Last month I wrote a blog highlighting a hiring trend I’m seeing recently at Paladin. In short, we found that although a recession typically leads to an increase in mid-level interim staffing needs within corporations and agencies, our clients were disproportionally hiring senior/executive level marketers for both direct-hire positions and for interim roles.

To gain a larger perspective, we asked the marketing community for feedback via a LinkedIn poll. We wanted to determine if what we are seeing at Paladin is an anomaly, or actually a hiring trend in marketing departments.

The Findings:

Nearly 60% of the respondents polled said their companies were not hiring at all in 2009. Not shocking given the current state of the economy.

However, what’s interesting is that 30% of the remaining respondents said their organization was hiring due to one of the following three reasons:

-         The need for a fresh marketing approach

-         A shift in business direction

-         Business growth

We also saw that enterprise and mid-sized organization were seeing the least hiring of senior level marketing talent. Small and large organization were the most active.

So, how can this information help marketers who are looking for work? The good news is that there are opportunities, and in order to find those openings, you should keep an eye out for companies that match the three indicators for hiring.  As you network through organizations like the BMA or CIMA, read key publications such as Crain’s Chicago Business and The Chicago Tribune or leverage corporate Facebook accounts and Twitter feeds, keep an eye out for corporations that are taking a distinctly different approach to marketing or to their actual business model.  As always, those companies that are experiencing rapid growth are ideal opportunities for senior marketers as well.

The poll is still up and active. Feel free to participate and add comments. We continue to be interested in tracking this trend. 

We have our very own junior marketing ninja at Paladin by the name of Elizabeth Stiles. Ms. Stiles joined Facebook waaaayyy back in 2004 when she was a freshman in college and now has over 1,000 friends in her network. She mentioned abstaining from Facebook for Lent (which is 40 days long… see her “Activation Wrap-up” http://elizms.wordpress.com/).  I thought it would be a great case study of our need for social media, and so I convinced her to blog about her “deactivation” and then send the link out through Twitter (from the frying pan into the fire…?)

I don’t have to tell you (especially marketers) Facebook is an important way for people and companies to engage on a more individualized basis. The numbers prove that most people are enthusiastic about this: over 200 million users.

Ms. Stiles is a member of Generation Y a group who lives and communicates daily with a rapidly growing network of online friends. She, like millions of others, is apprised of the daily goings-on in her friends’ lives, most often from their updates and photos that are posted several times a day on home Facebook.  In the time she had been writing her Lent-deactivation blog, she received over 1,100 visits — primarily through sending updates through Twitter.

Okay, so let’s get to the deactivation and Elizabeth’s key insights:

 How it began:

“The first week was terrible. I complained a lot, mostly about how I felt like I had no connection to anyone anymore (keep in mind, I have over 1,000 Facebook friends).”

Midway through her Facebook fasting: Elizabeth published a list of the top 25 things she has learned without Facebook. Including reading a newspaper, listening to music,  cooking 3 course meal, sleeping 8 hours and more importantly getting past her PCD (Post College Depression).

As it came to an end Ms. Stiles had learned a few things:

“As the days went by, I found other ways of connecting with friends such as emails, text messages, and actual phone conversations.”

In retrospect:

“What have I learned from being off Facebook for 40 days/40 nights? That I am indeed an addict, no joke about it.” and according to CNN’s 5 indicators you are addicted to Facebook she is.

Marketing:

“Before I deactivated, I never really noticed the marketing techniques that were being used through Facebook (because my focus was solely on checking updated profiles). Now I have a close eye on things like side advertisements, fan pages, or Facebook group companies have started in order to reach out to consumers. The best way companies are going to be able to reach the attention of someone in my generation, or even younger, will be through the various social media groups, Facebook being the number one.”

Other Viewpoints:

Elizabeth’s mom: “Wow, Elizabeth, I haven’t heard from you now that you are back on Facebook.”

 ————-

Elizabeth’s insight cannot be ignored by marketers.  If you want to reach this demographic, you should be plugged-in to social media, and particularly Facebook.

