Jobs

Sometimes I read a couple of posts not directly related, and I start to think about a topic I didn’t expected.

This time, it all started with a post of Enrique Dans.

Enrique asked what happens when your company is looking for new employees, enters a professional social network like Linkedin to find the right person for the job, and discover that you have a completely updated profile, showing that in a way you’re “in the market”.

Enrique’s post is very interesting as whole, but I kept thinking about what Enrique calls “the switchers”: people who change from one work to another, and then to another, always looking for a better salary. And then I remember another tactic used by some of my coworkers: coming to my boss, telling him that he/she had and offer from another company and they were leaving, and getting a better salary for not leaving.

For me, jobs are more than salary, but I always thought it was a bad game for the companies, as they were rewarding the people less faithful.

I think it would be better to pay your employees what you think you can AND should pay. Trying to “retain talent” before “talent” is even concious he/she can leave, or before he/she is wanting to leave.

Those were my thoughts when turned up Seth Godin writing a key thought

If talent is so important that you are betting the company on it, why aren’t you actually investing in finding and retaining that talent?

May I ask you to read it again?

Ten years ago, job offers came in many cases mouth to ear or from the newspaper. And a new employee was very similar to another new employee. Sort of meat at a butcher’s. There were also headhunter but they were very expensive and for key positions.

Today it seems to be the same. But now the game is different. Seth was telling it to the employers, but it could be aplied to the employees.

And it’s different because you create your own reputation, without being unfaithful to your current employer. Not only by building a network in Linkedin. But also for answering questions in a forum, or for writing posts in a blog like this.

In fact, sometimes you’re being paid (in a way) for building that reputation. I love this post: How much will you pay for Matt Cuts?

I know that many companies explore our online profiles. And I think that as employees we should be concious of our profiles, whether or not we’re looking for a new job. But I don’t think that is dishonest or unfaithful. Of course I do write this blog and I have a relatevely updated Linkedin profile.

Maybe I’ve read too much about personal branding. But it seems to me that Internet is starting to balance the relationship between employees and companies.