Today, I am attending a talent management thought-leadership summit at Deloitte University called The New Attraction: Talent, Technology and Connectedness in the Post-Digital Workplace. I am really looking forward to the discussions, which will address the relationship between the worker and organization; the changes being wrought by technology; and the rise of analytics as both unprecedented tool and cultural challenge.
Before we arrived on the Deloitte campus in Westlake, TX, I caught up with Dorie Clark, a fellow participant who is a branding expert and Forbes blogger. Here are some of Dorie's thoughts as we both anticipated the event.
Dorie, if there was one message you would like to get across to senior HR leaders today, what would it be?
Even if you have made it to a certain rank, you need to think about and cultivate your personal brand over time. You have to make an effort to reinvent yourself constantly, or else everyone's perception of you will be based only on what you've done or been in the past. If you are expanding on your expertise, showcase that by writing for online publications so people begin to associate you with these issues.
What excites you most about today?
I love the idea of getting together with other experts who are on the front lines. I'm especially looking forward to continuing my ongoing conversation with Tom Davenport, who helps organizations make better and more calculated decisions in a complex marketplace.
What do you feel is the relationship between talent and brand reputation?
It's a symbiotic one. People will want to work for you if you are perceived as a company with A+ operations, and when employees are more satisfied and engaged, a company will have a better reputation It's a virtuous cycle.
What impact does digital technology have on this relationship?
Digital technology allows companies to communicate to their audiences without any intermediaries. For example, Best Buy's CEO just put together a YouTube video explaining some recent developments to employees, it was obviously available to everyone. I love that today's social tools draw people to your message and help you find and be found by people with similar interests.
For more of Dorie's ideas, check out her forthcoming book from Harvard Business Review, Reinventing You: Define Your Brand, Imagine Your Future.
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