Would you hire someone with a strong personal brand? Someone who is known, independently, as an expert or a guru?
Some companies are afraid of the Facebook friends, the Twitter followers, and the LinkedIn connections. Some are afraid of the whole employee — and they worry that a personal brand impacts a public persona.
Still others worry that your lifestyle and your choices impact the stock price and company’s brand after quittin’ time.
I guess what I am asking is simple:
- Does a social media footprint figure into the hiring process?
If yes, should it?
{ 31 comments… read them below or add one }
Whenever I interview someone for my team I always check if the person has an online profile. Doing this helps me get a rounder view of the candidate. How many times have we hired people whom we thought were cool during an interview then later turned out to be totally screwed? So, yes I do this to help me make decisions.
I don’t hire anyone so it isn’t my place to weigh in on this discussion. However, I wanted to share an old practice of independent “employment agencies” as they were called in those days. It does relate to this subject. I hate to date myself so let me add that this practice was ending during the time I started in the business.
Each “desk” in the office had a name. A non-ethnic, bland Jane Doe sort of name – Bob Smith, Mary Jones, Susan White, you get my drift. When Bob Smith left and someone new was hired to take his place. The new person was given the name of the desk. I laugh at the memory even as I write this. I worked for months before I found out that my coworker’s name was actually John Cincotta and not Bob Martin. I was able to use my own name because I was a new addition, not a replacement and had a very bland name – Fran Holm.
Talk about not wanting to hire someone with their own “brand” HA! Companies (at least agencies) were afraid of someone having their own identity even back in the stone age. These timid souls who owned the agencies back then actually believed that clients would easily switch to the new Bob Jones without realizing there was a new person behind the name. Just like the husband in Bewitched
Hmmmm, dating myself again! Needless to say the reason the practice was ending was BECAUSE IT DIDN’T WORK!
If I had to guess I would say that most companies now would prefer to have someone that blends into the company image and does not bring their own strong identity with them. This is one of the reasons I have always preferred to work with smaller companies. They seem to have more guts when it comes to putting themselves out there and taking risks.
I have to admit, the phrase “personal brand” gives me hives. When people are calculating enough to make sure everything online “fits their brand”…well, not my cup of tea. I liked it better when it was called “reputation,” and you “managed” it by just not being an asshole and not airing private things in public. That’s still pretty much my personal brand strategy.
That said, when I google someone and NOTHING comes up, an alarm goes off. It’s 2009, so if you truly aren’t on the internet at all, it might mean you’re not so computer-literate. There are very valid reasons for not being on Twitter, Facebook, etc…but to not be on the internet AT ALL is a little weird.
Generally no. Unless there someone can quantifiy the impact on the bottom lines through results, then it is not a key differentiator between candidates. The current problem with “personal brand” is it does not necessarily have a direct correlation with performance, results, expertise, or knowledge. There are a lot of flim flam artists, snake oil salesmen, bullshitters, and generational experts out there with great personal brands backed only by smoke and mirrors.
I personally don’t worry about my “personal brand” I enjoy writing and networking, but don’t really care about people I don’t know being impressed with my online brand. I want people to love my results, and let me worry about how I achieve them.
I think a horrible new industry has been spawned coaching people how to inflate a personal brand they haven’t earned, creating an army of paper tigers out there.
No. I would hire the person who impresses in the interview process and whose past experience shows that he/she can do the job. I don’t google candidates and have no idea about their social media status.
I will second HRPufnstuf’s comments regarding the personal branding.
For the real experts on web, are they strictly idea & theory people? Companies need new ideas however their biggest issues are in the execution of their ideas rather than the lack of ideas. An idea expert might be a great fit for the early stages of project. But would they be a good fit for a permanent position? – many times no.
Nope. I won’t take their social media skills/persona/brand as an indication of how well they may or may not perform in the workplace. Whether in their social profiles they’re a party animal or a mouse- if they can show up to work on time and do what is required of them- then great.
Jessica Lee posed this same thing on FOT. http://www.fistfuloftalent.com/2009/10/personal-branding-career-management-but-what-about-retention-final.html. Jessica is sharp enough to understand the razor’s edge she walks; she runs the risk of her personal brand overshadowing the brand of company that employs her.
We’re finally coming to a crossroads in the modern workforce. More and more people are realizing that the concept of lifetime employment left us long ago, and they can’t keep clinging to it. The workplace is becoming more and more like a movie set or a sports team. You hired on history, reputation, and performance, but there’s no guarantee that once the movie is complete or the season is over that you’re still around. So building a legitimate brand/reputation is going to become increasingly more important.
