FOT founder Kris Dunn recently sat down with Kat Drum, Head of Global Employment Brand and Social Media Strategies at Research In Motion, which most of you know as “RIM”, the maker of the Blackberry.
We wanted to do this interview because in connecting with Kat, we were intrigued by the passion Kat has for RIM, especially in the face of all the media focus on the RIM product line, the attack on RIM market share by the iPhone and Android product line and all the naysayers who claim no corporate drones will be holstering a Blackberry in two years due to the aforementioned competitive forces. Additionally, it’s always interesting to see kids with blackberry’s and wonder what’s up with that.
We didn’t have to ask Kat to defend the brand. She did that from the jump, which made us believe in RIM. Passionate employees and leaders within a company have a way of doing that. Let’s roll the tape:
1. Kat Drum, aka “KD”. Why is it that all the great ones have the initials “KD” (Kevin Durant, Kelly Dingee, and of course… um… Kris Dunn)?
Even better Kris, why do two cool people change the traditional spelling of their name and use a K vs C?
2. How has all the press about RIM impacted you on the recruiting trail? What are candidates saying? What are candidates asking in regards to the ongoing business prospects of the company?
The press immensely impacts candidate’s confidence in Research In Motion as employer of choice. Candidates want
to know what we’re doing next to be innovative and stay competitive. Quite frankly, there is a lot that Research in Motion is doing great. We shipped 10.6 million BlackBerry devices in Q2 FY12. Service revenue surpassed $1 billion for the first time in Research In Motion’s history reflecting the over 40% growth in our subscriber base over the past year. The company is going through a transition but is still providing our 70 million customers globally and recently launched 7 new products in 36 days. BB7 marks our largest and most successful global launch of BlackBerry smartphones in our history. We are continuing to innovate with BBX as our future OS and for app non-believers over 1 billion apps downloaded to date and over 4 million daily downloads. There is a huge story to share. We tell our candidates, if you want to help build and shape the future of the global smartphone industry, Research In Motion is where you need to be. Research In Motion is here to stay this is a young and changing market and there is tremendous opportunity in it.
3. You’re so well regarded in the recruiting industry that everyone assumes if you wanted to flee RIM based on the recent press, you could do that at the drop of a hat. But when we finally had the chance to talk, I was awestruck regarding how personally you take your role at RIM and how much “fight” instead of “flight” instinct you have. What’s up with that? Why are you so ready to lay it on the line for RIM?
Kris, for those that know me, I’m a loyal and dedicated being, I seize opportunities and I don’t go home without a fight, Go Big or Go Home is a favorite mantra of mine. I love working at Research In Motion. I work with some of the nicest, collaborative and smartest people in the world. Research In Motion knows what true collaboration means. No ego. No hidden agendas. Have an idea? Implement it. Not many companies can stand behind that. Maybe it’s the fact that I grew up close to the Canadian border that my values match those of Research In Motion. Whatever the reason, it works for me and I think Research In Motion’s company culture is one of North America’s best kept secrets. I get the privilege of building a world-class employment branding program and sharing that secret with the world.
4. You keep mentioning a new term that I like a lot – “Candidate Confidence”. What does that mean and what considerations do companies have to make to grow “candidate confidence” over time? What special considerations and action do struggling companies have to take to combat neutral or negative candidate confidence?
I’ve been in the employment branding space for over 12 years. So much time is spent on maximizing the hot new channels. First it was the print movement to job boards in the 90s, the continued social media movement and now recruiting in the mobile space. Everyone wants to make the most of the upcoming new channels. What people don’t spend enough time is nailing the right message for candidates to believe in a company. I’ve been through 5 layoffs in 4 years during my time in Seattle. I started thinking differently about the power of employment branding when Starbucks reputation took a hit and Starbucks gossip blog was killing it even more, the stock was down to $8.00 a share. Every company has ups and downs. The fun part of a true employment branding professional is to turn around a company’s’ image to candidates through global PR initiatives. Rebuild candidate confidence first. Then play with the new shiny objects in our space.
5. What’s interesting to you in the recruiting and employment branding world these days? What’s played out? What’s the recruiting brand equivalent of a pair of stone-washed jeans from the 80’s?
Segmented messaging is important to me. Targeted value propositions to candidates. People have different motivations to work for a company. There is no one size fits all message anymore. I personally think Facebook recruitment is played out. Richard Cho of Facebook recently shared with an audience at Mrec2011 that more people are accessing Facebook via their smartphone versus a desktop, which to me, means candidates aren’t seeing your ads and they aren’t wasting their time on a company’s Facebook page. They are in and out to check out photos and correspond with their friends, not to find a job. I also think mobile apps are where it’s at. Apps are stickier than a mobile web experience and can provide job updates at a candidate’s fingertips. Fast, targeted and convenient. Of course, what better comparison to the 80’s than a huge Sunday print ad.
