GenYNetworking.com

Learn Something New About Your Online “Face”

Whether you work for a large Fortune 500 entity or a smaller family-run business, your goal is to put your best face forward to customers, right?

What about current and future employees? Specifically, what personality do you put out there for Gen Y in a place that they will see your best qualities?

As a job seeker, I’m always on the lookout for the golden company to work for: the organization that will pay me a fair (if not more) wage and will provide the best benefits and have an incredible work environment – one that makes me feel confident as I walk through the front door. Sometimes Gen Y is more apt to look for “a better fit” in their work atmosphere than pay, and your company’s presence online is a telltale sign of what to expect their first day on the job.

To know how to reach out, reach inside the company and online:

Research is key to know where your company stands in the eyes of current and future employees

• Reach in: Employee surveys.  Some companies, such as Employee Surveys will do it for you. Or, you can do your own through websites such as Survey Monkey and customize your responses to be as specific as you want. This is a quick way to get a fairly comprehensive view of what your employees think. Not only can it give you a new glimpse inside your organization, but it will also allow you to understand detailed information for certain audiences, such as Gen Y. While this is a simple suggestion, I feel that companies don’t take this step often enough.
• Reach out: Online presence. Here is a simple question: When was the last time you ran an online search for your company? What did you find? Generation Y, the Internet Generation, has a tendency to go straight to the Web in order to know more about you. What are the top five entries that come up in a Google search?

Here are some suggestions on how to boost your online portfolio:

• Google Profile: These tend to be more for people who use Gmail as their primary e-mail service, but you can create one for your company.  Create a generic Gmail account for your organization and start working on your profile. Include your company’s website and information about how to find a person in HR for job opportunities.
• Examine your SEO: Search Engine Optimization is such a buzz term right now, but its true that you need to examine your website for how easily you can be found and understood by the common person browsing the Internet. We will discuss this in a later blog – it is a little too much to tackle here.
• Use LinkedIn to your advantage: Create a company profile, group and include job listings. This is a great way to have your company seen by Gen Y.

Reaching Out: Where is Gen Y looking?

If you only look inward to your company image and outward to your online presence, you’re only doing half the work necessary to reach to Gen Y. Don’t let this overwhelm you, but consider doing media outreach to where Gen Y is looking.

Here is a list of where you might consider pitching products or interviews to be in front of Gen Y:

Inc. Magazine (www.inc.com): This is an incredible resource for employers and employees alike. They also have an incredible Twitter feed that provides tips and tricks for entrepreneurs.

Bloomberg Businessweek: The first edition of the new magazine launched this week and is packed with solid information for employers. While Gen Y isn’t necessarily going to pick up a hard copy of the publication (I was given one free as I got off the Metro the other day), you can bet that they will see an interview with your CEO on the website.

Blogs: There are a few that I always look to as credible resources to learn about employers. I mentioned Fistful of Talent last week, but I would also recommend Women Grow Business or Come Recommended. I also frequent blog posts of companies I’m interested in, such as Richard Edelman’s 6 A.M. blog entries. A blog from your CEO or company can be an incredible resource for Gen Y. There are also some pitfalls to that as well – which we will address in another blog post.

Reaching in and outward are essential to any business’s success. Please offer tips to others on how you do this within your organization. Also, I’m always happy to interview employers on how they’re connecting with Gen Y,  so please contact me if you would like an interview.