Corporate Social Media jobs are Surprisingly Frustrating
If you’re a corporate social strategist today, or aspiring to be on in the future, chances are you’ve read our report on the Career Path of the Corporate Social Strategist. While many are infatuated in this seemingly glorified and fun role, outsiders rarely know the internal challenges these Open Leaders struggle with on a daily basis. Recently, I was coaching another hopeful for a corporate social strategist position and gave her some key question that she must answer before she accepts the position.
Candidates Must Interview Their Future Employer –and Set Expectations Both Ways
In fact, having interviewed and interacted with many in the Corporate Social Strategistrole, I see a pattern of internal issues that stump growth, innovation and cause frustration. There’s nothing worse than starting a job, then realizing just months later that you’re frustrated and you have very little bandwidth to fulfill your vision. As a result, I’d like to provide 5 simple questions to ask in your interview of your future employer to gauge if this is a challenge that you’re willing to get into –and if they really know what they are buying by hiring you.
Interview Your Employer In a Savvy and Tactful Way
As a candidate, you should always be interviewing your future employer to ensure that you’ll be successful there –not just try to woo them with your greatness. In fact, a future employer may be impressed with your prowess to ask these mature questions, and that you’ve through through the ramifications of the program. In all cases, approach this with class and tact, and explain by having this sometimes tough conversations up front will help everyone to set expectations and increase chances of success.
I recommend you have this conversation with the hiring manager, and often their boss, as it’s unlikely the recruiter will know, or give you the straight answer as they are often on a closing commission. Timing wise, it’s appropriate to have this conversation mid discussions –not on the first date, but after they’ve gotten a chance to know you, don’t come in blazing with these abrasive conversations on first contact.
How to Interview your Future Employer for the Corporate Social Strategist Position:
1) What level of executive support do we have?
Often, I hear of proposals that are stonewalled as it hits barriers in the C-suite. Ensure you know how far up the chain you’re getting a support, CMO, CEO, COO, and executives in Legal, HR, are key. In our research, we’ve found that most strategists report to Marketing or Corp Comm, it’s key that you have their buyin. If you’re not reporting to Corp Comm, but don’t have their support, there’s a great chance your projects will be squashed. Often, Corp Comm’s that don’t embrace this program, don’t realize the opportunities, and will either try to squash the program or acquire it.
- Score 1 point if the company’s executives are on board
- Score 1 point if the company’s corp comm team is on board
2) Is the company ready to span social beyond one department?
Often companies may be on product launch cycles, and push communications pre-product launch. You need to carefully understand the business model to understand if you’re expected to quickly shuffle together some Facebook sites and Twitter accounts before each launch for pre-buzz-marketing, or this is a mature ‘social business’ programs that spans multiple departments. Remember, like the internet, these are just tools, that should span the entire customer lifecycle beyond point of sale to: implementation, support, loyalty, and advocacy. Probe to find out.
- Score 1 point of the company is ready to take on social beyond one department
3) Is the company ready to engage in negative conversations in public?
This is a critical question to pose, and you must gauge the culture’s willingness to listen, respond, and then finally (most importantly) do something with the feedback that you’ll be receiving from customers. If the culture is not ready, you will quickly find that you’re wanting to make promises to prove the customer experience, but have no backing to actually make the changes –making you look gumpish to the market. Of course, here’s where you will savvilly point out how one of your first tasks is to establish a triage process to manage the ‘good bad and ugly’ with appropriate and clear responses and expectations set up in advance. While your job is ‘risk mitigation’ you need to first check and ensure the company is willing to take a risk.
- Score 1 point of the company is ready to take on negative conversations in public
4) What is your future vision of success look like?
This is a trick question really. The goal is to find out if there is a vision or if they are only playing catchup or are seeking a feather in the cap for ‘technology du jour’. Your goal is to find out what a 3 year vision is, and what expectations are of this program. The best way to phrase this is to ask “In your vision, in three years when we look back, you will say we were successful because we did X”. Can you help me define what X means? You want to listen for answers about how far the program will extend in the company (through how many business units) and if it’s a cultural chance –or just about generating leads (which is fine, but you need to understand expectations). Secondly, you want to carefully listen if the program is successful you may work yourself out of a job. In our research, we found that state of ‘working yourself out a job’ can be a sign of success. If they ask you, you should of course share your vision. I recommend you start with customers, discuss how the relationship with them has changed, and avoid talking about specific technologies.
