How a Global Telecoms Business Rings Up Employee Advocacy

How a Global Telecoms Business Rings Up Employee Advocacy For every global company, attracting and holding onto  the right kind of talent is  as big a  challenge as it is important to get it right. Especially for businesses with employees scattered around the world, its important to have a consistent presence and address employer branding from the inside out but how?  Read on. Take Vodafone, for example. When you’re in the business of connecting people, you really have to practise what you preach. So how do they,  the worlds 2nd largest phone operator, dial up employee advocacy?  Youre  about to find out! Ive had a chat with Kimberley Harcombe of Vodafone UK to get the inside scoop. Listen to the podcast interview below,  keep reading for a summary of our conversation and be sure to subscribe to the Employer Branding Podcast. What prompted Vodafone to launch an employee advocacy program? Our team is responsible for Vodafone UKs social media policy. And after doing some research around employee attitudes towards the policy and whether they understood it, whether they even knew it existed, we discovered that the majority of people we surveyed werent sure what they could and couldnt share through their personal social media profiles.  We were then prompted to  introduce Go Social, which we work with Dynamic Signal  on. It gives us the opportunity to activate those advocates within the business, as well as make it explicitly clear what employees can and cant share on social as a Vodafone UK employee. What was  the primary goal for the organisation? First and foremost, it was always about reducing uncertainty around the expected social media behaviours, so really coming off the results of that survey. And then, second to that, was supporting the drive to increase ENPS, which is Employee Net Promoter Score, by identifying and mentoring our own advocates. And then, tertiary to that, was increasing the organic reach of our Vodafone UK content in social. What type of content seems to resonate best with employees? One of the great things about Go Social is the ability for employees to actually submit their own content. If theyve seen a really interesting piece on, for example, Do you actually have to put your phone on airplane mode now when you go up in the air?, they could submit that into Go Social and, once its approved, the contents available for everyone else to share, which people really like. So it becomes peer-to-peer sharing internally as well as externally with our social networks. And we found that our employees really like to share the content that demonstrates were more than just a brand, and that there are people behind the logo. And weve also found the employees tend to care about different things, to media or to what our customers might care about, and Go Social gives them a chance to share those stories with their networks that they might not otherwise see. What have been the main benefits for Vodafone and what have been some of the main benefits for employees? For the company specifically, advocacy is a major benefit. So, as mentioned previously, we knew that there were advocates out there, based on the survey that we did, but we didnt know who they were and where we could find them. The  Go Social program allows people to be an advocate of their brands; it really allows them to get behind what were doing as a business. And Ive also mentioned before, for the company, and its both for the company and for the employees actually, this one, is reducing uncertainty around expected social media behaviour.  And also, obviously, increasing the organic reach of our content, so our employees will share our content, whether that be news or a blog story or a TV ad, through their personal social media profiles. And that reduces the reliance on paid media. And weve seen over 20 million impressions to date from a relatively small group of employees sharing that content. And then for the company, its really important for us to know that our employees are happy, and that theyre being presented with all of the information about the company that can help them feel good about what were doing as a business. So that support to drive an increase in the ENPS by identifying and nurturing our own advocates is really important. And then, for our employees, the main benefit is answering the concerns we know that some of them have around how we expect them to behave on social so they get clarity and reassurance on what theyre allowed to share. What metrics do you use to measure success? NPS is one of them, absolutely. First and foremost, we use engagement rate. So one of the great things in working with our partners is that they are able to help us assess ourselves against other programs of a similar nature. And we believe the data, that weve seen some other companies running employee advocacy programs, that were significantly outperforming in terms of engagement rate, and that was at 83%. And thats significantly higher, so like 50 percentage points higher, than some of the benchmarks, across the board. So yeah, were really, really pleased with that. Are you able to tie back any of these metrics to actual finance bottom-line ROI? Yes. So, for us, I think its important to say that the decision to introduce Go Social was not about financial return. That was never the primary reason for introducing it. Instead, we look at how successful Go Social is and has been in driving employee advocacy, as weve discussed. We do also report on equivalent media spend using a very general benchmark, and we estimate that Go Social has driven the equivalent of more than £200,000 in media spend in the last 10 months. And thats from a group of users that now number over 1,000. So we started off with nobody in September, and were now up to 1,000. And our ambition is to break through the 10% figure, which originally came out in the original survey, of 10% of our employees would be willing to share content through their social media profiles. More on this topic at  Employee Advocacy: The Ultimate Handbook.

