Gambling with Tradition;
Will the “Mini-Mag” Make You Look & Get Me Hired?
Editorial by: Gina Marie Mangiamele
Tradition! The word itself holds enough mojo to launch your index finger into the air while singing in high places. From Aunt Marges’ antique earrings worn for my wedding to the traditional throw-a-way fruit cake gifted during the holidays, traditions are the well-defined doctrines that have cloaked cultures throughout time and nurtured cultural sustainability.Moreover they give us all a central focus for comfort and warmth in the midst of a chaotic world.
Similarly, business cultures have emerged with traditions of their own. From casual Fridays to “bring your pet to work days,” upper management has implemented such strategies to increase employee satisfaction to entice a more productive environment. Reports and corporate surveys indicate that happy workers tend to stay in the job longer, forge healthy relationships with co-workers and produce better outcomes. If challenging the status quo within the work place has produced an improvement in corporate cultures, could challenging the status quo for getting into the corporate culture improve the pathway to securing the best of the best talent? Herein is the challenge Seeker’s Mini Magazine has confronted by publishing a twelve page Mini Magazine document.
Building a corporate culture is tricky business. Human Resource managers and “C” suite executives have invested millions on strategies intended to create a formula for perfecting the talent acquisition process.Keirsey personality assessments, background checks, and specialized essay-style resumes lead the pack of approaches. But what if the process required the “talent” to assume more of the responsibility and create a compelling proposition for the employer? What if we skipped the two-page, black and white resume and the slumber-inducing cover letters and create a platform where the candidate could showcase abilities? What if the applicant designed and created an undeniable manifestation of their competencies, differentiating in a way that has never been done before? Imagine how the employer could take a seismic shift in expectations because the communication channel exhibited quality content, work samples and information employers need to move the process forward. It could prove to be a win-win.
In brief, here’s my concept. Utilize marketing communication strategies, print media and public relations methods to profile top talent. Target high end seeking candidates and market their brand to seeking employers who prefer to, initially, skip the job posting. That’s it! This is the very first organic experiment of SEEKERS Mini Magazine. It’s untraditional. It’s divergent! It’s positively not the way things are done.
For all the traditions I love to follow and engage in, resumes are the least of them all. I’m hoping that you’re inspired by my concept and will call me to explore what you’ve read. I’m gambling with tradition, Yes; But will it gain your interest and possibly get me hired?
