Last week, I ran across a posting for Fleishman Hillard looking for a social media expert here in St Louis. Intrigued by the position, I posted it and made some comments about hiring social media gurus, which was picked up several other sites and extra questions added.
Well, Betsy Beard, a recruiting manager at Fleishman, left a comment thanking me for the post, and she agreed to answer an e-mail list of questions about the positions. I have to say, I'm more than pleasantly surprised at the responses. Keep reading for a job position description the way they should be written, and if this is you, please drop a line to Betsy at betsy.beard{at}fleishman[dot]com. And cc me if you do - I'd be curious as to your thoughts when you interview.
Good Luck, Betsy.
The Basic Job Description:
In plain English, tell me what I’m actually going to be doing for Fleishman, or if I get to create the position. How much flexibility is there on what needs to be done?
Fleishman-Hillard is one of the world's largest international public relations firms. Our core competency is media relations, so companies engage us to create and distribute communications campaigns to their target markets. You will be monitoring social media sites and blogs to find out what is being posted about our clients and competitors. You will also be consulting our clients and keeping them current on the best places to post based on their target audience. You will be seeking out influential bloggers and developing relationships to stay up-to-date with the fast paced changes happening as well as looking for new social media sites.
What is my manager like. Do they understand social media, or am I going to be managing my manager for the first few months?
Your manager is AWESOME! He definitely understands social media but this is a newly created position on his team. You will be the first of three new media consultants joining his group.
Has anyone else done this position for Fleishman Hillard before?
Yes, we've been doing this for awhile, just not in this particular group. This role is most common in our research, creative, and digital divisions.
I’m going to rattle off a few names here – do they sound familiar? Twitter, Flikr, Typepad, Wink, Photobucket, Techcrunch, ValleyWag, Technorati. Does anyone at Fleishman know what these are and use them?
Yes, yes, and yes. We are very familiar with these sites. We have a whole team solely dedicated to monitoring second life.
What is the salary range? Do I get bonuses for bringing new projects or billing extra hours?
We don't have salary ranges, we pay for talent. That being said, this is a mid-level position.
How much travel is involved?
Very minimal travel.
Do my duties as a social media expert consist of doing the job, or training clients to do so?
You will be doing the job.
The Tough Questions
What kind of internet access does Fleishman have? Are there any blocked feeds or websites?
Nothing is blocked. We are monitored but we are free to go to any websites we choose.
What is the work from home policy?
There is not a lot of flexibility to work from home. I know some people do telecommute, but that's not the norm.
Will I be asked to create or post on fake blogs or leave fake comments?
Not to my knowledge.
Do you have a corporate blogging policy in place?
Yes, in a nutshell -- use common sense and don't post anything negative about the company, co-workers, or clients.
What about my personal activities? What happens to current blogs and current properties I have a stake in?
You are free to continue posting on your personal blogs and websites.
Will I be signing a non-compete or a document that says Fleishman will own anything I create while I work there?
Nope, but we have client confidentiality agreements.
Do you have other social media and Web 2.0 types there that I can learn from?
Yes, but at this point they are mainly in other groups. FH is a team
environment, and I really mean that, so it is encouraged to work with
other groups and offices to learn as much as possible.
The Important Details
Do I get a cool laptop? Mac or PC?
You are provided with a Dell laptop. If you need a Mac laptop we can provide you with that too.
What is the dress code?
Business casual.
Which IM client do we use?
Yahoo.
How far away is the nearest Starbuck’s? Is there a local coffee shop I will be able to visit?
Starbucks is within a block. We are located downtown so there are a ton of restaurants within walking distance. The restaurant in our building, Dolce, has a great happy hour from 5pm-9pm with $2 Bud's and 1/2 price appetizers.
What about parking?
We pay for your parking. You will get a parking pass to Kiener East
garage which includes in/out privileges. I use my parking pass when I
come downtown for Rams and Cardinals games on the weekends.
Any cool perks? Awards – trips to cool cities?
We have a free yoga class on Wednesday and Friday.
They provide free fruit on Monday mornings and a snack on Thursday afternoons.
Cake is served the last Friday of every month in celebration of birthdays.
We have a stock purchase plan which allows us to buy our Omnicom stock
at a 15% discount, we just received news yesterday that our stock just
split.
Our building has a deck and we throw lots of parties in the summer.
Sabbatical program
Expatriate opportunities