Yes, Travel is Extraordinarily Good For You

Yes, Travel is Extraordinarily Good For You Finishing work for a few days off leaves us feeling liberated, happy, we look forward to spending time with loved ones, but inevitably our best laid plans get interrupted by life. This is when making the most of any time off is important. Surveys undertaken by the  Global Coalition on Aging    have identified that even after taking some time away for a day or two, 89 percent of people are able to relax and leave work stresses behind. Travel gives you social, physical and cognitive benefits particular if you pick the right accommodation that enhances your experience. Travel promotes brain health When you experience new surroundings, sights, smells and sounds, your senses are intensified and the ability of observation and focus therefore intensifies.   The mind is sharpened allowing you think more clearly and allows you to get away from it all, ensuring that you have a chance to clear your mind and put problems in better perspective, minisming the chance of burn out, the Riviera Maya offers a plethora of customs and cultures to experience different customs and cultures so entirely different to yours. Travel is educational Travel offers endless opportunities to discover and experience new things and places that can enrich lives. And as we have said, travel allows you to explore cultures, but you can actually learn a lot about the country by exploring its’ heritage. Take for example Mexico. Head to the Riviera Maya and experience the Mayan heritage sites, explore the ruins and learn about an ancient civilization that helped found the Mexico of today. There are opportunities to relax and at one of the many  Riviera Maya hotels  there are organised excursions to these sites and  to open your mind and your eyes. Travel equals adventure Whether you are navigating the canals of Venice, swimming with dolphins in the Dominican Republic, bungee jumping in New Zealand, scaling the heights of the Great Wall in China, or jumping aboard a jeep safari in Kenya.   These are truly magnificent adventures and can enrich a person as these are key stimuluses for a healthy and balanced mind. Traveling is a personal challenge It is only when you are away from the creature comforts do you realise you have skills that you may not have demonstrated. Travelling does not have to be a beach holiday it can be a volunteering experience or a hike, challenged can even be ordering food in another language. Whatever the challenge no matter how big or small these are still challenges that you will face each day which can help develop a sense of self and discovery.  Travel shakes up your life and helps you get out of that rut you feel you are in as travel gives you many moments of challenge and joy. Travel makes you more interesting If you have been in social situations where you have felt like you have missed out, that you have nothing valuable to add, or that you have not experienced enough compared to others, go ahead and sample cuisine, culture and countries, acquiring  stories to share with your friends, to inspire your children, gain a sense of accomplishment, helping achieve a healthy body and mind, feeling stimulated and can help relieve stress, a sense of depression and lack of direction. Travel allows you to indulge in moments of self-reflection and development.