Editor’s note – The chart below is the global downloads split of the new RIM app JobsInMotion, which underscores the global diversity of RIM, and some of the mobile themes Kat refers to in #5.
Thanks to Kat for her time and to RIM for allowing a internal leader to speak openly and honestly. We’ll be watching the smartphone/device wars and as a result of hearing from Kat, rooting for RIM more than we were before.
Super spot, KD and KD. I am still a BlackBerry guy and after reading the piece, I know I am still one of the ‘cool kids’ despite what the haters say.
I am not a RIM hater or basher. I have been a shareholder for several years. I am not pleased at all how RIM has allowed its deterioriation to occur in the face of the competition. I truly hope and pray that RIM can turn it around, but, right now, honestly, I cannot see any light at the end of the tunnel.
I could write a long story of grievances against RIM, but, to cut to the chase, the downfall for RIM was essentially not pleasing USA Verizon with a decent BB phone to compete with Apple. As you know if you are honest, Storm 1 and 2 were so bad, Verizon was forced to ally itself with Google and Android. RIM stock was taking big hits over that fiasco with Verizon. Verizon hardly cares about RIM today.
Next, why did Mike and Jim wait, and wait so long to figure out a brand new OS to replace its old platform? They should have had a new OS platform under development by 2008 and 2009 to be ready for widespread market introduction by 2010. QNX was a fluke acquisition that was not really intended to be the BB phone OS platform. However, in a state of panic, Mike and Jim ordered QNX to be adopted for the next OS. The big blunder was not ordering QNX in 2010 to be the BB phone OS for 2011. Mike and Jim put tremendous resources to develop the disaster Playbook instead. They let the BB phones lanquish into reliance on old technology OS. It has been inexecusbale that the BB phones today are not using a modern, new competitive OS.
Next, where in the heck are the 4G phones? Why did RIM cede 4G to Androids for well over a year now.
Next, the developer initiatives were bungled up to turn off developers in the past, where they had great difficulty to create Apps for the old technology OS.
How dare Mike and Jim in April 2011 on the eve of Blackberry World announce guidance revisions, creating a shock to the image and reputation of RIM. The timing of that sudden conference call was outrageous to tell the world that RIM was failing and going to suffer for at least a year before a new OS platform could be introduced for BB phones.
Even today, nobody has any idea when BBX phones will be introduced. Nobody knows if the new BBX OS will even be that great and effective given the competition. There is a total lack of candor and transparency on what is really going on with BBX. Also, what about using the BBX name that already belonged to another company, where RIM is being sued for stealing that name. That is more damage to the image of RIM, that it stole a name or was too incompetent to select that name. What if a court orders damages or RIM to stop the BBX name. Why did Mike and Jim allow that to happen.
Why has RIM failed to grow any real important sales in China? Why has RIM allowed the USA market to fizzle out? Where is the new advertising program and initiatives to restart a better image for RIM. How about the continued stonewalling on the outage incident where their has not been any settlement to the carriers and customers? What about the layoffs? How many more pink slips are going to happen? What about the competitors selling good smartphones for lesser and lesser prices? How can RIM sell sufficiently its old BB OS 7 phones in the face of reduced pricing? Just yesterday an analyst said that OS 7 phone sales are sliding and softening.
Again, could provide more examples of problems, but why bother. Mike and Jim don’t seem to care at all that they have all of these horrible problems, because, they are doing really nothing fast and good to change the decline of the RIM brand and reputation.
Honestly, you ought to think about the chances for a pink slip in a year or two, if BBX phones, or whatever they are called, turn out to be a flop, which seems to be the consensus among most experts on Wall St.
Joe, all great questions. Sounds like you should be on the inside and use all that passion and be part of the rebuild during this transition at Research In Motion. Noone is perfect its a fast and forever changing market. Lots of opportunity for every smartphone company. All I can say, we love working to solve the challenges. Follow @RIMcareers to learn more! Thanks for the comment.
Wow Joe I understand but as you say “disaster that is the playbook” was needed so the disaster wasn’t phones. Your stock would be worthless if they put out a phone lacking as the playbook is right now.
You are correct they should’ve been on this path long ago but weren’t so here we are.
I also feel that recruitment through external consultancy should be stopped it you are really looking for the the employees with good potential. You need the check their skills personally.