Archive for the 'Business Matters' Category

Second Life, Virtually Useless?

Published by Amitai Givertz on October 16, 2007 in Business Matters and Recruiting. 6 Comments

An interesting post on Social Media Explorer Deconstructing Second Life questions the value of Second Life based on a review of the virtual world’s demographics:

The demographics show 8.5 million users, but only 561,000 of those are “active.” While nearly 40 percent of the active ones are age 25-34, only 26 percent are from the United States (with Brazil a distant second a 8.5). The numbers show 57 percent of active users are male.

So, the population is 561,000, not exactly a number global brands raise an eyebrow toward. Only 149,000 of those are in the U.S., so you’re basically trying to market to the population of Eugene, Ore. If you’re trying to reach men, your audience becomes 84,900. Women? Less.

When I spoke with Jim Stroud about this a few weeks ago he mentioned the Q-factor as being important — a counterpoint in the post — but unless you are recruiting techies who also happen to be early adopters, is there any point?

The Key to “Ki Work” is Missing

Published by Amitai Givertz on October 15, 2007 in Business Matters and That's Life. 4 Comments

The problem with being a boomer is being so easily bamboozled. The source of today’s bamboozlement is ki work, a “new model” for brokering professional relationships and outsourcing projects.

The site aspires to being a marketplace where ki work acts as the intermediary for globally dispersed talent that is otherwise available in everyone’s virtual backyard.

I don’t understand why reasonably good ideas go to market with nothing more than a reasonably good idea, do you?

Continue reading ‘The Key to “Ki Work” is Missing’

Shooting Stars, Making Wishes

Published by Amitai Givertz on October 12, 2007 in Blogging, Business Matters and That's Life. 6 Comments

I came across a new social network called projectstars, yet another killer startup. The site touts “blog for stock in the largest enterprise business blogging network” as if to suggest the potential payoff for participation might be worth the mind-numbing prospect of having to fill out yet another blessed profile first.

How ironic. In an attempt to free me from the walled gardens of the Web 1.0 internet I find that I am now trapped in the particulars of my online ID, technographic profile, group identity and now with projectstars, my “net worth” too.

projectstars claims to be an online business community for enterprise professionals. I don’t want to appear to be dim-witted but what is an enterprise professional exactly and do they/we really need another business community? And if the site’s purpose is indeed to “share expertise, build relationships, and find projects” one wonders if there have been problems with existing networks liked LinkedIn.

Continue reading ‘Shooting Stars, Making Wishes’

Are CEOs Wired for Honesty?

Published by Amitai Givertz on September 11, 2007 in Business Matters and Post Pickings. 0 Comments

‘The See-Through CEO’ » Amitai Givertz’s Blogversity Blog

Wired posts The See-Through CEO that explores the advantage corporate top-dogs gain from understanding and managing transparency as a strategic tool. The article weighs the pros and cons of radical transparency — as questionable a term as “totally honest” as if to suggest there are degrees of integrity — and cites some examples worth thinking about.

Read the rest of this entry » ‘The See-Through CEO’

A Conversation with Laurence Haughton…

Published by Amitai Givertz on April 2, 2007 in Business Matters and Post Pickings. 0 Comments

Posted on Bells & Whistles:

I was lucky to be introduced to Laurence Haughton a couple of weeks ago. Laurence is the author of two books which have received enthusiastic reviews It’s Not What You Say… It’s What You Do – How Following Through at Every Level Can Make or Break Your Company and It’s Not the Big That Eat the Small… It’s the Fast That Eat the Slow - How to use speed as a competitive tool in business. I have added both titles to my bookshelf and you should add them to yours too.

Read it here.

For Whom the Bell Tolls

Published by Amitai Givertz on January 1, 2007 in Blogging and Business Matters. 5 Comments

No, not another post about the currently beleaguered Chief Jobster Jason Goldberg, or a commentary on his recent opacity, unless you want it to be, of course. I write – metaphysically – to please you I hope although on this blog, as previously reported, I’m almost done here.

Ding…

Well, I’ve had fun these past few days, blogging here more than in recent weeks. At least, so it would seem on the surface. In reality I have been busy putting together a great many more posts for the launch of a new and spiffy “blog-enabled” corporate website, going live sometime late January, early February perhaps.  My only fear is that by then there will be a general armistice in the war for talent, or Dave Lefkow will have left Jobster for Taleo or some other industry brain drainer, or they’ll be giving away credits for recruiter training on the back of specially marked boxes of Special K – or some such nonsense – like my postings here, obviously dated.