What startup life is really like

What startup life is really like Brazen Careerist is my third startup. People ask me all the time why I gave up my position as CEO. If you knew what startup life was really like, you would ask me why I was CEO for as long as I was. When I started building the brand of Brazen Careerist around the year 2000, I talked about ideas like job hopping as a way to build a solid career, and I warned that generation Ys entry into the workforce would be a total shock to employers. I was labeled a heretic and a moron. But pretty quickly, people started thinking I was right. And I started making $15,000 a speech to discuss these ideas. The intoxication of being on a trend, and knowing how to monetize it and being excited about being right, thats what makes someone do a startup. So I picked up two partners, I launched Brazen Careerist, and quickly, Mashable called us the number-one social networking site for Gen Y. We were on a roll. We raised money. We launched products, we pivoted 20 times. We were due to raise more money right after the markets crashed. So of course we couldnt raise money. And of course I did what all startup founders do when they run out of money: I had a shit fit. And then I had a nervous breakdown. But the thing is, in a startup, everything moves at warp speed, even a nervous breakdown. So I recovered fast, convinced investors to put in more money. And we kept going. That cycle happened twice. Which is normal. Because startups are hell, and a startup is the perfect convergence of a brilliant idea and a founder just crazy enough to stick with it through anything. At that point, I was exhausted. And I had to figure out: When is it time for a founder to step down? So I went through a time of personal assessment, which taught me a lot about when you know its time for a founder to leave: Financial exhaustion I had funded the idea with my own money for a few years before I launched Brazen Careerist as a social recruiting platform. I ruined my credit, I cashed out my 401K (dont ever do this!) and I lost a baby sitter because she was appalled that we didnt have any food in the refrigerator. Emotional exhaustion I had traveled every week for a year giving those speeches. Youd think Id have saved a lot of money, but youd be surprised how much it costs to run a household if you have two kids and are never home to see them. Then I spent a year traveling every week to raise money and being on television and missing my kids. Marital exhaustion The dirty secret about startup founders is they cant keep marriages together. Part of the reason for this is they are crazy to begin with. And part of the reason is that you have to be married to your company to do a startup. So divorce rates are high, especially among women, because they are much less likely to have a spouse who is willing to stay home and keep the family intact. So I got a divorce. It was on the cover of the New York Times. And all PR is good PR, of course, but I realized, while I was going through the process, that I wanted a successful marriage more than I wanted a successful career. And then I thought, No. I want both. And I became exhausted wondering how women get both. (Until I realized, oh, this is why women dont do startups.) Intellectual exhaustion And it was time to pivot. It was time to turn Brazen Careerist into an event-based social recruiting service. And I knew a lot about recruiting, but I was going to have to learn more. And really, you have to live and breathe the industry you are in if youre going to rewrite the rules to that industry. And I was already contemplating my next topic: Generation Z. I think that Generation Z will revolutionize school like Gen Y revolutionized work. I think homeschooling is going to be a huge trend that impacts startups, and corporate life, and I was really curious about that. My brain was refocusing whether I wanted it to or not. Relationship exhaustion While I was appearing on shows like 20/20 to tell the world how to manage Generation Y, I was having knock-down drag-out fights with my Gen-Y co-founder, Ryan Healy. Founder bickering is a common startup problem. Because if you have co-founders with different skill sets, which you should, then you are going to have different points of view, and inevitably, arguments about that. Vision for where to go next Fortunately, though, Ryan had not ruined his personal finances and he didnt have kids. So he still had lots of energy to get the company to the next level. And after seeing all these issues listed on paper, I realized that even though I loved Brazen Careerist, I wanted to step down from the CEO position. So I started a relentless campaign to get one of the investors, Ed Barrientos, to become CEO. He had already had big exits from two of his own companies. As part of my campaign I told him it could be an interim position (it wasnt) and part of the campaign was to convince him that it was the right time for me to step down. It was hard to step down, but I needed a vacation. I wanted to have a life. I married a farmer and moved myself and the kids (and sort-of even my ex) to a farm in rural Wisconsin. And after Id had a break, I found myself calling Ryan and Ed more and more. I took a keen interest at the board meetings (Im still a major shareholder) and I asked to be more and more involved, albeit in a different role, which they eagerly accommodated. For me, stepping down was the right thing to do. It feels right that I took a break when I needed one, and that I did it at a time when the company was in good hands. Also, it feels good that I can still contribute while I figure out how to get my next business off the ground. Because after all that trouble â€" the physical, financial, emotional exhaustion â€" I cant stop doing startups. Its just who I am.