- Score 1 point of the company has a clear 3 year vision on what success looks like.
5) What resources will I be provided?
This question deliberately follows the fourth question above. After they’ve defined what they see success is, you must conduct an on-the-spot Gap analysis to figure out the orginization is going to put their money where their mouth is. Ask them about headcount: be specific in dedicated resources to dotted line, as well as agency resources. Ask about budget for software, and future agency services. Ask about resources for training, program management, and executive championing. If you haven’t done so already, you must read our report on How to Budget for Social Business where we list out how the top corporations are spending (Altimeter clients can request data cuts for specific verticals or company sizes).
- Score 1 point of the company is promising appropriate headcount
- Score 1 point of the company is promising a dedicated budget for agency, vendors, and software
- Score 1 point of the company is promising internal education resources and change management support
Next: Tally up your responses here ___. There’s a total of 8 possible points.
Scorecard Results: What to Expect
Score your future employer here to set expectations for yourself and the employer
- 8: What are you waiting for? Get in that desk!
- 6-7: You are well situated for a program of success, and less chance of frustration. Yet be sure to request a promise to get the items that are deficient solved, based on your proposals for action
- 4-5: While you likely have a solid foundations to stand on -expect significant challenges, which is why the organization needs you. Get a promise from executives that your proposals to solve each issue will be taken seriously, and you’ll receive your direct management support to solve them. Also set expectations that you cannot solve all these issues quickly, and without the culture moving forward.
- 2-3: You are setup for a long road of challenges and incredible frustrations. Many of these challenges will take months to quarters to solve, expect an incredible amount of evangelism, only approach if you have nerves of steel, patiences, and have a great way of wooing others in power based on sound business proposals.
- 1: You are set up for potential failure, I’d advise walking away from this opportunity unless you love immense challenges.
To learn most about this role the Corporate Social Strategist, be sure to read the report (also mentioned above) and see this list of these professionals, and read the On The Move of who was hired in this space. Update: I just learned Alan Belniak has previously published a similar post, nicely done.
I think this is the best article and most useful that I have read from you Jeremiah. Will share this liberally. Well played.
Thanks Jason. Â
This is a fun piece and has a lot of nice nuggets not just for those interviewing for new jobs, but also those in the seat already and are trying to sell social to a large audience internally. Maybe Question 5b would be: Why now? Why now are you hiring this function? Because you see it as a gap-fill strategic, nice to have, etc., Â
Great post Jeremiah!Â
People could use this as a similar guide with how to choose clients. #1, #3 and #5 I find the most important. #2 and #4 next in importance. #1 definitely the key to ensure a smoother process bringing everyone else on board.One more I would add is: #6 ~ are they in it for the long haul?
Great post Jeremiah!Â
People could use this as a similar guide with how to choose clients. #1, #3 and #5 I find the most important. #2 and #4 next in importance. #1 definitely the key to ensure a smoother process bringing everyone else on board.One more I would add is: #6 ~ are they in it for the long haul?
I would also ask (and have) what mistakes or issues have been made with the social program to date – why isn’t the company further along in x,y,z (listening, community development, etc).
I the hiring manager can provide examples of failures or missteps, especially with examples of graceful recovery, +1.Â
Good point Bill
Agreed Iconic, however those that are seeking employment have far more internal woes, politics, and longer term commitment than agencies may have to face.
Exactly Matt. Â Or are we just hiring this role because the CEO read about it in the back of a United Airlines magazine, or because the competitors are, or because we really want to change the relationships with our customers.
Fantastic post Jeremiah!
This is not only a great post but a really important one, too. I have experienced first hand the company that wants to dabble in social media simply because it’s the ˜technology du jour™ and I can tell you it’s VERY frustrating!
However, if more social strategist interview candidates – and hiring companies – read and take on board the excellent points made in this post, hopefully the overall quality across the board will increase due to an improvement in awareness an accountability from everyone concerned.
LOL @ Get in that desk. Awesome 🙂
Excellent points Jeremiah! For the past couple of years I’ve been writing about the importance of ensuring that the perceptions from both the employer’s and candidate’s side match. The social strategy role is still open to interpretation.