Dong…

Looking back on my posts here I see my tagline “A Contrarian View of Talent Management” hardly describes the bulk of my content since posting here in June. Rather, my work on the whole seems much more introspective and/or recruiting blog-centric. A little light in the talent management department compared to some. So I have changed the tagline to, “A Contrarian View of Life in the Recruitosphere” which seemed to be the overall tenor, regardless. I will be blogging about talent management and related topics on the new corporate blog – Bells and Whistles – and looking forward to shamelessly commercializing my efforts.

Ding…

I am planning to write a personal blog focusing on stuff that interests me in business and in blogging and in general, abandoning the need for this impossible love-hate relationship with the Recruitosphere or an online persona that needs such frequent watering.

Dong..

When I get going, if you find what I post there interesting, I might ask that you please keep it to yourself. First, I am not nearly smart enough to develop threads about how, for example, the augmented social network (PDF) is finally transcending the perceived or real limitations of monetization and walled gardens and trust and persistent identity, evolving to realize it’s potential. Phew. Nor will I have much time to become embroiled in lengthy exchanges, baring my nincompoopery for Mother to see. I’ll be too busy with my other duties. Second, I wouldn’t want everyone to know what I was researching as I sought to develop some competitive advantage for my business, now would I?

Ding, dong…

So, for who does the bell toll? Jason Goldberg, it tolls for thee.

Baby Sitting

Published by Amitai Givertz on December 29, 2006 in Blogging and Business Matters. 5 Comments

When John Sumser sent me an invitation to post on interbiznet as part of his Top Ten in 2006 yearend review, I could not have been more surprised, gob-smacked actually. It was not that he referred to me as “one of a few” or that he said – quite nonchalantly – the others were “leading thinkers in the industry.” The reason that I was taken aback was that anyone widely respected in the bubble – let alone the patriarch of recruiting bloggers – would place me in such esteemed company, let me post first. Well, ain’t that something? I mean, I am accustomed to being spanked on the bottom for being naughty, not pat on the head for being good:

We had lunch with Ami in a prototypical Manhattan diner the first time we physically met him. We’d been hearing from and about him while suffering the lash of his pen over the past year or so. Ami is the single most provocative and infectious of the new voices that have emerged in the blogging fury that has taken center stage in the industry. It felt like a gathering of old Bolsheviks plotting the overthrow of anything that came up. We were completely unprepared to like him so much.

As each contributor posted their take on the 10 most important things that happened in our industry during 2006 I realized – seeing that on so many points we were agreed – that perhaps I could hold my own as a panelist at some fancy-schmancy recruiting conference, command some un-Godly fee. We “thought leaders” do get paid un-Godly fees, don’t we? No? How about .01% of the take plus actual expenses? No? How about some free publicity, stroke of the ol’ ego then? Hmmm…that sucks. I might as well stay at home and blog then, don’t you think?

Thank you for honoring me John, sincerely, thank you…

- Amitai Givertz : Top 10 in 2006 (v1)

- David Hurst : Top 10 in 2006 (v2)

- Scott Dow : Top 10 in 2006 (v3)

- Kevin Wheeler : Top 10 in 2006 (v4)

- Hank Stringer : Top 10 in 2006 (v5)

- Tim Driver : Top 10 in 2006 (v6)

- Steve Levy : Top 10 in 2006 (v7)

- Martin Snyder : Top 10 in 2006 (v8)

- Don Ramer : Top 10 in 2006 (v9)

- Hans Geiskes : Top 10 in 2006 (v10)

…and who knows, one day you might invite me to join one of your panel discussions, eh? I’ll negotiate a special rate just for you, John.

Jobster, Take My Breath Away

Published by Amitai Givertz on December 28, 2006 in Business Matters. 16 Comments

While everyone is inhaling to blah-blah-blah Jobster over the rumored downsizing, dehumanizing, rightsizing, realigning and pocket lining of the business – all probably in the works, concurrently no doubt –  I would venture to make a couple of suggestions as to where we should look for inspiration in what is about to unfold…

Article number one:  I am quite sure Jason Goldberg doesn’t give two hoots what people think or say about him. I don’t know Jason Goldberg personally, far from it. I would not presume that what I suspect is true is indeed the case. But I imagine that Jason Goldberg’s need to win – survive if needs be – is far stronger than his need to be liked, loved or even understood. His low need for approval – call it hubris if you like – will make the decisions he has to execute in the coming days as easy said as they will be done. And the quicker it is done and over with the better for Jobster. Look to Jason Goldberg for a lesson in “getting on with business.”