7 Ways Flexibility Can Help Create an Age-Friendly Working Environment

7 Ways Flexibility Can Help Create an Age-Friendly Working Environment With A-Level and GCSE results out this month, and university students graduating this summer, a new pool of talent will be entering the workforce. How can employers look to successfully attract and retain this new generation? Having previously written about Generation Z’s expectations of the working world one of the key themes we are continuing to see is a desire to move away from the traditional 9 to 5 office hours. However, rather than just focussing on young people’s desire for more flexibility, it makes sense to consider how to create a more inclusive, flexible culture which suits everyone’s lifestyle and working needs, whatever their age; and which will also achieve greater opportunities and benefits for the business. 1. A blended approach to work and play As new generations enter the workforce, we are seeing a shift in the way people want to work. Rather than having set work and play time, younger employees are looking to blend the two throughout the day. For example, working later into the evening and taking a longer lunch break to go to the gym. It’s not just younger generations attracted by flexibility in the workplace. A survey by Investors in People showed that a third (34%) of employees would prefer a flexible approach to working hours than a 3% pay rise. Flexibility can help families manage their households and support both parents to successfully progress their careers. People with care responsibilities may appreciate being able to plan their day around challenging home-life demands. And, with the number of people working over the age of 65 having more than doubled, flexibility can appeal to those who are considering a phased retirement. 2. Lateral thinking and fluid working practices Since 2014, employees in the UK have had a legal right to request flexible working, provided they can prove a business case that works for both parties. It’s important to remember that flexible working practices can be created in many different forms. We are seeing more employers using lateral thinking and creativity to introduce more fluid working practices and to remove any inadvertent barriers to flexible working. Engage in open and honest conversations with employees about how they are looking to strike a balance between work and play, and look for solutions which suit everyone. It could be a mixture of flexitime and extended working hours, through to compressed working hours and the opportunity to be able to work from home as well as in the office. 3. The business benefits Employers who embrace flexible working are more able to attract and retain a diverse pool of talent. The Aviva Working Lives 2017 report revealed that almost two in three (64%) employees would be more likely to stay with an employer who offered flexible working. Flexibility can also bring additional business benefits, for example BT found that productivity increased by 30% when employees were able to work flexibly and Unison reported that providing flexible working reduced sickness absence from 12% to 2%. It can also improve client relationships as employees who can work from anywhere, and at any time, can be quicker at responding. Businesses can also use it as an opportunity to consider extending working hours, and creating flexible shift patterns within these, increasing the times in which customers can engage with the organisation. 4. Flexibility doesn’t suit everyone Flexible working will suit some organisations more than others and won’t appeal to every employee. Employees will have different motivations and ideas of work-life balance. For some, keeping work within the office, and conventional working hours, means they know they can switch off once they’ve left the office. Others, particularly younger generations, don’t want a solid barrier between office and leisure time. Managing the different expectations of employees is the challenge faced by organisations. So how can employers look to create the right balance? 5. A change in culture The overall aim should be on developing a company culture which is focussed on results and outcomes and not the amount of time spent in the office. Employers will need to challenge any persisting cultures of presenteeism and negative stereotypes associated with flexible working. Employees need to be confident that they won’t be judged or have their progression opportunities hindered if they adopt a more flexible approach. Generation Z in particular is focussed on working smartly, rather than working long hours. But will be quickly disengaged if faced with a rolling of the eyes every time they get up to leave their desks earlier than others. 6. Performance monitoring It can also help to ensure that the right culture flows from the top-level down if leaders and managers are given training to understand how to fairly assess the contributions and performance of flexible workers. Companies such as Netflix and Virgin, famed for leading the way in adopting flexible working practices, have evolved their performance monitoring to suit this different style of working. With time not being tracked, managers are checking in with their employees on a more regular basis to help keep tabs on whether objectives are being met on time and to standard. 7. Flexible technology Finally, the flexible working opportunities available will automatically increase if the right technology is in place. Generation Z are already running their lives through a smart phone and communicating within a digital world. Harness these skills and involve younger employees in the IT and marketing strategy. Get them involved in engaging people across the organisation to understand the technology available to them and the flexible opportunities it can provide.

Do You Know Whether or Not You Can Write Your Own Programming Language?

Do You Know Whether or Not You Can Write Your Own Programming Language?If you're wondering whether or not you can write your own programming language, the answer is yes. It's actually quite easy to do so, and even though it might seem like you're the only one who can, there are quite a few people out there who have made it work.One of the greatest advantages to writing your own programming language is that you get to use your favorite programming language, and take it wherever you go. No matter where you go, you can read it, study it, and get ideas for further programming languages you can learn. It's not an exaggeration to say that you will be able to walk into any computer science class in the world and immediately be the most knowledgeable person there, and no one will know a thing about you unless you gave it to them.Now, you might be thinking, 'Well, that would be nice but isn't that impossible?' The answer is that even if you are the least bit familiar with programming language s, you'll be able to pick up the language quickly enough to make it work. In fact, you'll have someone on your team who has no idea what they're doing, and the two of you can sit down and write code quickly, without having to ask them questions about what they're doing wrong. They won't even know you wrote it themselves!Another advantage to writing your own programming language is that it will show you how to use computers and will give you the skills necessary to become skilled at computer programming. These skills will let you succeed at any computer-related task and put you far ahead of your competition.Although these two advantages might sound appealing, you might be thinking, 'Well, isn't it true that I could just hire someone else to do this for me? 'The truth is that there are several advantages to writing your own programming language, and you need to know about them before you decide against doing it. The more advantages you're aware of, the better off you'll be.The first a dvantage of writing your own programming language is that you'll be your own boss, and you'll be able to set your own hours as a computer programmer. If you like working evenings and weekends, you'll be able to do so. You won't have a boss telling you what you should be working on, or what time you should be working. In fact, if you need more time off from work, you'll be able to take some time off from programming while you're on vacation.When you consider the advantages to writing your own programming language, the question is whether or not it would be worth your time. You should consider the benefits of what you'll be able to do, and the benefits of being your own boss. There are many advantages to both, and both of them are very big factors in your decision.Writing your own programming language is something that you should seriously consider. You'll be writing your own language, and you'll be the boss, as well as the boss of others. Both of these things are really big factors i n determining whether or not it's worth it to pursue.

