If only companies in Australia hired this way! I would certainly have been inclined to work for a business that thought like this rather than striking out on my own.
SHIFT are taking a position that recognises explicitly the power and value of an employee with a strong personal brand - their value to the company is, at least in part, defined by their online (and real life) personality and the cachet having the sort of person with a strong personal brand on staff can bring.
They also realise that in today’s world, any employee is just on loan to you, the employer. While you keep them engaged and excited about their work, you probably have the chance to keep them on staff.
The opportunity to work with big, free, innovative thinkers like Doug (in an older bracket) and Amanda (who’s only about 10 years older than my daughter) would totally attract me. When I visited Boston earlier this year, I met Doug briefly but missed Amanda.
Sadly, most Aussie companies still think they own you when they hire you. The idea of establishing and owning your own brand beyond your work is anathema to many of them. People here still get dooced for having any online persona. I know several who hide their Twitter streams and blog anonymously to protect themselves.
Time for Aussie companies to wake up!
So true. Thankfully some of us are lucky enough to work for companies with a slightly more grown up view of things.
Worthwile reading on employees approach to working for somebody else from Lifehacker, your post made me think of this http://tinyurl.com/2g2ad2
Thanks for bringing this to my attention Stephen. It’s a great topic and very true.
In this current time of virtually full employment there is an opportunity for employees to shift employer thinking in this direction - hopefully to make it stick before the market shifts the opposite way.
“THANKS”. I should thank you ‘cause this problem is not just based in Australia. It’s every where. Your employer makes you work overtime, forces you to work on holidays, and the worse of it all, ignores your extra effort.
Few are the companies that treat their employees as professionals who need recognition for their hard work.
A simple “Good Job” email will probably do the trick and keep the employee motivated.
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