The Power of Social Media

Social media is becoming one of the most popular advertising tactics worldwide. Our society seems to rely on technology and social media more and more by the day. Businesses are now calling the use of social media their “digital intelligence”. The benefits of social media allow companies to identify trending topics discussed by consumers and which contents has more influence.

For example, Twitter is an insightful way to keep up with what’s trending in your profession by following certain accounts or using hash tags. Hash tags are used to find related topics that you are interested in; they are used in several types of social media. Following different companies or influencers on social media is also a smart way to connect with potential business partners and consumers. On the contrary, social media could also allow you to see competitors’ activities and react quicker with counter strategies.

However, social media has its drawbacks as well.  For instance, spam is an ongoing problem with the Internet in general, which of course affects social media sites. Luckily, it’s easy to report spam and you can always change your password if needed. Many people find that social media can be distracting at times and throw them off topic. The internet is full of interesting distractions and sometimes you just have to focus the best you can and try narrowing your search to avoid unrelated matters.

 As many of you know, being personal with your customers is a vital marketing strategy, but unfortunately it’s difficult to be personal over social media. Companies should use social media for advertisement and providing general information to their consumers, and then use other forms of communication for subjective relations.

             Social media definitely has its pros and cons, but with that being said it’s more important that businesses keep up with society. Technology is taking over this generation as we know it, so might as well take advantage of it.

For more information on marketing strategies please contact Connor | Caitlin Talent Solutions at www.connorcaitlin.com.

Beyond the 3pm slump.

Wondering why you’re so tired at work all the time? There are many different causes as to why you might be struggling to stay awake, yet the solutions to them are actually quite simple. The most common reason would be poor sleeping habits or just lack of sleep. If you can’t seem to fall asleep earlier, try setting an alarm telling you to unwind and start getting ready for bed.

Other than the obvious reason, your personal diet and exercise routine could be affecting your sleeping habits. You might think that drinking coffee or eating some sweets throughout the day will keep you awake, but all that’ll do is give you energy for a short amount of time before you crash.  Normally you would consider exercising an activity that would just wear you out more, however studies show that working out when you’re tired will help you regain your energy.

A thought that wouldn’t normally cross one’s mind is dehydration. Instead of attempting to get through your workday with coffee, drink those suggested 8 glasses of water.

Do you happen to be a perfectionist? Well if you are that could be another not so obvious cause as to why you’re tired. This is because perfectionists are constantly setting goals for themselves that cannot always be met in the time they prefer or even at all. On the contrary, if you are a disorganized individual you might want to rethink your work-space. Having a cluttered desk is normally less than productive, but it’s especially a problem because it can make you feel mentally exhausted. If you are one of these individuals, start keeping a neater work-space by organizing your files in folders for example.

Finally, I’m sure almost everyone is familiar with the expression “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”. This is true because if you skip breakfast your body will try to conserve the energy that it didn’t get from its morning fuel, leaving you feeling tired all day. Start your day a little earlier next time in order to prepare a healthy breakfast to kick start your day. Hopefully these suggestions will stop you from dozing off at work next time.

Please contact Connor | Caitlin Talent Solutions at www.connorcaitlin.com for more suggestions on how to have a more productive work day.  

Millennials for the Millenniums

            Millennials love brands. Even though companies develop and change throughout the millenniums, customers often prefer to stick with their favorite brands. This is because brands provide reassurance and support to their customers. Millennials are being used to reform the economy with their exclusive experiences used to buy and sell. In order for companies to keep up with the millennials, they need to promote their brands with different forms of advertisement.

           

Technology is a key aspect of millennials; therefore brands would be more successful if they focused on promoting themselves through the Internet. The Internet is the fastest and easiest way to retrieve information, which is why companies create detailed yet user-friendly websites for their customers.

This results in customers beginning to gear towards online shopping opposed to going to the actual store. When it comes to brands and millennials, brands either want to be the “next big thing” or a classic brand that has always been loyal. Either way, when considering how brands work with millennials customers do usually stick with their desired brands.

If you need help solidifying your brand, or tips on how to market to millennials, please contact Connor|Caitlin.

www.connorcaitlin.com

Bossiness, Leadership, Compassion, Strength: What does the workforce want from women?

