Career Management Alliance Blog

According to a recent article in Forbes titled, The My Space Generation, the 20 somethings of today don’t really read newspapers or watch a lot of
television. This group shapes its views of the world through networks
of friends. This shift in culture and information sharing will have enormous ramifications during the upcoming election year as young voters can now turn to presidential candidates’ MySpace pages to learn about their platforms and even interact with the candidates on-line.

My prediction is that the same “high touch” expectation will be present as the millenniums move through the job search process. Companies that learn how to harness and embrace available technology will come out ahead in the future “war for talent” caused by an impending labor shortage over the next decade. Companies will dedicate a great deal of time and resources to building on-line communities to source and attract top talent.

So what does this mean to a job seeker in 2007? Consider targeting the companies that are already ahead of the curve. Research which organizations incorporate MySpace pages, company blogs, and “user-friendly” on-ine job application processes into their employer brand. These companies may very well be the ones that capture valuable market share in the future and become rewarding places to work. By trying to become actively involved in the on-line conversations of some of these companies today, you may help secure a spot in the organization some time in the future.

Check out the blogs at Hewlett-Packard, Boeing, and Avon to get a feel for how companies are using blogs to engage their audience. For information on which companies offer the best job candidate experience, take a look at Gerry Crispin’s Candidate Experience White Paper.

Posted by Barbara Safani