Right now, though, the real answer is: “Do you want to be a consultant/contractor, or an employee?” If the former, a strong brand gets you hired. If the latter, don’t fly too high, Icarus…
i think we’ll be debating this for years to come. as always, i defer to the situation to dictate how a personal brand plays into a hiring decision. i’d turn the tables, though, and ask the candidate whether THEY want their personal brand to fit into the hiring decision. if that brand is important enough to them and their prospective employer wants nothing to do with it, then they should go find another prospective employer. if it’s not important enough to them and they fear it might get in the way of job prospects, then they should do what they can to wipe it out/underplay it. as employers, i think we’d be silly not to consider it – after all it’s a deep dive into a candidate that we wouldn’t ordinarily have…could be very powerful. the real trick will be to figure out how to weigh those data points in the hiring decision (not unlike how we do so when using a pre-employment screening tool).
You have to look at the company to see how a strong personal brand might play out – or get the individual put out.
If it’s a complement to the firm’s business, persona and voice, could be a nice fit. Social media makes it easy to exclude those perceived as brash, brassy or bongos.
I’m with HRPufnstuf and SalesComp – the last thing any manager wants to hire is a media queen who doesn’t have the bona fides and smarts to get the work done.
Nope– I’d never go online googling someone. And just by looking at some of the comments– there’s WAY too many self-righteous people out there judging from some holier-than thou white tower that scares the living ba-jeesus out of me. They act like everyone’s nose should be shoved in the bible or “they’re EVIL!!” Give me a break— and the words “personal branding” is more trendy that crocs– and makes me want to throw up like crocs as well. I got your personal brand, right ‘ere!!!
Also– I’ve often asked this question myself, Laurie– my funny website:
http://www.magmakrappa.com/
I feel that people who worry to much about their personal brand are probably hiding something. John Wayne Gacy had a great personal brand right up until they drug those 29 bodies out of his crawl space.
I try to be a decent human being everyday. I will admit that watching the news has caused me to post things I wouldn’t say in the work place or in front of my mother.
Get over it people are people..
Things aren’t always what they seem, so what you see on the internet doesn’t necessarily tell you who the person really is. Unless the person has done something terrible and that will truly effect the company than you shouldn’t worry about their “personal brand”.
More than the company’s tone, doesn’t it depend on the job?
There are some media/marketing type positions where NOT having a personal brand/twitter following/what-have-you could be seen as a detriment. For other positions, though (attorney? occupational therapist?), would an online brand be relevant one way or the other?
Depends on the company and the job. If you are the spokesperson either internally or externally, your personal brand can affect perception of “the message deliverer”… I don’t think its as much whether someone is active in social media and has a brand, as it has to do with – does the person have a bad or controversial reputation. Prim and proper companies don’t like controversy…There are alot of companies that would pass on the “Penelope Trunks” of the world because they are to outspoken…
My question is do you think you would be affected in the hiring process because of your PUNK persona???
Inquiring minds and faithful followers want to know!!!
M
I agree with RevCareers, the answer really depends on job relatedness. A social media presence shouldn’t be a factor into the hiring decision unless the job requires it.
I think the bigger question is: SHOULD social media figure into the hiring process? But even the answer to that question is not so clear-cut. Professionals of all stripes are warming up to social media, but only gradually. Eventually, more will realize how public their personal lives can become and affect their future career mobility. All job seekers need to recognize this and learn to *manage* social media for their own good. For instance, contributing to and starting discussions in an online networking group can help one boost his or her professional credibility. In a tight job market such as today’s, that can prove to be an advantage in landing a job.
I never try to find candidates on social media sites. I think it’s a slippery slope, as some of our hiring managers aren’t all that good at judging candidates, and using social media during the hiring process has the potential to be a big cop-out from an interviewing standpoint. I’ve always had good radar for bullshit in interviews, but I think a hiring manager could use something they find on social media as a bad excuse not to hire someone. I don’t want a manager hunting down a candidate on Twitter and deciding they don’t want to hire the person because the manager believes that a public option for health care is socialism and the candidate posts that he/she wants to punch Joe Lieberman in the face. I’m not sure that outweighs the benefit of possibly learning that your candidate is a stripper on the weekends (And does that even matter? What would matter? I’m not sure.)
On the flipside, I don’t believe everything people post in selling themselves as a brand. If they come off as too perfect, then I don’t buy it. I want to hire a real person, not a robot who dispenses canned information.