Keeping the Focus in a Job Search - Pathfinder Careers

Keeping the Focus in a Job Search - Pathfinder Careers Keeping the Focus in a Job Search I usually dont write about personal things in these blogs, but I had an insightful moment this past weekend which has a definite connection to how a person conducts a job search. My husband and I set out on a hike early on Sunday morning to the Washington Cascades. Upon arrival at our remote location, our hike began, and it went up. And up. And up. And up. Now, as someone who wasnt athletically inclined back in my school days, Ive maintained a fairly active adult life but not to the point of being a jockette. This hike was kicking my butt! But I took my time, organized my thoughts, and put one foot in front of the other and kept moving despite the burn in my leg muscles. We finally made it to the easy viewpoint after a two-hour grueling uphill slog, and stopped to rest in a giant mountain meadow bursting with wildflowers. The dazzling view also included snowcapped Mt. Adams and Mt. Hood in the panorama. This was definitely an incredible reward for such a gut-busting hike! After a little bit, my husband looked at me and asked me: Do you want to continue on and do the longer loop to Big Huckleberry Mountain? I sort of looked at him sideways, already thinking about the trek down, down, down. Leaving the car seemed such a long time ago, I sighed. He encouraged me, telling me, Its only 11 miles round-trip from the car, and youll have a sense of accomplishment in completing the longer hike. I wasnt totally convinced, but ate another granola bar, laced up my boots, gritted my teeth, then smiled. Ok, I told him. Lets do it. Id never gone so far before on such a tormented trail. The trail stayed true to its beginnings: it went up again. Then we lost about the same amount of altitude as we followed a ridgeline of three peaks. Up and down we went, gaining and losing altitude. Argggh! I thought. This is ridiculous what is the point of going up only to lose it all again in the next ridge going down? I started to balk and have fantasies of crashing out in my patio chair at home, but near the top of the second peak, we saw a bear just 50 feet away. It was an unexpected and exciting development. It ran off within seconds. In all of the years that Ive been hiking, Ive never encountered a bear in any of my hikes in the Pacific Northwest. The adrenaline rush lasted for the next hour when we got to the summit of Big Huckleberry Mountain. The views were even more amazing, and my husband beamed at me for sticking with it. It wasnt until I got back to the car that I realized what an amazing hike I had done, gauging from how steep the trail was going down. My knees were killing me! Much like starting a job search, this trek seemed insurmountable from the start, going up and up. You feel like you are marching up a mountain. And you are!! At times during this hike, I didnt feel particularly up to the task of continuing such a difficult endeavor, which also happens when looking for a new job. Seems like you take two steps forward only to take one step back. The key is that you have to take a breather. You need to stop and assess your progress. Then take a deep breath, then keep moving forward. I kept focused, and didnt think of how many thousands of feet I was going to have to climb, instead keeping my attention centered on taking one step at a time, and I was able to keep going. And its ok to take a break. And as you keep going, its a step-by-step process that adds altitude to your efforts you never know what wonderful things you might learn and see along the way. We found pristine mountain meadows filled with delightful flowers and were thrilled with spotting some wildlife. In a job search, you can meet some wonderful people, learn new things, and have amazing experiences that enhance your life experience. Just like the hike, a job search isnt easy. There are times where you feel discouraged. Sometimes you go up (interview) and then other times, you have a dizzying loss of altitude (dont get the job you really wanted). Its a landscape of peaks and valleys. Thats right when you need to dig deep, and push yourself, and remember your objective. This hike turned out to be the longest hardest hike Ive ever been on (Ive gone 13 miles before but it was flat compared to this one!), and having that sense of accomplishment that I put my all into the efforts is unparalleled. Sure, I was sore and exhausted. But I was so glad I did it and the most important thing of all: I realized how much more possibility is out there for me to challenge myself. The easy thing would have been to turn around at the first viewpoint. But now, I realized that if I can do this hike, a whole new world of other trails are there for exploring and summiting. So go out there, tackle that mountain, and enjoy the view from the summit. Its worth the journey.

