Regularly contacted by employer on holiday...best course of action to take?

[Deleted User]

lucylucky wrote: »

Your employers cannot run their company.

Perhaps it would be better if your division was to be closed down and you went back to being self employed.

You appear to be in a "lose/lose" situation.

Perhaps...I would happily leave to be honest, as it's quite an unsatisfactory situation to be in. I'm expected to manage a division of the business, but when I am the division there's no management required. But I can't grow the division on my own as I'm working flat out to keep existing clients happy!

pimento

Do they have a special skill set (the people you need to hire)?

lucylucky

"I would happily leave to be honest"

Time to hand in your notice then.

[Deleted User]

Pete111 wrote: »

Good. So we have finally got to the nub of your ire!

This is your argument and it may well be a valid one - the holidays stuff is flim flam in comparision

Agreed. But while I would obviously like more money, I'm happy to remain where I am if it means discharging some of the responsibility.

[Deleted User]

pimento wrote: »

Do they have a special skill set (the people you need to hire)?

Yes - it's complicated.

Part of what I do is provide analysis for companies who want to understand what users online are saying about their product, brand, competitors etc, but specifically from a PR/crisis comms perspective. So the candidate needs to be fully familiar with online PR, social media, online marketing etc.

But at the same time they need to be excellent researchers capable of in-depth thinking about trends, consumer behaviours, demographics and ethnographics etc, so we're looking for someone who has experience within the market research industry too.

But at the same time (third time), the best people are those who have worked in an online environment, either in eCommerce, or running an online site/community, which adds a third dimensions to the role.

It's really quite niche. As the saying goes (paraphrased): good research skills, strong online knowledge, experience with PR - pick any two! People tend to have quite siloed careers in these areas.

EllaKeat

If you are based anywhere near Brighton, I have the very person you have just described in mind:D

[Deleted User]

EllaKeat wrote: »

If you are based anywhere near Brighton, I have the very person you have just described in mind:D

London, but Brighton's close enough! If so...PM me

bendix

I can't help thinking the OP is getting off on this.

At the end of the day, mate, we create our own realities. If you are so important to the company (you seem to be suggesting you are), then you are important enough to have enough leverage to tell them to stop contacting you on holiday. That you don't is telling.

If you know y our field so well, then you would know it enough to easily identify people to support you. Instead you seem surprised that you get 95% of people applying from overseas (usually India) when you post jobs online. What are you thinking? It's management 101. Use a damn recruitment company.

And if you wanted more money from this organisation - and were as central to their success as you suggest - you would be able to get it.

And if you wanted to leave, you would.

To be perfectly candidate, it sounds like you like the feeling that you are really really needed, yet don't have the maturity to truly take advantage of that. You seem a strange mixture of bravado and insecurity.

So which is it - are you indispensible (in which can YOU can control how your employer deals with you), or are you not?

teabelly

Deleted_User wrote: »

Yes - it's complicated.

Part of what I do is provide analysis for companies who want to understand what users online are saying about their product, brand, competitors etc, but specifically from a PR/crisis comms perspective. So the candidate needs to be fully familiar with online PR, social media, online marketing etc.

But at the same time they need to be excellent researchers capable of in-depth thinking about trends, consumer behaviours, demographics and ethnographics etc, so we're looking for someone who has experience within the market research industry too.

But at the same time (third time), the best people are those who have worked in an online environment, either in eCommerce, or running an online site/community, which adds a third dimensions to the role.

It's really quite niche. As the saying goes (paraphrased): good research skills, strong online knowledge, experience with PR - pick any two! People tend to have quite siloed careers in these areas.

All you are basically doing is scouring social media and online forums to see if there is a PR problem ie is Joe Bloggs moaning about XYZ corp? I really don't see how if you're paying 25-35k ish for this role that you wouldn't get someone decent. Anyone that can operate google or twitter search or facebook could find this information out. I also think if you are getting completely the wrong people then perhaps the job description is misleading in some way so it attracts the wrong kind of people. Anyone with a marketing postgraduate qualification with reasonable computer literacy could do this job. I wouldn't bother with undergraduates only as degrees these days don't take as much intelligence to pass as they used to.

Wobblydeb

Have you had any training or experience running a department and managing people below you, and more importantly, above you?

If you lack management experience (and everything you've said suggests this is the case) is there any training available through the company you work for?

Alternatively I think you need to either find a good mentor, organise and pay for your own training, or start reading around the subject. Another poster suggested a book earlier, which could be a good starting point.

As you're realising, being a sector specialist gets you only so far. If you wish to move into management and become more senior, other skills are required (communication, negotiation and influencing skills, relationship management, coaching, performance monitoring, informal and formal discipline etc) and these skills are what you need to develop.