Lets get some elements straight; Manchester United is a business, recent reports confirm that Manchester United’s turnover topped £285,000,000. The business has employees as any business does of which a small number are paid to play football. Lets not forget the Marketing, Sales, and Finance Directors that occupy the buildings or offices around Old Trafford that make it all happen. From the licence agreements, to sponsorship and even corporate deals it’s all there.

Anyone business owner or employee will know that your employees are your assets, they are the people that assist the business in making money, however, they also know that no employee should commit an act that would knowingly bring their employer into disrepute, or indeed to commit an act of gross misconduct.

Mr. Rooney’s actions over the past six months have indeed done that, form his prostitute liaisons through to publically slamming his employer, he has done more damage to his employer and indeed their sponsors than any good he has achieved whilst employed by Manchester United.

So, the question is ‘how did football become completely removed from the employer and employee relationship model?’

At the same time as perusing the news paper I also watched the qualifying session from South Korea. Wayne Rooney is indeed one of the UK’s top sports stars, but then so is Lewis Hamilton, and of course Jenson Button. In the latter two we have two professional, responsible young men who represent not only their team but every person that has assisted them to get to the dizzy heights of Formula One World Champion.Of course, there are cynics that dislike the modern advertising and corporate lead F1, but it is a sport in the same way that Manchester United is a business. Both Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button are employees, they are paid not only to win F1 races, but to act as ambassadors for their companies values, beliefs and to promote the brands that associate themselves with the stars.

So, two very wealthy sports, three very wealthy young men, and a mere 209 miles between the base in Manchester to HQ in Woking but a world apart.

No employee would be forgiven for committing the same sins that Wayne has partaken in this week. Not only has be brought his employer, his sponsors but he has also brought his industry down. People who know nothing of football and are not interested in the Saturday routine have an opinion, they now believe that football has overstepped the mark.

Isn’t it funny how his actions in almost any other industry would lead to the delivery of your P45 and an escort from the premises, but in football it rewards you with an £8million a year pay rise.

I just hope that the owners of the football teams begin to see that they are businesses and therefore the players are the employees, they are not bigger than the employment law (contracts aside), they should be treated as employees and not investments because it sets an amazing precedent; a precedent that an employee is greater than their employer and that is something that just isn’t the case. It is the employer than negotiates the contract that pays your wages, puts in the infrastructure and support that you need to succeed.

I just hope Mr. Rooney remembers that.

I’m currently working on a number of retail related projects and came across their website and of course, more importantly their (careers website). First impressions are it’s a bit much, but that’s down to design and marketing experts.

The job search is a bit much as well. Having spoken to a lot of ATS experts recently this seems to go against the trend where ease of use and functionality should be the main driver.

And then there is the open invitation to connect via the World’s favourite Social Network – to take the 3 Employer Brand to the masses on Facebook. This is a great thing to do, BUT you have to do it right. And 3, I am afraid you got it WRONG.

You can not do this half hearted, open up the doors you have to expect that people will come flooding in, and flood in they did.

Here are some comments; you will see a complete disarray of lack of knowledge of who does the recruitment, who is responsible, store managers? The website? Auto responses? ‘Check the website’, unanswered (seemingly suitable candidates)

This does nothing other than damage your appeal to peoples desire to work for your firm, and you should act, and act fast or speak to anyone of the experts that I follow on Twitter who will have this sorted and fast!

3 you tried a great thing, but social recruiting when done badly can have long-term damage and side effects to your brand as an employer in the market and I’d recommend that you give your Facebook page the respect it deserves as you clearly have a lot of ‘unhappy’ customers.

Anyone have any thoughts on 3’s attempts at Social Recruiting?

The past 12 to 18 months have seen a steady stream of headlines barracking company bosses about their lack of feeling regarding the people on the front line – the employees. The high street employer, Jessops (the Camera shop) has recently announced that due to a debt restructuring agreement with HSBC and whilst this is really bad news for anyone that has an ounce of equity within the business it guarantees the safety and security of up to 2000 jobs.

I think, however, it is important to ask the question – how did a company get in that position in the first place? A business that amasses £35 Million worth of debts is clearly not in a great place, and whilst the jobs are safe for the short term can a firm really put its employees before the need to satisfy investors who are driven almost exclusively by Returns on Investment? A company that loses money and loses market share and who’s market moves away from them really is going to struggle to keep people employed for years to come?

Jessops sadly seems to fall in to the same category as Woolworths and Zavvi, they missed the boat with a change in their market – in Woolworths case they were trounced by the Supermarkets and Jessops missed the opportunity with the invention of the digital camera (and associated printing) and the rise of the do-it-all mobile phone generation.

Jessops has become a shop for the die hard and sadly whilst good news for the short term, I am pretty sure that this high street store will go the same way as others mentioned.

But well done for looking after the 2000 staff you’ve saved, and I for one hope you’re still around in Quarter 2 next year!

Thank you to one of my Twitter followers (I’m @ja_smith) for sending this to me! I am unsure of the exact Burger chain, as I am pretty sure that the delectable Gisele didn’t charge for her product endorsement!

Either way, I hope the HR manager was given the heads up, as I have a nasty suspicion they may well receive a significant number of applications for the vacancies they currently have! Image was taken from: www.bauergriffinonline.com