South Beach Wine and Food Festival 2017
Being in HR is like farming corn except buttering people up isn’t as fun and could get you fired. In the world of Human Resources and Talent Acquisition, there’s always a fresh new crop of engaged employees sprouting ready to compete with last year’s talent. It’s no wonder that people turn to personal branding in order to stand out and shine amongst everyone else. When you’re interviewing—all eyes are on your work, your job philosophies, your social media presence, and anything else that can either make or break the offer. Interviewing for a new job can be like a reality show except you don’t get to hear or see the other contestants and you don’t have Linda from makeup convincing you that a little more mascara never hurt any ratings.
The idea of a personal brand is something I hold dear. I believe it’s your reputation in the field/industry you’re pursuing a career in and it carries you through roles, titles, and any other opportunities thrown your way throughout your lifespan at a company. It’s a culmination of your thought leadership, your ability to create what you say you can, and how you’re perceived by others. It isn’t something you can simply declare and hope it sticks like a wet noodle on a wall. If an employer brand is what people say about your company when you leave the room, then part of a personal brand is how people feel about you and your raw talent when you turn your back.
Last week I was in Miami celebrating my third wedding anniversary when I signed up for Rachael Ray’s Yappy Hour event at The Standard Miami. It was 4pm and, with my Shih Tzu Leona in hand, my husband and I took a cab over. Once we arrived we waited, alongside the other excited dog owners, for the fun to start. Rachael showed up at about 5pm and during her introduction, was described as someone who “had not changed” since her celebrity status skyrocketed to the level we know today. I guess she came across as the same person prior to her celebrity but more importantly, she still possessed her excitement for cooking and creating. At the end of the event I walked up to Rachael with the Burger Recipe book I had won in a contest earlier hoping to get an autograph. She grabbed it, scribbled what looked like a heart along with a few scratched lines underneath and handed it back to me. It was basic instinct to her. She didn’t look at what she was doing. Why should she? She’s done it a million times before. I looked down at my superstar scratches and related it back to work.
What duties at work are so routine that we don’t have to look down to accomplish them? For me there are a handful of things within my areas of expertise that I can get done with little to no effort. It’s not that I don’t care about them or that they’re boring but I’ve become proficient at these tasks. Maybe it’s creating a recruitment campaign brief or coming up with copy for a few tweets about jobs. Or maybe it’s posting snap chats of the wind-up Hula Girl that sits on my desk? If there was a secret sauce to Rachael’s brand, especially her personal brand, I wanted to know. I wasn’t through with her just yet. I waited for a few minutes to pass before I approached her once more to ask for a photo. After handing my phone to someone on her team, I waited for my chance. Just as our photo experience was about to end, I asked her, “Why with so many new people coming into your industry/territory, what is it about your brand that keeps you on top?” Rachael pushed down her sunglasses, looked me in the eye and pulled me in closer to say, “It’s because we don’t put anything out that we don’t test, that I don’t taste or that I don’t love. We are honest.” She placed her shades back over her eyes, turned around and proceeded to pet a Pomeranian wearing a tutu named Twinkie.
As her assistant handed me my phone, I stood there to bask in the greatness of her response and the coolness of our photo. Sure, I don’t have the pleasure of tasting what I do in employer branding (what would I do, lick our Facebook page?), but I can test and make sure I love everything I put out. More importantly, I can be honest with our content. I don't try to make our company out to be something it isn't. With so many components to a personal brand and an employer brand, I think we can all take a little advice from Rachael Ray, author and three-time Emmy winning celebrity cook. Despite what you want to be known for, both personal and company level, the truth will always come out and if you can’t stand the heat, then you might want to get out of the kitchen.