I have personally been using these media channels for the past couple of years and feel I’ve been able to create a personal brand.  Through online media, I promote and represent Paladin in hopes of helping people find work and grow our business.

It can be difficult to learn how effective a marketing initiative like this can be without using these channels yourself.  That being said, Paladin has just recently started our own Twitter @Paladinstaff to engage with candidates and clients alike.  More importantly we have created a Paladin Fan page to help drive awareness of our brand and give people a place to share marketing strategy and community.

Engagement with people on a 1to1 basis is increasingly important in the changing media landscape. For the record Generation Y isn’t the only age group using Facebook just released numbers shows the fastest growing age group on Facebook are women 55+.

Although we sing its praises — Elizabeth, we really hope you called your mom on Mother’s Day. 

Many people don’t realize they have the power to directly help their friends, family and former colleagues find work in this recession.

An article in today’s Wall Street Journal article highlights how ranks of unemployed often quickly tap their resources; they’ve reached out to their network of recruiters and business contacts, and have applied to every job posted online that could be a match with their background. What is the next step?

A social networking site on Twitter called JobAngels is dedicated to helping people find jobs across a broad range of industries. In short, every day people like you offer to take someone who is unemployed “under their wing” in the effort to help them find a new position. This might take the form of resume editing, sharing job leads, leveraging personal networks and making referrals. As a recruiter at Paladin, these personal referrals and recommendations about a potential candidate do make a difference; I consistently take the extra time to review a candidate referral, and it typically strengthens my relationship with that “angel” as well.

You might think that you don’t know of any immediate job openings or that you don’t know enough people to truly be a resource to someone who is unemployed – not true. Take a moment today to connect with someone who is unemployed and extend that helping hand. You’ll be surprised what you’re able to do.

Since JobAngels was created on Twitter last month, more than 1,500 people have become involved, and over 10,000 individual JobAngel messages have been sent over the social media site.

How can you help just one person in the next month?

I will never forget my first big win while a green AE at Leo Burnett. I could hardly keep myself from jumping in the air to high-five my boss after our client approved what would become one of the first LB client websites. While on the way to the elevator, my wise mentor leaned in and said “Nicely done, do not breathe a word until we are in the rental car, doors locked – windows up!”

On the way to the airport she shared several horror stories - some likely exaggerated and others urban advertising myths - of new business wins that soured thanks to bravado on elevators and airplanes. Some things never change. But back then we only had to worry about ear shot; today the whole world is in e-shot.

By now, this e-shot heard round the world is likely old news. While many bloggers are taunting the seemingly innocent yet likely deal breaker post below as “foolish” and “crazy stupid”, I think we owe the poster a big THANK YOU for reminding us all of some common-sense lessons learned. The short-and-sweet Tweet simply reads:

theconnor:  Cisco just offered me a job! Now I have to weigh the utility of a fatty paycheck against the daily commute to San Jose and hating the work.

Common Sense Lesson 1
Cisco Systems being a global technology company and all - may have a few Tweeters and maybe, just maybe, someone is following you. One of those Tweeters is now getting his nana-second of internet fame – Cisco employee, Tim Leved. His response:

timmylevad: Who is the hiring manager. I’m sure they would love to know that you will hate the work. We here at Cisco are versed in the web.

Common Sense Lesson 2
The poster wisely since turned on their private settings. Not sure the poster intended to be funny with the ironic image that appears – which is a conflict for me: see Common Sense Lesson 3A and Common Sense Lesson 3B.

Common Sense Lesson 3A
Apologize, Resolve, Move On

Common Sense Lesson 3B
Use humor to deflate the situation.

Common Sense Lesson 4
Don’t you have anything else better to do?  In a mere two days this has gone from the Twitter community completely vilifying this person (riddle me this Bartman and crazy Cub fans) to a website entirely dedicated to this two sentence Tweet! The same can be said for the news media now picking this up.

Finally, of the tons of comments, blogs, Tweets out there, while I do not agree with all his points, Don Sears is on to something with smart advice for job seekers, human resource pros and recruiters like me.  Take a look at his March 19th posting, Big Brother - How Not to Get a Job Via Twitter.

My take away, Think before you Tweet.