So you’re a woman in business and you want to be a leader, but what does that really mean for your behavior? This is a question women have been asking for decades, and the latest research may be able to help answer it.

According to new psychology research, strength and "niceness" account for 90 percent of our opinion of a person. Women have been told that in the workplace these two personality attributes are opposites, but that is not the case.

Research, done by Jack Zeneger and Joseph Folkman, shows the chance of a person who is strongly disliked being considered a good leader is 1 in 2,000. This tells us if you are not perceived as a nice person initially, it will be more difficult for you to demonstrate if you have skills and strength.

The majority of leaders begin with showing strength which projects that they are dominant and overbearing, therefore untrustworthy. However, the best way to become a good and trusted leader is to begin with warmth. Warmth creates a clear path to influence. Zig Ziglar may have said it best when he said, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

Even with all the new research and more answers for women in the workplace, there is no hard and fast solution to finding a balance between compassion and strength. Thanks to the abundance of accessible research, women today can be more prepared and better equipped to handle all that the world of business can throw at them. The most important thing to realize is that every work environment is different and it is important to always remain true to you.


If you have any questions about how your business can help the women in your workplace succeed, or if you personally have any questions, please contact Connor|Caitlin.



www.connorcaitlin.com

How to become a Marketing Sage

In any business, marketing strategies serve as one of the central objectives in the company’s success. Diversity is very important when it comes to marketing, because the more strategies, the better. 

One very common strategy would be partnering with allies. Marketing partnerships have a lot of benefits, such as: exposing your company to new audiences, partnerships are cheaper, and success is seen more quickly. With that being said, helping customers solve their problems is a vital approach as well. A business is intended to provide solutions by listening and responding to their clients, creating campaigns, and creating apps. Apps and campaigns are noble sources for clients to receive information and keep up to date on the company’s progress.

No matter the business, your customers are always interested in interacting with your company. Creating online tools, such as social media, are the more upcoming forms of communication. Once a company’s marketing strategies are becoming successful, it’s always a smart idea to create a more personal relationship with clients. When companies are willing to be actively involved with their customers it often creates a more comfortable environment. These marketing strategies are the building blocks of a prosperous company.

Contact Connor|Caitlin Talent Solutions at www.connorcaitlin.com for additional information on marketing strategies. 

Human Resources in a Technology Driven World

The first human resources department started in 1901 with the title of “personnel”.   Throughout the centuries since then, changes in industry and hiring demands have constantly changed the demands of HR departments in companies and corporations.

 Everyone knows that our world is run by technology. Sometimes that is something to celebrate and other times it makes a person want to pull their hair out. The fact is that technology has given a major face-lift, and helping hand, to human resources.

With constant Internet availability, professionals have more access to job postings and professional development tools than ever before. This translates into finding better candidates for hiring and more ways for an employer to screen potential candidates.

Résumé stacks that used to take hours to go through can now be sorted in minutes with computer programs. The lower costs of pre-hire screening tests gives employers better tools to screen candidates and sort through the stack to find exactly what they are looking for. Using these tools allows an employer to find the perfect candidate for the job in order, and faster, to provide continuity in the workplace and harmonization of employees.

To learn more about how Connor | Caitlin Talent Solutions uses the latest and greatest hiring technologies to help businesses find the perfect match, please contact one of our experienced practice leaders.

www.connorcaitlin.com

My intern is...filing paperwork? Not today!

A summer internship can be the dream of both the student and the employer.  But how to really get the most out of the student that will be in your office for the next twelve weeks?  This will probably not include filing paperwork and getting coffee.  A great internship experience starts with the program.

Once an employer has decided they want to take on an intern, this is where the fun can begin.

Designing a program to use the full potential of the student is key.  Work with your intern's strengths.  If you decide you want a marketing major, then use their marketing knowledge, (even though it may be limited), to design new marketing pieces for the next quarter.  This allows the intern to actually learn what businesses expect in the real world, and also allows them to feel as though they are truly contributing to the success, therefore having a more positive overall experience.

Throughout the course of the internship, keep an eye on the young member of the team, to truly determine what they are excelling at, and then give them tasks that they will be sure to accomplish successfully.  While building their confidence, you are getting more out of the intern than just your daily cup of coffee.

A positive experience by an intern reflects well on your company.  This can be achieved by seeing the intern as a true member of the team, if even only for a short while.  Treat them as though they are valued, and they will bring value to you.

