Effective recruiting via a weblog

I recently read the following on a site: 'Working at company X is characterized by collaboration, development and respect.' Unfortunately, these kinds of platitudes are frequently found on recruitment sites under navigation items such as 'our culture'. The section in question, however, is often padded with standard stories, vague visions and features that could describe just about any company.

Potential new employees will only get a real impression of a company's culture if it is felt or seen throughout the entire website. That means videos, project descriptions or stories told by employees, in the form of a blog, for example. Moreover, this kind of information makes your business more concrete. By creating a blog for employees, a company can achieve the following:

Shed light on what an average day looks like for employees and what their work actually entails.
Profile itself as an opinion leader within its own specialty.
Make the company's way of working and associating with people tangible and concrete.

Weblog for applicants of AMIS, Independer and Reed Business

I ultimately found three excellent examples. IT company Amis has a very personal blog dedicated to working at AMIS. The employees' positive tone and enthusiasm when they talk about the company is striking. Unfortunately, the blog doesn’t point out who the authors are, as a result of which visitors aren't aware of the positions these weblog writers occupy. Moreover, the posts receive few responses. As soon as I try it out myself, I can see why: an attempt to respond results in an error. (werkenbij.amis.nl)

For people more interested in content, there's also the technology blog, where employees immerse themselves in Oracle mysteries.

IT company Amis has a very personal blog dedicated to working at AMIS,
werkenbij.amis.nl

According to Independer.nl, they have had a weblog since August 2008 that aims to 'initiate a dialogue with consumers [...] and also inform potential employees about Independer.nl as an employer.' The blog about working at Independer contains seven posts that present their departments to outsiders via text and sometimes video. Responding is an option, but it rarely happens. In conjunction with the posts about other subjects, candidates do gain considerable insight into Independer.nl's atmosphere and the specific activities it engages in. (weblog.independer.nl)

weblog.independer.nl

In 2007, Reed Business won a prize for best experience in digital job application. Their blog (http://www.werkenbijreedbusiness.nl) is personal, up to date, and the posts are categorized in a clear way. Perhaps most importantly: they receive responses!

www.werkenbijreedbusiness.nl

The Reed Business blog is maintained by different employees on a regular basis. They also respond quickly to posts.

And then there are companies such as Mangrove, TamTam and Sogeti, who have blogs about their specific field of expertise. These blogs do offer insights, but they aren’t linked to the 'Working at' section.

A successful recruitment blog

A successful recruitment blog:

Is written by real employees
Who occupy all kinds of positions
Who write about everyday (work-related) issues
In an honest and open way
And it is well maintained

The last item on the list isn't a foregone conclusion. Many blogs begin with the best of intentions, but after a while they aren't kept up to date. This does not benefit a company’s image as an enthusiastic, interesting employer. If you are thinking of starting a recruitment weblog, look for motivated writers inside your organization instead of forcing people to write. Once they start writing, they will have to commit themselves to it. Incorporate the writing for a blog into a Personal Development Plan or even a job profile. Ensure that writing becomes a meaningful task by linking it to a competition or reward element.

The future: a social network for applicants

What I failed to encounter are blogs by company employees that are specifically geared to a group of candidates. Why not establish an internship blog, where interns who started their careers at a given company can share their experiences with people on the verge of graduating? It would be an opportunity for potential candidates to pose questions to real employees instead of recruiters. In short, a recruitment site as an interactive community.

Many have lingering doubts about whether a company or a job actually suit them. Online advice and contact with employees can remove this doubt. Chat sessions, blogs, videos, tests and tools (create your own vacancy?) allow candidates to interact with companies. The recruitment site of the future is a social network where candidates can already meet a company's employees.

And, of course, interaction is ultimately not limited to the website itself. A recruitment site could also link up to employees' external blogs. Hyves pages, Tweets or LinkedIn groups (as AMIS is already doing).