Social Media Shapes Perceptions About You as an Employer
The warnings for any job seeker are loud and clear: be careful what you post because companies are scouring your social sites, from LinkedIn to Facebook to YouTube, digging up any and all information they can to ensure that they are hiring quality, reputable talent. Those pictures of you doing a keg stand at your alma matter’s football homecoming game, or of you riding the subway in your underwear in the most recent Improv Everywhere No Pants Subway Ride may come back to bite you in the butt, no pun intended.
We’ve heard the messages targeted to job seekers several times and we’ll likely hear them several more times because they are worth repeating. But the message we don’t hear so often is one targeted to companies looking to hire savvy new talent.
You Google job candidates before hiring. Has it occurred to you that those candidates are doing that same thing to you?
If you’re a business, I’ve got a homework assignment for you. Yes, homework. As the evening draws to a close with the kids long since in bed and thoughts of following suit dancing through your head, sit down with your laptop. Switch the television channel to whatever network is playing reruns of your favorite comedy or crank up whatever tunes you bump when no one else is listening. Don’t crank it up too loudly though (remember, the kids are sleeping). Take another drink from your half-finished beer, fire up Google’s mighty search engine, and type your company name into that little box in the center of the screen.
Does your website come up first? If you’ve optimized your site properly, it should. What comes up next? With the increasing authority being given to social sites, you’ll likely find Facebook, Twitter and other social sites showing prominently above the fold.
One by one, search the social networks where your company has a presence. Look at your profiles and reflect on what they say about you. What does your brand stand for? How do you treat your customers? Do you have personality? Do you have soul? Look at the people talking with you and about you on these sites and other social sites, including blogs. Who are they? What are they saying? Does the content and tone of these conversations appeal the type of talent you want working for you?
How you participate in social media should be rooted in strategy developed around your business objectives, but don’t underestimate the potential for shaping perceptions about you as an employer. Even something as simple as an around the office photo album on Facebook can give job seekers a feel for the company’s culture, from how the office is laid out and how people dress to whether you place higher value on conformity or individuality.
Finish the last of your beer, and answer me this: What about your social presence makes today’s job seekers want to work for you?
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
very good points Heather! For every job that I considered, I always Googled the company.
i’m 50/50 on this one… if you have pictures up from when you were in college doing keg stands and being dumb, i would not say it counts you out of any particular job running. It shows character and the fact that you are social and can interact with others well. Having none of these might show that you are sheltered and not a communicator.
It’s like having a 4.0GPA, yeah thats great that you can read, but I bet I got a better education with my 3.0 with my active and social lifestyle.
It is my believe that social interaction builds business character in anyone. When you go “out” you have to exchange words with friends of friends you many not like or agree with, trade money for drinks, tickets, navigate your way around and make important (possibly life changing) decisions. You also much face your fears, like breaking the ice with someone of the opposite sex you find attractive. This all grows confidence and builds an experience base that is essential in business and society.
NOW,
1. If you have 1000 picture of yourself doing beer bongs and getting arrested for urinating in public, it might affect an employers decision.
2. If you are applying to be an astronaut or running for president, it is not appropriate.
3. Nothing should be illegal/sexist/racist, when your employer hands you your drug test cup, they don’t want to be concerned that its fake urine.
Cheers.
Matt
Heather, excellent subject and article. Short and sweet, and everyone has their opinions, you are definitely not wrong! I agree with the employers presence and using it as a reference to the companies environment.
Matt, thank you for your comment. In many respects, I also see the multitude of ways that ones online profiles can work to both enhance or downgrade a potential candidate’s bid for a job. I think it is incredibly important for individuals to be aware that employers are reviewing their social sites. I also think that the increased visibility into the activities we all engage in off the clock will gradually lead to workplaces that are more tolerant of a variety of lifestyles. What was once taboo will be seen as acceptable, and possibly beneficial for the unconventional skills that are be gained. I do think it will be a long hard road to get to that more tolerant state, but we will get there.
But really, that discussion is outside the intent of this post. I think a lot of employers a fans of the increased access into the lives of job candidates in order to vet them before hiring, but these same employers often disregard their own social presence as a hiring tool. An uninspired or disjointed presence, bad word of mouth, and a lack of response can hurt a company’s brand perception, making it much harder to recruit smart talent. After all, who wants to work for a company that doesn’t “get it”?
Good points all around – I agree Matt that being a well-rounded individual helps build character and allows for more life experience in general. There are lines when it comes to posting things online and good judgment should always be used – I like to ask myself before I post anything…. “What would my mom think of this?” Keep in mind, my moms pretty chill. It is a shame when employers take harmless photo’s a little too seriously. At the end of the day though, I agree with Heather, we have gotten a little off topic here – a great subject – but off topic. The most important point in this post…. A business, just like employees and/or potential employees, should pay attention to the perception they are giving of themselves online….After-all, they aren’t just choosing us, we are choosing them too.