Plus, there’s too much tracking involved. I just attended a legal seminar where they said that EEOC has taken the position that if you find info on the internet about a candidate that identifies them as protected class, and you don’t hire them, EEOC will assume you used that information in your decision not to hire them. So the lawyers say you have to keep a log of what you’re searching and be consistent with all candidates. This kind of crap makes me CRAZY. (Granted, I take legal advice with a grain of salt since it’s too easy to go WAY overboard.) But I hate rules like this, and I sure hate having to make sure managers are following them. It’s this kind of crap that makes people think HR is a bunch of harpies.
I agree with Rev on this one… and I am glad someone else pointed it out.
Personal banding may not be particularly job related for many jobs, maybe even most, I haven’t thought about it that much. However, I think it is directly related to certain job types. Marketing and sales jump directly to mind. If you can’t brand yourself, then I don;t know if I want to give you the keys to may brand. We can think of it as a type of e-portfolio. It is a great window into how we can shape our professional persona.
this may also be important in technical fields, though in a slightly different way. Engineers, scientists, programmers and other professionals are often only as good as the newest development in their fields. The webscape (yes, i just made this up) is absolutely littered with forums where people discuss emerging trends in technical fields. If I want to hire the best and brightest, then I wold hope they are out there learning and discussing these developments.
Laurie, great question! My answers are yes and yes. Chances are that someone with a strong personal brand is one hell of a hard worker, knows how to interact with people, and has a wider skill set than your average Joe.
Here is my guarantee – in 10 years this question won’t even make sense b/c one’s personal brand will be so fully integrated into the hiring process.
P.S. I am dying laughing watching that video of you and that small lion.
@Mark I have blogged about this — I think social sourcing is fine but researching a candidate on the internet is neither a reliable nor valid predictor of anything. That being said, I have the luxury of not being in the trenches.
@Fran Wow, what a story. That is a blog post. Or a chapter. For you. The old school staffing story must be told!
@Kerry I dunno. I am still not comfortable with googling people as a verb unless it’s a celebrity. That’s kind of sad.
@Puf I think a horrible new industry has been spawned coaching people how to inflate a personal brand they haven’t earned, creating an army of paper tigers out there. This is so well said. Thank you for just putting this out there.
@Bev Well, wow, that’s totally directive and inline with my thinking — but you make me wonder why I don’t want to google, not even a little bit. I mean, legally I think googling is a stupid habit during the candidates selection process. But I dunno. The argument to do it is well-intentioned.
@Salescomp An idea expert might be a great fit for the early stages of project. But would they be a good fit for a permanent position? – many times no. I agree 100%. I think about successful strategic thinkers and doers. They were a good fit because they had big ideas, could craft a strategy, they inspired others though leadership, and they rolled up their sleeves. I think the thinker/doer model gets mucky in the social media space, these days.
@Karen I know, I know. Show up and do your job. Then we’ll talk about your personal brand. I get that.
@Mark J.Lee is brilliant and awesome. I think the role of the worker is in play, right now, and BusinessWeek had an article about piecework and project work that is sitting in my inbox. Must read it. Will forward it to you.
@Charlie I had jobs. Big jobs. No one ever asked me, “Does your personal brand as a HR professional align with the mission, vision and values of our organization?” Shoot, that would have been an entirely different kind of conversation.
@Marsha Man I hate those social media queens who can’t get shit done!
Seriously, you are so right.
@JohnC John Wayne Gacy had a great personal brand right up until they drug those 29 bodies out of his crawl space. OMG, so true — and also so creepy!
@Reviewsnap Things aren’t always what they seem, so what you see on the internet doesn’t necessarily tell you who the person really is. Thank you. Common sense and good old fashioned detective work still prevail in the HR/recruiting sphere.
@MarkF My question is do you think you would be affected in the hiring process because of your PUNK persona??? This is a therapy question. Sheesh. Loaded.
@akaBruno I think you are so amazingly concise and direct in your comments — and I always learn something. I’m jealous of your writing skills!
@Rick Love, love, love that you are questioning our assumptions on what should/shouldn’t be part of the process. Perfect.
@H.Aria That last paragraph of yours should be a warning flag with blinking lights and horns to every HR professional and recruiter out there. Perfect.
@George I love the webscape and these insights are good. Blogworthy. Write more often.
@Ryan Welcome! Here is my guarantee – in 10 years this question won’t even make sense b/c one’s personal brand will be so fully integrated into the hiring process. That’s probably true. So true. Also, Lucy (the shaved lion) had surgery. She is normally fluffy and not as ridic.
The big Q is: Can you afford not to have a personal brand? I don’t think you can.
