Jobcasting Anyone?

"Companies need to humanize themselves," says Chris Russell, founder and chief jobcaster at Jobs in Pods, a division of AllCountyJobs.com LLC and a marketing tool that targets the "iPod generation" of job seekers. "Job seekers don’t just want to see a logo, they want to see the people behind it. If job seekers can hear from an actual employee about what it’s like to work somewhere, it gives them a much better sense of cultural fit."

That’s precisely why Russell and his team developed Jobs in Pods. Users (companies looking to hire employees) can actually create podcasts to talk about their workplace and who they seek to hire. In short, Jobs in Pods will broadcast your job openings to candidates.

"Podcasts can connect to prospective candidates in ways that a job description can’t," says Russell. "It’s called jobcasting, and it gives your jobs a voice. It allows job seekers a peek inside your company by listening to your employees talk. It gives them unique, engaging content they can’t find by reading your Website."

So why would you do this? What’s the point?

"As the iPod generation of job seekers graduate into the job market, companies will need to communicate with them much differently than they did with previous generations," explains Russell. "The young, tech-savvy workers of today expect different things from their employer. So they need to be spoken to in ways they can relate to. They are comfortable with podcasting and blogs."

"It’s part of the overall trend in recruiting – using new media tools to advertise yourself and your employment brand," Russell continues. "It’s a supplement and is designed to compliment your existing recruiting efforts. For example, you can integrate this with anything you do online, such as using it as a link on your job postings or your Website."

Jobs in Pods helps companies advertise their jobs and promote their brand through audio podcast interviews, which are conducted over the phone with the company and its employees. During each interview, Jobs in Pods asks questions that candidates want answers to, such as "What’s it like to work here? What is a typical day like at your office?" It can be a day in the life of an employee or just a description of what type of jobs the company is hiring for or a description of a particular job and how to apply. After the interview is taped, Jobs in Pods edits it, publishes the interview on its site, and broadcasts it to sites such as iTunes and YouTube. Each podcast is usually 8 to 10 minutes long.

If you’re thinking of creating a jobcast on your own or through a company such as Jobs in Pods, Russell provides these guidelines:

• Select a salesperson who is experienced and very knowledgeable about your company.
• Select someone with a good speaking voice and who your targeted candidates could relate to. For example, if you are seeking new college graduates, ask a younger sales rep to speak.
• Review the questions, but don’t write out the answers in a script format. It will sound too stilted, says Russell. It needs to have the rhythm of a natural conversation.
• Think of the podcast as a radio show about your company, advises Russell.

Jobs in Pods has seen much success to date. They have attracted many Fortune 500 clients, such as McDonald’s, AT&T, and Walgreens – some producing up to 28,000 podcasts for their companies.

Visit Job in Pods at www.jobsinpods.com to view podcasts.