13 Popular Posts of ’13

Hi. You don’t know me yet but I’m Sarah Duke, the project management intern here at Red Branch Media. As a rather new brancher, I have quickly realized how much content Red Branch produces.  From Courtney’s client posts, to Eric’s updates, and Maren’s missives, everyone is in on the content creation act. Even us newbies are writing articles for this blog and lots of others (stay tuned for our debut posts). But enough about me…

As the year draws to a close, I took a look back at the posts that stood out with readers (sheer number of shares/views) and those that were near and dear to the hearts of branchers here in house. Hopefully, you read or saw these the first time around but if not, check them out!

1.  Explaining Employment Gaps in Your Resume? Don’t do this.

Maren gives tips on how to control the tone when explaining employment gaps in her April post. Her top tips include: don’t be negative, don’t lie, and don’t badmouth former employers. Keep it short, and keep it simple. She says one of the best ways to explain an employment gap is how you took the time to grow in your field or develop other relevant skills. If you are bad at explaining unemployment, here is how to translate it better.

2.  Is Recruiting Sexy?

In her February post on Recruiter.com, Maren asks who would have thought recruiting could be sexy? No one really, but It makes sense when you really think about it. She says recruitment is about attraction, staffing is about speed and strategy, and HR is intimate. It turns into a rather simple equation… Attraction + Speed and Strategy + Intimacy = Sexy Recruiting. Find out her reasons why.

3.  Recruit Like Willy Wonka

Apparently Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory isn’t just about Chocolate. In her post this summer, Maren details how Willy Wonka strategically found Charlie to be his successor. It took a lot of hard work, dedication, and thought. It is surprising to think that you can relate the sugar filled movie to HR and Recruiting… But surprise! Here is how Maren explains the correlation.

4.  What the Fox Actually Said and Other Things We Learned at #HRTechConf

Maren says there is nothing better than face-to-face networking, even when a company like Red Branch Media prides itself on digital and social media marketing. And you know what? She’s right. Moral of the story: always be prepared, always be confident, your team matters, grow small, and be thankful for industry mentors and ignore those who foster negativity. Want to know what the fox actually said at #HRTechConf?

5.  Job Seeker Do’s and Don’ts

If you think you’re going to accidentally come across that great job you have only dreamed of, you’re probably wrong. Maren says to take the average of 200 minutes Americans spend watching TV, networking to job search with purpose instead. She suggests networking with social media… but with caution. Be professional and don’t be a downer. Work on your negotiation skills. Above all, edit your resume. Nothing looks worse than a typo on a resume. The search starts here.

6.  eHarmony for Recruiting is No Match

Rumors have been spawning in the HR and Recruiting world that eHarmony might be possibly thinking about branching out of the dating scene. Maren caught wind, and quite frankly, she doesn’t think it’s a good idea. She says in her August post that eHarmony is great for finding that special someone, but it can’t help you find the best boss. It really is not meant for the HR and Recruitment fields. Recruiting and dating might be similar, but here are Maren’s reasons why eHarmony should not cross into recruiting.

7.  4 Reasons to Get Better at Documenting Employee Performance

It’s the end of the year, you know what that means? Performance appraisals. Performance reviews. Evaluations. I bet you just shuddered a little. Performance reviews have a scary undertone, but Maren says there is good reason to do them. In fact, there are four really good ones. Be thorough and be honest. She says if you sugarcoat it, you can’t truly find and fix gaps when transitioning employees or succession planning.

8.  Top 4 iPhone Apps to Pass Time

Summer traveling with a lot of time to kill, Eric posted the best apps that helped him get through the airplane season. Eric’s favorites are Heads Up, Vine, Southwest, and Songza. He doesn’t just explain what they are, he tells you how much they are (if they cost anything at all) and why he loves them. Let’s be honest, you need more apps for your phone.

9.  From 90 Days to A Few Weeks: Shorten YOUR Hiring Cycle

It’s easy to burnout when you work in HR and Recruiting. Maren says there are five ways to make sure this doesn’t happen. “One of the ways that you can make your candidates’ experience really amazing, is to NOT WASTE THEIR TIME!” Take Maren’s advice. Don’t burnout. Don’t waste their time. Let the odds ever be in your favor.

10.  7 Ways to Network Better

There are good ways to network and bad ways to network. In this October post, Maren discusses the best ways to use networking to your advantage when looking for a job. She gives 7 simple ways to network better. Being friendly and “focusing on their work” can go a long way. It takes 7 seconds to make a first impression. Use this time wisely and effectively. Now get out there and network!

11.  How Employer Branding and Recruitment Fell in Love

It’s all in the presentation. Maren says “This next generation of candidates don’t necessarily expect more from the company that they choose to work for, but they are most certainly on a hunt for something different than their predecessors.” And you know what? It’s true. Things have changed in the world of recruiting. You have to know your audience and how to accurately present your brand experience to them. You can’t have employer branding without recruitment. Read more about the love story.

12.  How To Take A Month Off From Your Business

When the stresses of entrepreneurship get the best of you, it’s obvious. Fourteen-hour days and sleep deprivation can lead to health problems. Maren used the warning signs and decided it was time to take a vacation. But being CMO of her own agency and a mother of 3 boys, it made things a little more difficult. She gives seven steps to allow the entrepreneur to take time away from their business with ease. Your business can run effectively without you, just follow this advice.

13.  Four Principles Of Social Media Savvy

Social media for your small business can be tricky. Some things work, and some things definitely don’t. One thing is for certain, it never hurts to try things just once.  But there are some ground rules to remember, Maren says. It’s not all about you…even though it totally is all about you.  Social media is a great way to let your clientele know who they are doing business with. Would you do business with someone you didn’t know? But don’t take it too far. You don’t want to be that person (or business) that posts things online constantly. Take a tip or two from a woman who owns and a small business.

That’s it for me. What was your favorite piece of the year? It doesn’t have to be ours! But leave us a great read in the comments. Oh! And it was nice to meet you!