(Time to read this Blog is about 4 minutes)

Before we get to the main topic, here are a few things to get you thinking or smiling:

1. My Biz Quote of the week:
   “You can’t build an extraordinary business by hiring ordinary people.”       
   …Donald Cooper.
    
2. Quick Biz Tip:
   An 11-word question to ask each person on your Team: 
    
   This simple 11-word question will deliver great clarity about what needs fixing in your business or Department. “What are 3 things that frustrate you most about your job?”
    
   Give them a few days to think about it.  You’ll be amazed about what you learn.
    
3. Fun fact: According to a recent survey, Canada is the top country Americans target when looking to move abroad. 
    
4. More big layoffs. US phone service provider, Verizon, just confirmed that it will lay off ‘more than’ 13,000 employees, or about 13% of its workforce.
    
5. AI update #1: A woman in Japan recently married an AI persona she built on ChatGPT. The 32-year-old woman held a full wedding ceremony with her AI groom in front of friends and family.
    
6. AI update #2: Home Depot has just launched an AI-powered software tool to provide home builders, renovators and remodelers with fast, accurate, and cost-effective Material Lists and cost estimates.
    
7. A transformational day with Donald Cooper. A number of regular Blog readers have recently asked how much it would cost to have a day with me to explore how they can sell more, manage smarter and grow their bottom line. Some of these businesses are partnerships or family businesses needing clarity and insight about the best path forward.  They’re looking for someone who has the experience, insight and courage to ‘get real’ and be helpful.
    
   So, I’ve put together a program that involves you and your management team taking about 40 minutes each to complete a few of my Biz Tools…me spending 2 days to recap and analyse them and prep for our day together.  The day can be with you alone, or with you and your Management Team.  It concludes with dinner and includes three follow-up calls to make sure that ‘stuff’ is getting done.  The cost is $7,000, plus travel expenses.  I’m based in Toronto.
    
   If you’d like to chat about ‘possibilities’, I’m easy to find at donald@donaldcooper.com.

Now, to this week’s important topic:

Attracting top talent is a marketing problem.  You need a ‘block-buster’ Employment Video:       

The challenge to be addressed:

Attracting and retaining top-performers is the #1 challenge facing most businesses today.  Many businesses could immediately increase sales and profitability if they could just find the right people.

But many job applicants don’t show up for interview appointments and some don’t even show up on their start day, even though they’ve agreed to the job and, perhaps, signed a contract.  Whining and complaining that “You just can’t get good people anymore!” won’t solve the problem.  We need to more effectively communicate our value as an employer through a mind-shift and a process to address this huge universal problem. 

The mind-shift is to define this as a marketing problem.  Businesses have been marketing to their target customers to increase sales for hundreds of years.  Now it’s time to start being as clever and proactive in marketing to your prospective target employees.

Every business should be investing ‘marketing dollars’ into an excellent, customized 5-minute Recruitment Video that effectively tells their story!  Some of the key elements of this video will be:

1. Who we are, including company logo and marketing slogan or positioning statement.
2. What we do, for whom we do it, where we do it and why it matters. Why what we do is important, including on-screen quotes from 3 of our customers about what it’s like to do business with us and what they love about us.
3. Our history, including Awards won, Recognitions received and difficulties we’ve overcome. How we’ve created careers, not just jobs.
4. A brief video ‘tour’ of the business facilities.
5. Our Vision for the future. Where we commit to be in 3 to 5 years and the opportunities that will bring in various parts of the business.
6. Our Culture and Values and our Commitments to our customers, our Team, to the bottom line and to our community and the planet.
7. Our pay commitments, perks, benefits, flexibility, vacation and commitment to creating careers.
8. On-screen quotes from 3 of our Team members about what it’s like to work here.
9. There will be three versions of the video:
   1. Version #1 to appear on your website and on social media. This ‘next steps’ version will be an invitation to set up an interview.
   2. A slightly different 2^nd version of the video, “Welcome to Company X” will be sent to prospective employees as part of a pre-interview Info Package.
   3. A 3^rd longer version will be used as part of our Onboarding Process for those who have just joined the Team. It will go into more detail about employment policies, perks, benefits, flexibility, vacation, safety protocols (if relevant), the Org Chart, a longer ‘virtual facilities tour’ and our commitment to creating careers.

 Specific things to decide:

1. Length of video (likely 5 minutes for version #1 and #2…and 2 minutes longer for version #3).
2. Content concept and outline…then specific scripting for each segment. Words matter.
3. Who will commentate the video? Will it be the CEO, or will it be a professional spokesperson?  Professional voice talent is not expensive and they’re ‘pros’ for a reason.  Also, if the CEO leaves, there could be ‘rights to use the voice’ issues.
4. What background music will be most effective?
5. What’s the budget?
6. Who will plan, video and edit this important project? This is an art and a science.  Go with someone with a proven track record on effective projects of this type.  This is not a project for your niece who would love to give it a try.  Note:  If your budget is limited, contact your local Community College Video Arts department and have a faculty member recommend an extraordinary student team.
7. Completion date.

Recap of where will this ‘Recruitment Video’ be used:

1. On our website.
2. On Social Media.
3. Sent to each Job Candidate as part of a pre-interview Info Package.
4. As part of the Onboarding Process. This version of the video will be slightly different and a few minutes longer, going into more detail about employment policies, perks, benefits, flexibility, vacation, safety protocols (if relevant), the Org Chart, a longer ‘virtual facilities tour’ and our commitment to creating careers.

Bonus Note:

When interviewing candidates, be sure to ask yourself these 3 important questions:

1. Is this person a great fit with our Culture, Values and Standards?
2. Can this person do the job for which we’re interviewing?
3. Can this person help us become the business we commit to be in 3 to 5 years?

That’s it for this week…

Live brilliantly and be kind to each other!       

Donald Cooper 

Donald Cooper speaks and coaches internationally on management, marketing, and profitability.  He can be reached by email at donald@donaldcooper.com in Toronto, Canada.