iCIMS Hire Expectations™

Let’s face it. Even if you’re not a fan (a.k.a. Little Monster), by this point you have probably heard of the pop singer Lady Gaga. Over the last few years, she has managed to not only have a successful music career but also evolve herself into a multi-million dollar brand. Most recently, Lady Gaga was named the most powerful celebrity in the world by Forbes, beating out Oprah for the top spot. Due to her recent rise in the news and the release of her latest album, I thought it would be interesting to see what we could glean from Gaga and apply to talent management. While the notion is admittedly a little farfetched, there are some core tactics that fit in the HR space.

Branding, Branding, BRANDING!
While she has a different “outfit” every time she makes an appearance, Lady Gaga has portrayed herself as a dependably out of the box brand. Whether in live appearances, video recordings, or marketing promotion materials, the Haus of Gaga produces a variety of materials with an undercurrent of consistency that resonates with her fan base. While I’m not suggesting you dress up in outrageous costumes and over the top wigs, there is value in underscoring your brand through your recruiting. By syncing up your candidate management with your career sites, email communications, and web-based forms, you can facilitate brand awareness while building stronger ties with your applicant pool. Of course, the wigs are optional.

Stay In Touch with Your Fans (Candidates)
One of the keys to Lady Gaga’s continued success is her high level of engagement with her fan base. She fosters a sense of camaraderie by using social media, blogs, and videos to stay in touch with her followers. By remaining in communication with her fan base, Lady Gaga retains a receptive audience for her products and promotional offerings. On the recruitment side, striving to maintain an engaged candidate pipeline can be viewed similarly, as the ultimate goal is to sell top candidates on the idea of working for your organization. With a CRM tool built into your talent management system, you can schedule and send a steady stream of updates to candidates with customized content. Keep them engaged, and when you have a requisition that matches their talent, you candidates will be looking for it.

Showcase What Makes You Unique
Clearly Lady Gaga is not afraid to be herself (or a caricature of herself). She is open to the media and her fans about her beliefs and doesn’t hold back when it comes to expressing herself artistically. Lady Gaga has achieved astronomical success by finding ways to stand out in a crowded pop music scene. With all the competition for top talent in our economy, do what you can to stand out from the crowd. Showcase what makes your organization unique compared to your competition. Do you have interesting programs that would appeal to your candidates? Highlight them on your career site to emphasize how and why your organization is a great place to work so candidates will gravitate toward what you have to offer.