Mama likes her bacon chocolate.
I wanted to give a major shout-out to my good pal, Eric Winegardner.
For those of us in HR and Recruiting, Eric is the face of Monster.com and one of the Top 100 Influencers in our community. Thankfully, he is also an advocate of mo’ better HR and hiring practices. He is committed to living in a world where great people can get great jobs.
Eric works hard to connect HR bloggers (like me) with awesome information on the economy. He works with Monster to sponsor off the chain tweet-ups so recruiting professionals can get to know one another and expand our networks. One more thing: Eric evangelizes Monster and its products and services. If I were back in Corporate HR and leading a staffing function, I would work with Monster just because of Eric Winegardner.
Say what you will about the efficacy and future of job boards — they aren’t going away in 2010. If anything, they are evolving. I always advise job seekers to look at job boards as measurements of which companies are hiring. Then I advise ‘em to find the hiring managers directly through LinkedIn and other social networking sites. Job boards are a tool, not just a destination or a solution.
What I specifically like about Monster is that they are striving to meet the needs of savvier job seekers. They just implemented community-based resources for specific career fields. They’ve recently announced two developments for HR & recruiting professionals, too.
- The Power Resume Search so that recruiters can find you faster & better.
- The Career Ad Network so that HR bloggers can continue to write — and make a little coin.
So why does this shout-out go to Eric? He is supportive of my writing, he encourages me to think about the future of work, and he keeps me satisfied with bacon chocolate. I respect him as a professional and adore him as a friend.
I don’t know much about the recruiting and job board industry — but if other job boards had an advocate like Eric, they’d be blessed with better results in this market.
{ 1 trackback }
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
Laurie, great shout out. Monster is fortunate to have Eric. His passion, intellect and wit are a powerful voice for their brand. I agree with what you say- the boards provide great insight to trends, and targets . Monster in particular is a world of tools for the user regardless of role.
Couldn’t agree with you more Laurie. Eric IS what so many companies need in an employee. His knowledge not only about Monster, but about HR/recruiting is unsurpassed. He’s genuine, passionate, and delivers his message in a way that makes everyone flock to him. And, he’s no wall flower. Eric will tell you exactly what he thinks on a topic, but the way he communicates garners respect, not contempt.
Monster has so many products and services beyond the job board we all know. If anyone needs info, Eric is the man to talk to.
EW= all around wonderful guy. My shout goes to him for all your reasons PLUS, man, can he dance. And we all know that more men should cut loose and dance once in awhile. Great post.
Hi Laurie -
Great shout out this morning! I really appreciate Eric’s passion for the job seeker. I really enjoy his point of view and loves his debates in the conferences he attends. I think he truely understands where we as a recruiting and an HR function need to go for the future!
Best -
Chernee
This post exemplifies good blogging. You suggest great tips for job seekers, and how to use http://monster.com and http://linkedin.com as tools to lead one through the job search path. Eric is one of the brightest and funniest people I know. He provided outstanding information at the recent unconference, HRevolution. He is positive, and forward thinking. I am so happy you devoted a post in his honor. He deserves acknowledgement for all the good work he does. I am proud to call him a colleague.
@HRMargo (twitter) Margo Rose
Eric is an absolute sweetheart, the best brand advocate Monster could hope for, and the best roving reporter the HR Happy Hour has had!
Great post Laurie! If I didn’t know Eric personally, it would appear that PRHR and Monster had some sort of PR deal. But I do know Eric, and know that he would never compromise his authenticity.
I have been a Monster customer for many years, purchasing mega job board packages for large organizations. Monster (and the other job boards) would do well to take note of Eric’s style.
His ability to build community around his product, his ability to engage his customers, acknowledge Monster’s shortcomings while highlighting its improvements is invaluable. I think the job boards, to some extent, have buried their collective heads in the sand when it comes to social media. Not Eric. He has embraced his customers (literally and figuratively) where they congregate. He imagines how his organization fits into the Web 2.0 future.
Monster, give this guy a raise! Then make sure he trains your sales force. Then make sure he sits in on every product development meeting. Create an army of Erics that understand the market, the technology, the needs of recruiters and the needs of jobseekers. Then maybe we can stop writing ‘job boards are dying” posts.
@Debbie I remember using Monster when I was in recruiting and I never had the kind of client-focus that Eric gives to his clients. Lots of change in that space since the early 2000s.
@Trish Eric will tell you exactly what he thinks on a topic, but the way he communicates garners respect, not contempt. I wish more c-level executives knew how to do this. Eric is a good example of what future C-level professionals will look like in America. I’m optimistic.
@Chernee Thanks for the comment. He’s so great. Thanks for recognizing that.
@HRMargo Glad you were able to meet Eric in Kentucky and see his awesomeness in action.
@HRMinion You should put him on your payroll!
@Peopleshark I really respect Eric’s commitment to technology and recruiting. He is a true leader. PS — I have like 20 of these Sunday shout-outs (including you) so I’m just trying to pay it forward and not work a PR angle. Eric is the real deal and I think he needs to be recognized by someone who ISN’T taking Monster’s money. That being said, I’d totally take their money. In large bills. And roll around in it. Then I’d make a video with Lucy in it.
Thanks for opening my eyes to a different view of Monster, Laurie. I’ll explore and educate myself, then get in touch with Eric.
Just more proof of the value of community and the fact that you, too, are a true leader.
Thanks for taking the time to highlight Eric! I’ve never been a job board Fan, but as you and your commenters point out, I’d give Monster a look (and have) because of Eric Winegardner.
Eric is a great example of how it only take ONE employee to make a positive difference in a huge company and in a competitive industry. I know we’re a relatively small community of bloggers, social media types, etc. that have had close interactions with Eric through conferences and social media, but I can also attest to his interactions with customers as well. One of my clients is a Monster customer and they’re Fans of his as well.
I think Eric’s magic is a combination of being an unabashed #1 Fan of Monster, but never “selling” – unless appropriate to do so. He sells the product and company via a genuine interest in the industry, his relationships and his customers (both job seekers and companies). That’s exactly the way to do it.
@Marsha That’s awesome! Thanks.
@Jen You are so right about the link between clients, fans, and advocates. Eric does it right.
Thanks for sharing this about Eric! I am a Monster Sales rep and I continually look for ways to communicate the Monster experience to my customers and to those who think they know everything there is to know about Monster. I can also appreciate his enthusiasm for the industry and his knowledge to help me do all I can for my customers!