If you want career advice, such as how to set up an internship program, or where to look for internships, please contact Connor|Caitlin.

The After-Graduation Black Hole

Congratulations Class of 2015!

Now that you've hit the major milestone of graduating from college, it’s time to enter the working world.  Some of you may already have job offers, and some may still be discovering themselves, but we can all benefit from job/career advice. 

Business professionals have long since stated the importance of networking, and that is still a large part to the success of many careers today.  Networking, meeting people from all specialties and industries will open your eyes to opportunities that you never even thought about, or knew existed.  Plus, down the road, you never know when one of those connections you made will come in handy.

 

Here’s a fun one.  As a recent college graduate, learn to let your parents help you find the right position.  Parents always want their kids to succeed, and will do anything in their power to help.  While this may seem like you are reverting back to your childhood, trust me, it will help in the end. They know people that they can trust, and people always love to help others.

Forget about your age.  Present yourself as you want others to see you.  Never say “I know I’m young, but…”  This will only get the interviewers thinking about how young you really are, and if you have what it takes to make it at that company.  Instead, present yourself as a professional.  Leave them wondering how old you really are, because you present yourself as a seasoned professional.  Don’t be intimidated by those who are older and wiser, and learn from their experiences that they are willing to share.

Read articles, google the company you are interviewing for, and meet everyone you can.  You will find your niche.

If you want help discovering your career path, please contact Connor|Caitlin. 

The new age of the Millennial

Millennials are such a popular topic of conversation these days, so I would like to expand on our previous post from last week on Millennials. 

For those who are not a part of the millennial generation, you may have been taught early in your career that relocation would be a part of your life.  For millennials, this has not necessarily been the case.  This generation typically is one that would rather stay where they are comfortable, and where they can have a good, but maybe not great job.  However, relocation can be a possibility, even internationally, if approached the right way. 

Millennials need to feel that they aren't alone.  We are social creatures, so continuing that openness as we move to a new location is key.  Setting up lunches, after-hours activities and other outings with folks from the hiring company are just a few of the steps that need to be taken to make relocation a reality for millennials.

Putting together a relocation package, (I’m not talking just money!) could be the catalyst that helps a young professional move.  This package needs to include housing information, realtors that they can trust, things to do in the area, the best neighborhoods near the office, and much more.  This can be instrumental to the success of a relocation.  Since not adjusting to a new environment is the top reason for a negative relocation, hiring companies should do everything in their power to ensure the successful move of any professional.

A relocating Millennial should be given the same attention that would be given to a more seasoned professional, and sometimes even more so.  With the changing workforce, companies need to adapt to the new ways of the millennials.

If you need help attracting top talent like millennials, please contact a practice leader at Connor|Caitlin. 

Infographic from http://kevincsnyder.com/millennials-millennials-millennials

What the heck is a Millennial, and what do I need to know about them?

Millennials are the newest and fastest growing generation in America’s work force. Millennials are people who were born in the 1980s or 1990s. Just like every generation before them, millennials are being misunderstood by the generation before them. Really though, millennials are more like Generation X members than they are different. If you are hiring millennials, and you should be, here are the top three things you need to know about the new kids on the block.

1. Grace Hopper said, “The most dangerous phrase in the language is “we've always done it this way.”” Members of the millennial generation believe this is the truest thing ever said. They are eager to make a difference and want to be a part of key decisions. They do not like doing grunt work “just because,” and they will stand up for themselves more than any generation before them. Millennials know that change is constant, and they believe in using change for good.

2. Leading off of that point, millennials are not as motivated by money. What, you’re asking, money does not matter to them? Of course it matters to them, but they are also very motivated by making a difference and discovering the world around them. Perhaps instead of offering pay raises, your company might consider offering extended vacation time for young employees to travel abroad, or maybe an extensive training program in a new sector of the industry.  

3. The last thing you need to know is a two-part point. Millennials are excellent multitaskers. A lot of this is attributed to the fact that they grew up surrounded by technology. So do not hesitate to ask the young guy in the corner office to help with your social media presence while he is working on a new data system. Millennials enjoy a challenge and they are well prepared for them.  

If you have any questions about millennials or want to find some fresh thinkers for your company contact Connor|Caitlin.