I have been working on my personal brand for some time – and still are. Would love to get your feedback: http://www.torbenrick.eu
Torben Rick
Personally I don’t believe ‘checking-up’ on candidates on Facebook etc is a useful exercise and can lead to trouble. However if a candidate has an online following and has cultivated a personal brand they would presumably highlight this in their CV or contact details. If this is the case then it would be worth taking a look. Afterall you might like to think about how the corporate brand could be enhanced by the applicant’s personal brand. Furthermore, someone’s blog articles are an example of the quality of their work and a CV cannot demonstrate how well a person can articulate an argument or thought process. If nothing else their online content can provide a discussion point for the interview, during which you will gain a feeling for how well their online brand projects reality. As with any other information in the recruitment process, take what interests you, ignore what doesn’t and take whatever steps you need to check its validity.
What I want to know is this. What is everyone’s idea of what a personal brand is? I agree with MattyMat where it seems to be the trend right now. I’m still confused on what it REALLY means though…
@HR Hooligan I think it is as simple as what Marlo says in the fifth season of “The Wire:” “My name is my name.” What is one’s image? What is one’s reputation?
It blows my mind to hear hiring managers saying they place NO importance on the social media footprint of potential hires.
Let me say one thing about the concept of “brand.” It’s your people. They are the outward extension of the company you are attempting to build. If you completely ignore the efforts of these potential hires in building their own brands, why would you entrust them with that of your company?
That goes the other way too, by the way. Let’s say they ace the interview. The blow the doors off the place. You might want to make sure any “online” persona matches the one you just met.
It blows my mind to hear hiring managers saying they place NO importance on the social media footprint of potential hires.
Let me say one thing about the concept of “brand.” It’s your people. They are the outward extension of the company you are attempting to build. If you completely ignore the efforts of these potential hires in building their own brands, why would you entrust them with that of your company?
That goes the other way too, by the way. Let’s say they ace the interview. They blow the doors off the place. You might want to make sure any “online” persona matches the one you just met.
@Ryan Who says an online persona is accurate? I know some people who blow up their shit online. ((cough cough)) The internet is a fantasy. Don’t live in the cloud.
@HRHooligan Ugh, personal brands. While applaud the trendy & viral nature of the phrase (it’s fun and makes me feel important), I also blanch because it makes me feel like toothpaste or laundry detergent. Hi I’m Laurie Ruettimann and I’m a mac, a cat person, and I use Tide. I RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CHANGE MY FUCKING MIND AT SOME POINT AND BE DIFFERENT.
@MarkW I think you recongize the complexity in this…
@Rick I dunno. My husband has no personal brand. He has a professional reputation, a private life, and a wife who blogs. And he does okay for himself. So this concept of personal brand — without the qualifiers of hard work and a backbone of ethical behaviors and an education — is a little too naive for me.
“Personal Brand” has gone out of control. I am seeing “gurus” telling everyone they can reach that without a “brand” they are at a disadvantage in finding a job.
Bull Shit.
In a few full time jobs maybe. For those in the consulting, “guru” and “expert” fields sure. But to say a marketing manager needs a brand to get a job is nonsense.
We need to back to a time when reputation mattered. Reputation built on results.
I know I am repeating what many of you have said but if I do not get this out the little vein in my temple is going to explode.
And a CAUTION needs to be put out: I have seen (or is it heard) of companies saying to me that they do not want to hire a “name” that is bigger or more well known than the company.
I know of a handful of people who strongly believe through their inside information that they were not hired because of this.
OK, done with the rant for the moment but I may need to revise and/or extend my remarks
if these guys asks me to check their profiles like; I’m a social media evangelist, have done this and that etc. why not? I might as well ask Google to track down if he’s really walking the talk – what he wanted to change as what his/her image (brand) told me using his blogs.
As with anything in life, I don’t think the question is so simple as to merit simply a yes or no. It depends on the company and what they are looking for. It depends on the person and what their “personal brand” represents, and how that fits in with company identity. I can certainly see how a lot of large corporations – and even some places that I have sought employment with – were clearly looking for someone with NO personal brand at all. They advertised this through veiled language, i.e. We’re looking for a “team player” (there is no “I” in team). Of course, one diva can set the whole choir off. But on the other hand, it sometimes sounds to me as if they are looking for someone with no personality – a ball of clay they can mold into the shape they like. On the other hand, a candidate with a strong personality and a strong individual MO can be a real asset to a group, and just because they have their own style does not mean that they CAN’T be a team player.
There may be no I in team, but a team made up of strong individuals is ultimately a more powerful group. I think as long as the boundaries are clear – “this is where you end and the company begins” – there is not necessarily a risk of hiring a person with a strong “personal brand.” And heck, if that person brings in their cadre of Facebook and Twitter followers, couldn’t that be good for business?