Why Hard Work Isn#8217;t Enough to Succeed

Why Hard Work Isn8217t Enough to Succeed One of the most common messages I received as a child was, Work hard, and you will be rewarded. This sentiment was echoed by loved ones, teachers, and mentors. Theres a good chance you, too, heard the same rumor about life being fair and equitable.Dont get me wrong Hard work is a critical component of success. However, the fact isthat theres mora to it than just hard work. This can be a tough lesson to learn, especially for young professionals.Even the BestWorkers Dont Always Get RewardedIts not uncommon for a newly minted graduate to work harder than their colleagues do. They may even be smarter and contribute more new ideas. In some cases, they also save the company more money or generate more in sales.On the surface, it seems obvious Im smarter. I work longer hours. I produce more revenue. I should be paid more. Right?Not necessarily. At least, not yet.After working for one to two years at a job,manyyoung pr ofessionals begin to feelfrustrated. They have proven themselves. Theyve worked long hours.And theyve figured out just how much more their lazy coworker makes than they do.So, the young graduatedoes what seems natural They ask their boss for a raise. Theyre shocked to learn that its not in the cards for them at least, not in the way they were hoping. Sadly, companies generally only give 2-4percent raises annually. This is oftenthe case even if youre a great employee. Your future pay ata company is almost always based on your current pay.Companies also want to ensure that employees have room to grow each year. If you receive the top pay available today, how will they incentivize you over the next five years? (Thats their reasoning, anyway.)Perception Counts Just as Much as RealityOften, your value is tied as much toperception as it is toreality. You may work hard at your desk for hours on end, but if no one knows about it, they wont know your true value. This perceived form of value is created through building relationships with your boss, upper management, and your colleagues.Your value may also be tied to how rare your skills are. How difficult is it to replace you? How many people are available who can also do the same work? The more unique your skills are, the better. If those unique skills also generate a lot ofrevenue for the company, youre even more likely to be perceived as irreplaceable.Just remember Putting in your dues is where its at. Keep in mind the valuable experience youre gaining. When you were in college, you would have gladly worked for free.After youve put in your time and are ready to move up, consider moving on. Even the best employees are lucky to receive small raises. An external move can sometimes increase your overall pay by more than 30 percent at one time.And when you do receive your next offer, use your negotiation skills to get the best start possible.A version of this article originally appeared onThe Memphis Daily News.Angela C opeland is a career coach and CEO at her firm, Copeland Coaching.

5 Ways to Build a Standout Employer Brand on a Budget

5 Ways to Build a Standout Employer Brand on a Budget5 Ways to Build a Standout Employer Brand on a BudgetEvery talent acquisition manager wants to build a great employer brand. Its a powerful tool for recruiting the best candidates for your open positions, and it can save significant costs over time by reducing your time-to-hire and retention rate.Unfortunately, budget and personnel restrictions often push employer branding to the backseat. Not every talent acquisition manager has the resources to contract out or bring in a team to build their employer brand, making it difficult to follow through on the great ideas you might come across online.Never fear. The world wide web is making it easier than ever to organize an approach to branding that doesnt blow your budget for the whole year. Here are a few low-cost and free strategies you can implement over the coming months to build your employer brand on a budget.Revamp your careers page with efficiency in mindThe first stop for every potential candidate is the official landing page for your companys recruiting efforts. Work with your in-house website development team to execute updates and ideas that will take as little coding as possible.For example, using infographics to convey information often takes less manpower than coding images and content into a page in tandem. Recording a company video that communicates your companys value proposition and what youre looking for in a candidate might be even more low cost. Then review this article to identify ways you can help your companys personality jump off the page.Write captivating job descriptionsIn a world of hyper-communication, words matter more than ever. That counts for your careers page, and it extends to your job descriptions. Review each job description to make sure that you are describing your company and the candidate as accurately as possible. Make changes accordingly. Then take this process a step further by updating your job description review process and inviting managers and other stakeholders to review position descriptions and provide feedback. If your managers are completely booked, connect with an established freelance writer or career specialist for a one-time consultation.Curate your companys website with an interviewers eyesNext, move on to your companys main website. Take in the content, images, photos and videos that a prospective candidate might see. Then make a list of changes that might better suit the candidates you are trying to recruit.For example, the company photos you include on your website speak volumes. Are they posed or not? Casual or suit and tie? Full of off-site events or professional meetings? How you choose to display the employees who already work for your company will send a clear message to prospective candidates about whether or not they can see themselves working for you. Use Pinterest to sort through different kinds of professional headshots to find a style that represents your company.Step off of your URL After updating your careers page and company website, step off of your company URL to proactively brand your company out in the web. Review your company social media profiles on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn with the eyes of a job seeker. Note colors, sentiments and updates that could be taken out of context by a prospective candidate, as well as missed opportunities for connecting with job seekers. Consider tasking some of your social media team members to be on the lookout for particularly active social media followers in certain industries you never know when a brand groupie might translate into a perfect new hire.Train interviewers in basic PROnce a candidate makes it past your careers page, company page and candidate screening process, you finally get the opportunity to conduct an interview. An important part of the employer branding process is to make sure that youre prepared for this moment and that you can represent your company professionally and accurately.To make sure you and your team give the most realistic (and consistent) impression possible, implement interviewer training that proactively addresses employer branding issues that might come up. This will allow you to anticipate surprises before they pop up, including good and bad online reviews and the most consistent elevator speech for the company possible.For more tips on building a desirable employer brand, read this Simply Hired article. Then use this Simply Hired article to identify the most effective metrics you can use to track the ROI of your employer brand over time.Looking for a more comprehensive approach? Download our Employer Brand ebook today