Published on: Wednesday, November 09, 2011
Is Your New Job as Important as Your Smartphone?
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Before buying your new Android, BlackBerry or latest iPhone, you probably will do some research. You'll check what's available through your carrier, read the expert reviews and user experiences; even visit the hardcore gadget blogs and communities. Maybe you even hashtag the model on Twitter or watch an unboxing and first-time usage on YouTube.
For some, a rave recommendation from a friend is enough to sway a purchase. After all, your smartphone is important to you. You heavily rely on it for email, texts, mobile web, and, even voice calls too. You probably almost feel incomplete (but secretly liberated) when you leave the house without it.
With all the information readily available, copious amounts of research is expected before purchasing a phone that will lock you into a two-year commitment – before buying any product or service, in fact. Yet, candidates still go into job interviews – and even accept offers – without subjecting the prospective employer, management team and culture to the same rigorous due diligence.
About 17 percent of new executive hires don't make it through their first year on the job, according to
ExecuNet's Executive Job Market Intelligence Report, and the enthusiasm for a new role typically wanes after about a year. Some of that early disappointment could have been avoided had the candidate (and even the recruiter!) reached out to their own networks and beyond to learn more before saying yes.
Research Before ReadinessGadget geeks don't wait until their current phone stops working, gets lost, suffers an unfortunate accident or the service provider contract expires to learn about their next handheld device. Neither should you wait until your company begins issuing layoffs, the economy slips or, even better, the market brims with new opportunity, for you to have a target list of potential new employers. Just as the appropriate communities are a source for information on new and emerging smartphones, so will the right networks hold key information on the companies that best meet your needs.
Through a diverse network of connections including municipal employees, realtors, tradespeople, temp workers and executives, you can learn about regional expansions, start-ups, new product developments, and other companies well in advance of broader awareness. You could get a jump on the competition if you have these companies on your target list before others are aware of their hiring needs.
Make Use of User ReviewsThe next smartphone you buy is going to be the best one EVER! After all, the manufacturer's promotional material says so. But the user reviews may tell a different story, and one that is a better representation of the experience you can expect.
Company websites and job descriptions are no different than marketing copy that's going to portray the organization in the best possible way – from their perspective. While the words may be steeped in truth and the smiling employees and testimonials aren't staged, there could be another point-of-view that isn't on display, and that's what you’ll learn from your network.
If there is a company you are interested in learning more about, it's practically guaranteed there is someone you know who knows someone somewhere who can refer you to someone who works/has worked there or knows a high-ranking executive in the organization. Some short conversations (with someone other than a disgruntled employee!) could reveal a lot.
Your network is no longer limited to people you are consensually connected to anymore; you can crowdsource information by checking out the buzz on social networks about companies or Googling them to assess their online reputations.
Refer a FriendMany of us have friends who we trust as "go-to" sources of information for different topics, an early adopter of products or an influencer in our circle of friends. You know if they bought X, they have thoroughly researched that X was the best of all the competing products. So, if this friend bought or recommended a certain model mobile phone, that alone is enough to compel us to buy the same thing.
That philosophy is also the basis for employee referral programs where companies encourage employees to refer qualified candidates for open positions. Oftentimes, if the referral gets hired, the employee gets a reward.
Most people won't refer someone for a position within their company if they aren't satisfied with their employer, feeling a sense of personal responsibility if the new hire is miserable. A full two-thirds of respondents reported in ExecuNet's Executive Job Market Intelligence Report that they would refer executives they know for positions within their company, suggesting that their networks were rich sources for talent.
The Bottom LineWe live in the era of the educated consumer, whereby most of us preface every purchase with research. According to Pew Internet & American Life Project, 58 percent of American consumers perform online research prior to purchasing a product a service – up from 49 percent in 2004. When you consider that much of this research is for low-usage (travel) or low-cost (books) items, wouldn't you say it's worth putting greater effort into researching your next job?
Robyn Greenspan
Lessons learned from and about six-figure leadership and executive career management