My suggestion is to listen careful to the hiring manager’s explanation of what the expectations are for the role. This will answer many of the questions above and then simple questions can asked. Some of the job descriptions are a long stretch from what one thinks they’re applying for. It’s easy to determine if the vision is based on relationship building or just push marketing through the social channels.
Where do you see metrics and attribution to the business objectives fitting in? That may be another area to ask questions in regard to perceptions/expectations on both sides. You may have touched on it in 4 but KPI’s are necessary to justify the position and additional resources.
Great response Connie! Agreed, it’s gotta go both ways
A very important post from you Jeremiah. This are really great guides on choosing clients, and would be a very helpful information.
A very important post from you Jeremiah. This are really great guides on choosing clients, and would be a very helpful information.
Exactly.. this goes for academia as well. You give them the solution they ask for because they want to be cool and claim they are tech savy and then they are appalled at the openness that exposes them to and then you become the bad guy.
Exactly.. this goes for academia as well. You give them the solution they ask for because they want to be cool and claim they are tech savy and then they are appalled at the openness that exposes them to and then you become the bad guy.
This is great information. We did not have the role of Director of Social Media until my role as Director of PR was expanded. I do report into the CMO. The field is so new and dynamic. I feel very fortunate to work for a company that prides itself on being on the leading edge of innovation and is not afraid to take chances. The one thing I would recommend adding to the list of questions is “what level of risk tolerance are you comfortable with in regard to roi vs marketing spend?”. It is important to understand how far the company is willing to go vis a vis your own expectations as the sm space is constantly evolving and you must be prepared to change direction quickly and with the support of leadership.
Thank you for the great post as always.
Matt Gentile, Dir. PR and SM
Century 21 Real Estate
This is great information. We did not have the role of Director of Social Media until my role as Director of PR was expanded. I do report into the CMO. The field is so new and dynamic. I feel very fortunate to work for a company that prides itself on being on the leading edge of innovation and is not afraid to take chances. The one thing I would recommend adding to the list of questions is “what level of risk tolerance are you comfortable with in regard to roi vs marketing spend?”. It is important to understand how far the company is willing to go vis a vis your own expectations as the sm space is constantly evolving and you must be prepared to change direction quickly and with the support of leadership.
Thank you for the great post as always.
Matt Gentile, Dir. PR and SM
Century 21 Real Estate
Great advice! Jeremiah. Now I’m even more glad I joined USAA (not that I needed any more reasons.)
I’d perhaps add a few things. For example, I think you a candidate needs to explore how success will be measured. You touch on this with your “vision of success” question. I’d suggest that if the future employer’s vision of success is only described in financial terms, that should’ve a -2 points. Smart, mature organizations will view social in more than just dollars and cents.
I’d also suggest a question around employee empowerment. A company that doesn’t trust its own employees is poorly positioned for success in the social era.
Also, as a general comment, I’d hope tht s social media expert asking these questions would get good answers but also be asked the same questions in return. A potential employer who demonstrates little interest in a candidates vision for success or what resources he or she expects would be a big red flag. Minus 8 points if the interviewer never asks the interviewee these questions in return!
Great advice! Jeremiah. Now I’m even more glad I joined USAA (not that I needed any more reasons.)
I’d perhaps add a few things. For example, I think you a candidate needs to explore how success will be measured. You touch on this with your “vision of success” question. I’d suggest that if the future employer’s vision of success is only described in financial terms, that should’ve a -2 points. Smart, mature organizations will view social in more than just dollars and cents.
I’d also suggest a question around employee empowerment. A company that doesn’t trust its own employees is poorly positioned for success in the social era.
Also, as a general comment, I’d hope tht s social media expert asking these questions would get good answers but also be asked the same questions in return. A potential employer who demonstrates little interest in a candidates vision for success or what resources he or she expects would be a big red flag. Minus 8 points if the interviewer never asks the interviewee these questions in return!
These are great tips, thanks!  I would add that in addition to understanding exec buy in, it is helpful to know about the depth of support and buy in of the company as part of one’s research.  If the support comes from only a handful of folks, a change in staff or a realignment of resources can affect the landscape in a hurry.  Not only that, but is the corporate culture at a point where it can recover from a change in headcount?