Worcester Business Journal

W hat's in a name? Or more spe- cifically, a job title? Today, more companies are embracing the unorthodox over the tried and true when it comes to devising names for the positions their employees hold. We see it from large companies, such as Apple, which employs "genius- es," not customer service associates, in its retail stores, but we see it on a more local level too. Jobs bearing titles that include such FOCUS: Green business Banks answer customers' calls for Apple Pay 9 Financial institutions respond to demand for mobile payment systems. Central Mass. hospitals discover bottom-line benefits from energy retrofitting. WBJ >> To Subscribe Q&A with Tim McGourthy of the Worcester Regional Research Bureau Shop Talk 8 12 Central Massachusetts' Source for Business News April 13, 2015 Volume 26 Number 8 www.wbjournal.com $2.00 What's your career goal? Vice president? Or grand guru? A job title can shine a light on a company's culture BY EMILY MICUCCI Worcester Business Journal Staff Writer nouns as "guru," "czar" and "evangelist," seem most plentiful in Massachusetts in technolog y-laden Boston and Cambridge. But Red Hat, an open-source software provider with a large engineering office in Westford, has jumped on that train too. The company is currently looking to hire a "cloud evangelist" to help mar- ket its software to developers. "We want to convey the cul- ture and the energy of our company through our job titles and our job postings," said L.J. Brock, head of Red Hat's Global Talent Group and vice president of people (not to be confused with "human resources manager"). Job titles that 'speak' to candidates It's not merely that Red Hat, like most technology companies, is eyeing a younger talent base that prefers to think outside the box when it comes to their job titles and descriptions. Brock said opting for such creative monikers opens the door to a larger group of job candidates who might not identify with a "market- ing manager" position but are inspired by a role in preaching the virtues of the cloud. To use the term "evange- list" in the tech industry is not exactly novel, according to Brock. But it's not paro- chial either. And because there's a shortage of tech tal- ent that impacts progressive and conservative industries alike, Brock predicts most industries will begin to take a more alternative approach to job titles. He explains it this way: If you're work- ing as a cloud evangelist at a software firm and are considering a similar posi- On your mark, get set, grow! As Hopkinton prepares again to host the start of the Boston Marathon, the town is widening its door to business BY SAM BONACCI Worcester Business Journal Staff Writer A s residential develop- ment booms in Hopkinton, a more business-friendly atti- tude among town offi- cials is aiming to broaden the business base to help balance population growth. The town's location at the intersection of Route 495 and the Massachusetts Turnpike has long made it popular for those looking to settle in a community with a rural character and that provides a reasonable work commute. Hopkinton's popularity is also enhanced every April when thousands of runners descend upon downtown — as they will next week — in the town's role as the starting point for the Boston Marathon. With 14,925 residents in 2010, accord- ing to U.S. Census data, Hopkinton grew 11.8 percent since 2000. And those num- bers are expected to climb as new devel- opments come online. Current housing projects include roughly 1,000 units at >> Continued on Page 19 >> Continued on Page 10 Elaine Lazarus, Hopkinton's director of land use, planning and permitting, said the town's approach to development is "all about achieving balance," letting the business base catch up with growth in residential development. P H O T O / M A T T V O L P I N I People and Human resources change director consultant Solution Software sales and architect marketing manager Talent liaison Human resources associate Excel guru Data specialist Rules associate Medical data analyst Behind a moniker Source: Online job boards Chris Tieri of smith&jones: Color ful is cool, but clarity is most important. The advertised title But a more conventional for the job is … description might be …

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