Article number two:  Any business decision that negatively impacts the security and comfort of an employee is a damn shame. It is. But in the broader context of things, let’s not get overly sentimental if the business dictates that a number of passive candidates now become active. Isn’t that what “Tag yourself. Rank your skills. Get found.” is about? Isn’t that the Jobster model, premise?

Article number three: Until we get something concrete from Jason Goldberg, forget whether Jobster is a good business or a bad business, or is well managed or badly run. None of us on the sidelines have any direct impact on outcomes within the business so what does all this huffing and puffing contribute to the happiness or well being of someone who is about to get axed, or not, as the case may be.

Article number four:  If there are layoffs, let’s hope the opportunity to turn lemons into lemonade isn’t lost as Jobster proactively markets their displaced talent through the Jobster network. If Jobster can pull off an outplacement coup using their own network – wow! – that will make for some positive press. There’s nothing like lemonade to keep the bile down.

Article number five:  Kudos! to Jason Goldberg for being a seminal figure, business blogger. Bravo! As I read his post who cares about profits? the feeds on his blog had no fewer than 17 links to articles and comments on the speculation surrounding Jobster, his business/leadership and current predicaments. We are about to witness a case study in transparency and how authenticity can make or break a CEO. For anyone who adheres to these principles of openness and naked conversation, this is going to be an object lesson from which we all take away something of value.

In closing, as to what the final outcome of all this will be, don’t ask me. I don’t know. Unlike some, so quick off the mark, I shall wait to see. With bated breath.

Time Waits for No Man

Published by Amitai Givertz on December 19, 2006 in Business Matters. 2 Comments

I see this year Time magazine’s lauded Person of the Year is “You.” Anticipating widespread annoyance at this editorial cop-out no doubt, the sub-title for their cover issue is: “Yes, you. You control the Information Age. Welcome to your world.”

Personally, I think this year’s choice and tag-line is dopey. If Time wanted to draw inspiration from the “Information Age” - that phrase is so 1970’s isn’t it, hardly inspires confidence in their thinking this thing through - there is no shortage of interesting people who have made a contribution to “our world” and who could have been profiled this year, made the cover.

So, my question is this: who from the digital-, virtual-, networking-, information-, cyber-, yada-yada-space would you have put on the cover of Time this year and why?

Cheezhead Sticks It To The Man

Published by Amitai Givertz on November 3, 2006 in Business Matters. 2 Comments

Joel Cheesman posts monster.com hates free speech following up on his previous and rather provocative monster is a crap product video starring Jobster chief Jason Goldberg. Joel Cheesman quotes Monster.com’s very own Rich Teplitsky who is the Director, Global Corporate Communications and who is seeking to have the video suppressed. Golly, isn’t that kind of gulaggy?

I called Rich Teplitsky but he wasn’t there. I called the covering extension and left a message for a delightful sounding Katheryn Burns. I’m sure she’ll call me back, I do hope so. She sounds very professional.

I want to ask whether Monster.com has accounted for the possibility that if some people take to posting/linking to the video they may have inadvertently created the potential for an altogether different kind of monster to raise its ugly head among the recruiting bloggers, and who knows where?  I mean, what if a lot of people started to post the video, or for neophytes like me, linked to it instead? This thing could get really big, you know, like really horrible. After all, we bloggers are very influential you know, we know crap when we see it. Some of us are well connected too.

Now, many would argue that Monster.com is not a totally crap product at all. Further reading of the blogs will attest to that, as would millions of satisfied users. But, as Mother used to say, “Handsome is as handsome does” and I’m sure we could say the same about crap behavior too, don’t you?

Anyway, in protest at this heavy-handed nonsense, as soon as I can find it, I am taking my resume down off Monster.com and posting it up on Joel Cheesman’s answer to every jobseekers prayer – Blogs With Jobs  – as soon as I work out how to get it up there.