Microsoft, Heather Hamilton

posted: October 28, 2006 9:59 PM

1.1.13 Company: Microsoft

Blogger: Heather Hamilton
Student Interviewer: Laura Stevenson
Blog: http://blogs.msdn.com/heatherleigh/

Heather Hamilton is the staffing manager for Microsoft’s marketing central sourcing team.

Heather Hamilton has been a recruiter with Microsoft for over seven years. Most of the blogs at Microsoft are developer blogs used to conduct outreach to customers; only a small number of blogs at Microsoft are involved with marketing or staffing.

Heather described how she just used "heatherleigh" in her URL. It was never intended to be the title, but people look at the URL and assumed that her last name was Leigh.  She was nervous about using her name in the URL, although she now realizes that she did not have to worry.

Heather thought that corporate bloggers should have a real business reason behind their reasons to blog.  Heather stated, "The reason why I’m successful as a blogger at Microsoft is, I have a job that can be accomplished through blogging, which is building our employment brand."

Heather looks at several success points for her blog, including: whether the company hires someone because of the blog, resumes are being sent, and long-term employment brand building.

Heather thought that commenting on other blogs drives traffic back to her blog, while reading blogs about marketing helps her understand the marketplace.  Heather said that her personal posts drive the most traffic and receive a lot of the comments made on her blog.

Heather stated that blogging requires that you have some form of interactivity and comments are one way to allow interactivity.  You also have to be authentic when someone disagrees with opinions and it is important to listen and respond.  Heather really wants to hear people's opinions.  She also stated that people are going to talk about Microsoft as a potential employer whether Microsoft is in the conversation or not and she'd much rather be part of the conversation, "because then I can influence how people feel about it, and I can learn about it."

Heather thought that companies should decide if blogging fits in with their corporate culture.  Companies should have a business reason for blogging, and select the right person to blog, someone who is a good writer with the time to blog, who isn't sensitive to criticism.

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Comments

I commented on Heather?s blog many times and soon learned that she knew little about Marketing ? yet she was responsible for hiring Marketing personal for Microsoft.

When I called her out on that she replied ?this is my happy place??..

I?m a Microsoft Partner and a software development blogger and my experience is that Microsoft is bloated with useless Marketing people thanks in part to happy Heather.

Posted by: paul | November 16, 2006 1:42 PM

Hi Paul, Sorry you feel that way. My experience with Heather has always been great. There work with blogs over the last few years I think proves some of their hires have gone well!

Posted by: John Cass | November 16, 2006 8:52 PM

I don't recall Paul, nor do I recall saying anything about my "happy place" in the context he described. For the record, I am not a marketer (as I'm sure I have stated many times) and since I already have a job at Microsoft (and I'm doing quite well in it...it's in staffing, not marketing), I don't feel the need for my marketing knowledge to be tested by someone I don't know (who also isn't a marketer). I'm also sorry Paul feels that way. But at the same time, he seems angry about something else. So I am not going to apologize for not meeting his marketing bar. I know as much as I need to know about marketing to do my job quite well.

But I am sorry about finding this conversation so late. :)

And thanks. John, for the nice words!

Posted by: Heather | December 7, 2007 12:37 AM

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