If you’re like most hiring managers these days, you need to find qualified candidates to fill vacancies in today’s super-competitive job market. You’ve got your work cut out for you! According to recent U.S. Labor Department statistics, there are more than 10 million job openings for 7.4 million unemployed workers. Yet, recruiters are having difficulty filling those openings. How can you make your open positions stand out from the crowd?
Perhaps you’re creating a presentation to share with a large number of candidates. How can you make your company memorable and your corporate culture appealing?
Consider adding a little humor. It’s a great way to connect with your audience and drive home your message, but with a light touch. Humor can:
- Make your presentations more memorable
- Put your audience at ease
- Serve as a fun segue between topics
What Cartoons Can Do For You
You want your company to stand out among prospective employers. You want to show that your office workers are not a bunch of stuffed shirts and that there’s room for a bit of fun. Above all, you want to present your company as an attractive place to work. Cartoons can make all of that happen.
- Cartoons can convey a sense of your company’s culture
- Unlike a joke or a story, cartoons provide immediate humor
- Cartoons grab people’s attention
Take the job interview, for example. Cartoons address issues that arise during the interview process. Veteran cartoonist Mort Gerberg’s cartoon places a superhero character in a realistic office setting. Even before you read the caption, you’re prepared for a funny line.
Another cartoon, this one by Jason Adam Katzenstein, also juxtaposes a well-known cartoon character with a sincere H.R. interviewer. These cartoons reduce the anxiety level of high-pressure situations.
Business cartoons are not just a way to keep your audience alert—they can also help you address specific business concerns. Let’s say you want to improve your company’s hiring practices. A cartoon can convey what’s wrong without spelling it out for everyone. Drew Panckeri does this admirably in a cartoon that looks at a common scenario.
A sense of fun can make a big difference in your corporate culture. Here’s an example from Bob Mankoff that makes a point about being part of a team that’s anything but straight-laced.
This cartoon by Charles Barsotti will strike a note of recognition with your fellow recruiters in today’s tough hiring market.
Color cartoons are eye-catching. Here’s one by Mike Baldwin that looks at the hiring process. If your audience is smiling knowingly, you’ve won them over.
Cartoons are a way to call attention to serious subjects in the business world. Achieving diversity in the workplace is a common issue. Human resource departments can address conscious bias, but what about unconscious bias? This cartoon by Aaron Bacall can serve to introduce this sensitive subject.
If your point is that businesses too often pay lip service to diversity needs, use this cartoon by Andrew Toos to address this personnel issue more directly.
Pop a cartoon into your company’s job postings, and it will get noticed. After all, you looked at these cartoons, didn’t you?
So allow cartoons to form a bridge between you and your job applicants. Cartoons leave a lasting impression. And a closing cartoon is often a good play. Like they say, leave ’em laughing.