Succession What Why YOU Need to Care about Succession Planning - CareerAlley

Succession What Why YOU Need to Care about Succession Planning - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. By Greg Belkin, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Peoplefluent Human Resource (HR) managers at many organizations are currently navigating a significant shift in their workforce as nearly 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 each day. So what does that mean for you, a new employee hoping to race up the corporate ladder? It could mean huge opportunity. Succession Planning 101 While employees new to the workforce rarely consider the impact of succession planning, promotions or role changes in upper management can affect the staff supporting those roles. Movement above means movement below. Succession planning, a systematic approach for evaluating, developing, and promoting talent from within an organization, enables HR managers to quickly and successfully fill out companies leadership rosters and avoid organizational risk. Youre asking and I should care because? [Insert your name here] fits into the recipe for [insert your company name here]s long-term growth. Tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, or in five years, you could be considered for a career-changing internal promotion or role shift. We get from here to there via the succession planning process. Carefully orchestrated succession planning offers the following benefits, which in turn benefit you: Visibility Lets say a position in another territory becomes available. With a succession planning process in place, management has improved access to internal talent and can identify the qualified candidate working in another line of business (perhaps you). You wouldnt want to be passed up for consideration just because another business line didnt know you existed. The company now has a viable opportunity to save time and money by promoting an internal candidate who possesses the necessary skills and history of success within the organization to excel in the new role. Motivation Planning tools can help identify and groom high-potential employees for eventual promotion. A data-based framework to promote people based on merit inspires employees to perform their best, even if they are unaware of the succession planning system itself. Plugged-in employees often know which of their peers drive results. If those hard workers routinely get opportunities and assignments, other employees will be apt to model that behavior. In contrast, no one likes to play in a rigged game. If employees see their hard-working peers passed over for promotions in place of external candidates, then staffers will begin to wonder what they stand to gain by working hard. Forward-Looking Planning HR managers need to evaluate possible successors even before roles become vacant. An automated system makes succession planning less of an event and more of an ongoing process that prepares organizations for unforeseen scenarios such as sudden employee departures. You may be factored into the equation before a role is even available. Visualizing yourself as an integral part of the staffing mix is a key consideration- your company may have big plans for you! Consider the following questions: Does your company shed light on an effective rewards program? Do they tailor rewards and compensation packages to keep employees highly engaged and motivated, and ensure the highest probability of retention? Does your company promote people based on merit inspiring employees to perform their best? These questions are all fundamental aspects of succession planning. Though often incorporating this type of process is easier said than done. Many companies, perhaps even your employer, will use succession planning software for automation. Whether youre a new hire or a young CEO leading a start-up, your company is likely doing all that it can to hire, develop and retain top talent. Companies want to invest in their workforce. The Takeaway Understanding the impact of a change on organizational workforce dynamics is important for employees of all ages and thoughtful succession planning is a critical aspect of long-term company success. In todays business environment, marked by employees that often need to be convinced to remain loyal to a single employer, top talent is even more likely to flee as workers look for the next gig or opportunity. Its essential to understand how succession planning maps to the bigger picture, and how it can impact you. more Effective Career Transitions Mr. Belkin is a senior product marketing manager at Peoplefluent, a leading social human capital management technology company. He is focused on the marketing efforts for the companys Talent Management product line, generating market awareness with analyst organizations, customers, and partners, and educating the industry on key HR-management-related trends and issues. He can be contacted at [emailprotected] or (781) 530-2044. This is a Guest post. If you would like to submit a guest post to CareerAlley, please follow these guest post guidelines. Good luck in your search. Visit me on Facebook