Notification of job candidates: HR departments and recruiting teams have a new reflex. Which one, you say? Doing a Google search on candidates, especially when it comes to an executive or managerial profile! Today, what you choose to share on the Web is your professional business card. In a context where nearly 20% of recruiters say they have turned down a candidate after an internet search about them, it is more urgent than ever to care for your e-reputation. Welcome to the age of Personal Branding!
Recruiting: social networks are changing the game
The rise of social networks is turning everything upside down, right down to the recruiting process. Casual photos, a drunken party, a particularly virulent rant on Facebook, an unsavory video posted on YouTube, a less-than-glowing article published about you… these are just a few examples that can greatly reduce, if not destroy, your chances of landing that dream job.
Don’t forget that on the internet, there is no forgetting. All the public data available on the Web can catch up with you at any time. So be careful with the traces you leave on blogs, forums, social networks… It is now established that a recruiter will systematically “google” the candidate’s profile, often well before having analyzed his or her CV! Like you, when you want to buy a product or a service, a HRD is not going to deprive himself of the wealth of information available online to get a more precise idea of what he is going to “acquire”, especially when it is about an executive or managerial profile. You will have understood, working on your personal e-reputation is no longer a choice… From then on, how can you boost your visibility and make sure that there are no traces that penalize your employability?
Personal Branding, a must
Personal Branding is the other name given to candidate reputation. Simply put, it’s about building your personal brand, just as a company concerned about its brand image would. When you’re an executive or leader, personal branding is now an absolute must and non-negotiable. Aware of the importance of the image they reflect on the internet, many executives hire the services of an e-reputation agency, capable of implementing a “cleaning” strategy to erase any penalizing traces, but also to boost the candidate’s visibility.
