not like to appear in the newspaper.  Write an email to the tweeter to explain why he or she may want to remove the tweet.

High Youth Unemployment in the U.K.

 The Story

Youth unemployment jumped to over 900,000, the highest since 1992.  One out of 5 people aged 16-24 is now out of work.

 Discussion Starters

• What advice would you give young people in the U.K. in seeking employment?  Focus, particularly, on how people can differentiate themselves in a competitive market.  And what can unemployed young people do while not working (in addition to looking for a job, of course)?
• Have you ever looked for a job or internship and had difficulty finding one?  In the end, what did you learn from the experience?  If you ultimately did get a job, how did it finally happen?

 Assignment Ideas

• Research differences between U.S. and European employment communications.  For example, what are the differences between a resume and a C.V. for business jobs? What other differences would you expect, knowing about each culture?  Assume that a friend or colleague is exploring job opportunities in Europe.  Write an email to him or her summarizing your findings.
• Imagine that you're applying for a job in the U.K.  If you have a U.S.-centric resume, adapt it for a European company.

New UBS Dress Code: No Earrings for Men

The Story

In a pilot for five UBS locations, the company created a 43-page dress code.  No black nail polish  or too-short skirts if UBS employees want to get ahead.  The code advises employees how to "enhance your personality" and "increase your popularity" by wearing "discreet lipstick" and getting a "stylish haircut."  The new code may be part of UBS's attempts to rebuild their image, like the commercial, "We Will Not Rest."

Discussion Starters

• What was the dress code for previous places where you have worked?  Did you think the attire was appropriate, too formal, or too informal for the business, considering the industry and company culture?
• Could such a dress code, which promotes conservative banking attire rebuild USB's image?  Does USB's recent commercial, "We Will Not Rest."

Assignment Ideas

• Working in small groups, draft a list of instructions that you believe should be included in a company's dress code.  Of course, every company is different, so choose a company that all of you know.  After you have drafted a list, work on an organizational structure: how can you group topics clearly and logically?
• Write an email to employees to introduce your new dress code.  What will be important for employees to know about the code (which you can attach)?  How can you present the code in the best possible light, so that employees understand the rationale and buy into the change.

The List Is in: Best Companies to Work For

The Story

A newly published list of Best Companies to Work For includes a newcomer that now holds the number 1 spot: Facebook.  This report is published the same week that Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's founder and CEO, is named Time Magazine's Person of the Year.  Other winners on the best company list include Southwest, Bain & Company, General Mills, Edelman, Boston Consulting Group, and SAS.  The list is generated by Glassdoor.com's Employees' Choice Awards.  Did your favorite company make the list?

Discussion Starters

• What is your favorite company to work for?  What criteria are you using to determine this?
• To what extent are you influenced by lists of top employers?  Why or why not?  Does this list, generated by employee feedback, have more credibility, in your opinion?

Assignment Ideas

• Choose one of the companies on the list and write an introductory paragraph for a cover letter.  How will you reference the company's spot on the best company list in a sincere way?  
• Explore comments about your favorite company on Glassdoor.com.  Summarize what you have learned in a memo to your instructor.  Try to balance positive and negative information about the company, knowing that the feedback is all from employees and may not represent an objective view.  Which comments do you find most believable and why?  Which are least believable and why?

Can Facebook Get You Fired?

The Story

Angry at her boss, an ambulance company employee posted negative comments about him on her Facebook page.  Three weeks later, the employee was fired.  The company claims that the employee was terminated for other reasons, but the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is suing for illegal discharge.  The claim is based on the National Labor Relations Act, which protects employees' "concerted activity."  The claim also challenges the company's social media policy, which tries to curb employees' online comments about their companies. This case will be an interesting one to watch!

Update (2/8/11): The case was settled, which doesn't change laws around Facebook posts but does put companies on notice.

Discussion Starters

• The employee, Dawnmarie Souza, used strong language about her supervisor.  Legal or not, what's your view on whether this was a good idea?  
• What situations have you encountered where employees' (or students') Facebook post have gotten them in trouble?

Assignment Ideas

• First, consider NLRB's news release about the case.  In the third paragraph, the NLRB states that "the company's blogging and internet posting policy contained unlawful provisions, including one that prohibited employees from making disparaging remarks when discussing the company or supervisors and another that prohibited employees from depicting the company in any way over the internet without company permission."  Next, review a company's social media policy. (You'll find many here.)  Does the company's policy include language that restricts an employee's online activity?  If so, write an email to the company's VP, social media, explaining the situation and warning him or her that the policy is in question (although nothing has been decided yet).
• Research other cases where employees have been terminated for online comments.  Choose one situation to discuss with the rest of the class.  Do you think the termination was appropriate in this case?  Why or why not?
• Look at your Facebook page.  Are there any posts that could be called into question by a past or potential future employer?

Student Fabricates Resume

The Story

A student's "life of deception," as reported by the The New York Times, finally caught up with him this week.  Adam Wheeler was accepted into Harvard as a transfer student, but the admissions staff missed a few issues: a suspension from Bowdoin, fake reference letters, and plagiarism.  The graphics below summarize Wheeler's falsifications on his resume and his claims when applying to three schools.

Click on the graphic to view the PDF. Resume graphic source.

 
Claims graphic source. 

Discussion Starters

• What would lead a student to this level of fakery, which landed him with criminal charges including larceny for accepting $50,000 in financial aid and prizes? 
• What is Harvard's responsibility in this situation?  What could the admissions staff have done differently?
• How does this situation relate to employment applications?  How does this situation compare to that of Jeffrey Chiang, who, a year earlier, lied during his job search and was black listed from many Wall Street firms? 

Assignment Ideas

• Take a fresh, objective look at your own resume.  During an interview with a sharp recruiter, will you be able to explain and justify all of your claims?  Do you need to tone down any examples?  Or, on the other hand, are you representing your "best self," as discussed in Chapter 12?  Are you unnecessarily downplaying parts of your experience?
• With a partner, practice a couple of interview questions around the items that may be a stretch on your resume.  For example, if you included membership in an organization, have your partner ask you about it to see whether you can say enough during an interview to support what you wrote on your resume.