The “good feelings” generated over the Internet from something as simple as a birthday wish on Facebook – many from friends you have never personally met, sends a very important message about recruiting.
During mid-July, I received more than 100 “happy birthday” greetings and well wishes from numerous friends on Facebook – ranging from childhood through college friends with whom I re-connected, to new friends from around the world introduced into my life by our new social media dynamic. Recently, my wife Thalia also received “happy birthday”s from her friends among the same spectrum of people.
Unless you have a problem with growing old, “happy birthday” wishes are sincerely appreciated, and generally speaking, people who take a moment from their day to write a quick note to you – it promotes an emotional response – and it was from the Internet mind you, and not a “real life,” personal experience. And you know what? I didn’t stop to discern who I personally know and don’t, or the fact that these greetings/salutations/wishes were over the Internet. It’s the same now.
And with all jobseekers online now, how one gets a bona fide reaction that hits home over the Internet, should be taken seriously by in-house recruiters, espcially in competitive industries.
The better recruiting professionals understand that recruiting is also “selling.”
And the first rule of sales, via all the great sales trainers through time, is you must reach people’s emotions in order to sell them; Bert Decker, author of the famous book “You Have to be Believed to be Heard” talked about our “right brain” and his famous line is: “People buy on emotion and justify their decision with facts.”
- The car TV commercial is a classic example – where the first part of the ad attempts to draw you in regarding the “excitement” or passion for the driving experience, or a warm hearted family-oriented theme designed to “reach” you, AND THEN the last part of the commercial reviews safety ratings, special lease rates, gas economy, etc. (So there it is: first selling on emotion, but then justifying the good feeling with facts). The consumer watching the commercial’s reaction is: “Hey honey (to the wife), that car is what we need, and look – they have a great safety rating and a special financing rate.” That’s classic sales right there, and I used to train top sales pros, such as stock brokers – phrases like “sleep good at night” were rehearsed; not much was impromptu when trying to win over customers in that competitive arena.
For a decade, my company’s work has been on the singular focus of understanding how tools related to the virtual Internet (made possible through the growing of high-speed connectivity) would allow for career advertising on the Internet to go from mere “text-based” job descriptions and instead of a reading experience, to Online Job Tour being a “virtual interview visit” that “reaches” job seekers – which is that first step that is essential for effective selling, and then have authentic and “drill deep” content to make it far more comprehensive than on the real trip.
Our studies prove as our culture has made this permanent shift to the Internet and there is no longer a line between reality and web content in our lives, Online Job Tour is actually a better “trip” for BOTH sides: for the jobseeker (and their entire family – who cannot take a real interview trip) who has many options and time constraints, and usually have to bring their spouse – travel is becoming more inconvenient, etc., as well as for employers who cannot afford to host every single prospect (and their extended family) who comes across their career advertising to visit their facilities, people, and locations and has competition issues as well as numerous costs, limitations and challenges.
So just like these birthday wishes made me and my wife, and everyone, feel good and appreciated and liked, Online Job Tour promotes the same feelings employers need to begin to promote their careers. We have countless examples from candidates including Ivy League-educated physicians and their spouses, who have emailed our clients with their willingness to accept jobs without a real interview trip after using Online Job Tour.
Online Job Tour and our seven year test market with hospitals has proven there is no longer a distinction between what is online and reality – whether it’s a simple birthday wish from a friend you never met on Facebook, or something as complex as a virtual interview visit experience for a career move.
Employers had better take notice!
For information on Online Job Tour, including our mobile and iPad-compatible sites, visit our website or call me at our studio.
Carl Brickman
President and Founder
Online Job Tour
Tampa, FL
813-855-5185
www.onlinejobtour.com
Carl Brickman 