The Hiring Woes of an SEM Firm
As the boom phase begins to slacken, system-driven companies would be able to deal with the slump more effectively because a) they would be able to absorb the impact of disturbing occurrences like an employees leaving the company — it would minimize employee dependence b) employee stickiness – the employees would always prefer to stick to a company with solid systems because they come with a certain level of solidity and security, and c) client stickiness – clients would naturally stick to companies that do not allow a sagging of performance due to the systems in use and because the slump has not led to their “favorite account manager” deserting them.
Training: Our industry is in a stage of rapid evolution. There is surely a demand – supply gap that is favorable for search specialists seeking employment but unfavorable for SEM firms like us. As more people join the industry they are more likely not to possess any relevant skill sets. That’s where “training” assumes enormous importance. We have seen that it takes around 100 hours of “induction training” to get a new employee up to acceptable level. This needs to be combined with 100 hours of employee training per month to keep the knowledge levels healthy within the organization. This means maintaining a fierce commitment towards encouraging a “knowledge culture”. Training is a great “retention tool” because other than the obvious benefits, it tells the employee that the company “cares”.
Setting Internal Standards: The industry does not have set standards. This is to be expected in a new and growing industry and we take this as a positive. NetElixir has been able to develop a useful and extensive set of standards and operating procedures. This is the fruitful outcome of many hours put in active research and development. Our standards often become great “stickiness” factors as these are unlikely to exist in competitor firms. Also, these are difficult to replicate and hence there is just a limited quantum of procedural knowledge that any employee who quits can take to the next company. Standards also attract professionals. To a potential candidate, this shows how well-organized the company is and how much effort has been taken to sow seeds for future growth and stability- a possible connection with the “corporate vision”.
Hiring will remain an issue and a big determinant of how successful the SEM firm would finally be. It’s people that make a Company. Recruit raw talent, put them into a system, polish the talent and you have winners who can drive the company to the next level.
Udayan Bose
CEO, NetElixir Inc
Reader Comments.
Nicely written. The problem is further compounded by the demographics. There are few people so there are fewer still in this exciting niche. A wel crafted classified gets more eyeballs when it specifiies what is in it foe the candidate. i.e. How nmuch of a sign-up bonus will you offer? Get speciific and detail your bous structure and benefits and you receive more qualified responses. Ignore the $ and responses can reasonably be expected to remain flat.
Leave a Comment
Pages: « previous page 1 2
Tags: NetElixir, paid_search, SEM and Udayan_BoseArticle Sponsor
More Features
-
Loading ...
Latest News
- Facebook’s IPO: You Knew It Was Coming May 18th 2012 ADOTAS - It’s been a day of superlatives, as the [...] more »
- Infographic: The Evolution of Marketing Automation May 18th 2012 ADOTAS – Marketing automation — the process of automating a [...] more »
- Welcome Aboard: New Hires at BrightRoll, AdSafe, More May 18th 2012 ADOTAS – While one internet-related company has pretty much dominated [...] more »
- Now You Can Be a Certified Digital Media Sales Pro through the IAB May 17th 2012 ADOTAS – You think you’re a digital sales pro, but [...] more »
- Adometry Leverages Attribution Data in a New Media Modeler May 17th 2012 ADOTAS – Attribution and ad verification technology provider Adometry has [...] more »
- GM Yanks Facebook Ad Spend: Cluelessness, Bad Analytics or Strategic Statement? May 16th 2012 ADOTAS – General Motors‘ announcement yesterday that it was pulling [...] more »
- Velti “State of Mobile Advertising” Report: AT&T, Apple Crush Competition May 15th 2012 ADOTAS - Mobile advertising services provider Velti has shown a [...] more »
Features
- Infographic: The ROI of Tag Management May 21st 2012
- Digital Goes Offline: Can Brands Take Back the Store? May 21st 2012
- What Does the Ideal Publisher Look Like? May 21st 2012
- Thoughts on the Affiliate Brain Drain May 18th 2012
- Infographic: Big Brands Should “Think Global, Act Global” on Facebook May 17th 2012
Spotlight
Sponsormob Leads the Way Into RTB for MobileADOTAS – For more than half a decade, Berlin-based tech firm Sponsormob has remained relevant in an industry characterized by [...] more...
Reader Favorites
Classifieds
- Business Director-IEB-Microsoft Studios (792444)
- Marketing Communications Manager, Senior-IEB-TV &
- Senior Industry Marketing Manager - Media and Ente
- MARKETING DIRECTOR (medical software company)
- Senior Product Marketing Manager
Recent Comments
- Facebook’s IPO: You Knew It Was Coming: [...] For more insights on what GM’s ploy might mean for Facebook and for the
- Facebook’s Anticlimactic IPO | LNP Studios: [...] Get more details here: Facebook’s IPO: You Knew It Was Coming. [...]
- Bob Gordon: How has this circus helped anyone other than the sand hill crowd? Has it helped
- Facebook’s IPO: You Knew It Was Coming: [...] For more insights on what GM’s ploy might mean for Facebook and for the
