Bad jobs suck 🫀 EBH
So how come they look like good jobs?
If we ignore the structural reasons why I do employer branding (getting poached into a recruitment marketing agency, seeing huge swaths of undefined and slipshod thinking), I have a deeper reason why I love helping companies use their brand.
As an old (Gen X!), I have had a LOT of jobs. I have been (not unfairly) labeled as a “job hopper.” I have a lot of experience from a lot of places.
Some of those experiences have been fantastic: Bosses who supported me, pushed me to do great work and seemed to care about my success, a culture open to new ideas, freedom to ask questions, etc.
Some of those experiences have been atrocious: Micromanaging bosses who threw metaphoric tacks under my feet, taking credit for my work and questioning my abilities and skills, an overall culture of fear, etc.
Two points to make:
ONE - Those jobs looked EXACTLY THE SAME from the outside. Regardless of due diligence and asking good questions, I still was stepping into the unknown.
TWO - The jobs I hated had people who loved it. And jobs I loved had people who couldn’t run away fast enough.
Truly, there is a lid for every pot, but how can you know if you’re the right lid if the pot refuses to define itself. Or worse, all it says is that it is a “great pot.”
Yes, employer branding has so many crystal clear business impacts spanning the breadth of the organization, but this is a job about people. The brand you build will attract and repel people. You need to make sure you’re clear enough that the right people make the right choice. This is their job, happiness, and life you’re talking about.
It matters.
Building your company’s brand is something you (yes you!) can do. New classes (starting February 15 and March 7) where you build your own brand are filling up now.
Free Stuff: I just updated my list of Books and podcasts that employer branders should read/listen to (that aren’t about employer branding).
If you have a book or podcast recommendation that you’d love to share, just reply to this email!
-James
***This Newsletter Contains No ChatGPT***
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