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November 11, 2022

Business

Continuing Your Job Search Remotely

by Hitshopi George on

Even before the pandemic changed the professional landscape, remote work was an increasingly common part of the business world. Technological advancements made it possible for employees to stay connected and contribute remotely, and a growing number of employers recognized the value of offering employees more flexibility and, ultimately, a better work/life balance to expand their candidate pools and keep their employees productive and engaged. Kitchen tables transformed into makeshift workspaces and in-person meetings gave way to tele- and video-conferencing. Similarly, finding a job has taken on a virtual component.

If you’re one of the millions of people who are searching for a new opportunity right now, you have probably noticed the process is decidedly different from the last time you were in the job market. Most likely, you are already familiar with emailing your resume and portfolio, searching through online job sites, and being mindful of your social media footprint. Now, however, it is common to go through the entire interview, offer and negotiation processes without ever meeting anyone from the potential employer in-person. In fact, some organizations even are onboarding new employees remotely, as well. This is more convenient in numerous ways, but it also comes with a new set of challenges and requires more self-motivation and diligence than ever before.

Some professionals can thrive regardless of the environment, but others are more comfortable when they have clearly delineated boundaries between work and home. Remote work of any kind blurs these lines and makes it more difficult for some to shift gears. Just like working from home, committing to a routine during your job search is key. This might mean setting attainable goals such as updating your resume by a specific date or applying to a certain number of opportunities each day. This will allow you to overcome procrastination and avoid feeling overwhelmed.

Having a strong professional network is also now more important than ever. With much of the business world shifting to flexible remote work environments, the opportunity for impromptu or everyday networking has suddenly disappeared. Conversely, this also means people in your circle may be more accessible through emails, phone calls and social media. Be sure to keep in touch with them on a regular basis — whether it’s a friendly email asking for advice or a virtual coffee break to discuss industry trends.

For these and other tips you can use to stay focused and be successful with your job hunt – even while you’re at home – see the accompanying infographic. It provides hints and reminders that can help you find success when navigating the virtual waters of the current labor market.

Infographic provided by The Jacobson Group, an insurance staffing agency
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Business

How To Align Your Marketing And CSR Strategies

by Hitshopi George on

Standing up for what you believe in has always been an admirable trait. Whether it’s advocating for social reform, environmental protection or another form of action meant to drive change in the community, being proactive can make someone a more impactful civic leader. Nowadays, the same is being said for companies, as socially conscious consumers expect organizations to be making concerted efforts to improve the world around them. Such initiatives are known as corporate social responsibility, or CSR.

Ideally, a company’s CSR strategy should be seamlessly incorporated into their marketing strategies. That way, consumers are aware of the organization’s values from the start of the customer journey. Such transparency is important with today’s audience, as 88% want to know about a company’s CSR efforts up front.

More and more U.S. consumers are factoring these values into their own shopping behaviors. In fact, 87% of Americans will purchase a product because the brand proactively promotes beliefs and values in sync with their own. It’s not just customers who need to know: A survey showed that the financing decisions of 73% of investors are impacted by the company’s efforts to improve the environment and society.

Just as cause areas can vary by company, so too can their goals and values. However, at their core, social responsibility practices are meant to benefit society. They also often share added business benefits, which is to better connect to consumers, entice future employees with a positive culture and make the business more profitable through its philanthropic practices.

How can organizations best promote their purpose or their CSR strategy, investments and social impact outcomes to achieve these results? The first step in creating a smart marketing strategy is to effectively gauge the standpoints of the targeted audience. Gathering intel on what an audience values and what is expected of the brands it supports can be key to developing a company’s own promotional practices. Next, is to make the organization’s stances well known. Accomplishing this can be tackled in many ways, but the common aim is to engage the audience by effectively promoting the CSR mission.

One tried and true method organizations have employed is to initiate change from within. By linking the efforts of their marketing and human resources teams, organizations are implementing internal change that matters to employees. For instance, many are improving practices regarding equity, diversity and inclusion as a part of CSR work, and then evaluating their own internal track record on social impact to ensure internal company policies and practices are in line with social impact strategies.

Another method is utilizing company leaders to generate sharable content. From blog posts and short videos to interacting with the audience directly via social media, these thought leaders are giving the brand an authentic voice while simultaneously conveying the focus on social responsibility and the efforts being made in its name. Such self-promotion, whichever way it’s performed, is crucial in establishing a connection to the audience. However, the message must be genuine and have actual backing if it’s going to work.

For additional methods on aligning CSR and marketing strategies, please see the accompanying resource.

Infographic provided by Points of Light, providers of nonprofit conferences
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