A quick follow up to yesterday’s post, “The Last Bastion of Invisible People.” When CFOs and Senior Finance Executives embrace the concept of reputation management and online visibility, it positions them to get known by their target audience and be known for something valuable and in demand.
An excerpt from an article in the Times Union says this …
“With Facebook and Twitter, on the other hand, she [the recruiter] can find potential candidates she knows, thanks to previous contact or interaction through the social networking sites. Using the sites also lets employers such as Delos get a feel for the personality of potential employees. She can gauge whether they may fit into the office culture, a key part of employee retention.”
Notice the last sentence: “She can gauge whether they may fit into the office culture, a key part of employee retention.” Culture is the most difficult piece of the hiring process – from the employer’s perspective. When your online presence is visible and branded, the culture fit piece precedes you into the interview. You are already known.
Carving out your own little niche … how are you unique, different, and better than the competition seeking those same senior finance roles … allows you to take a stand and be known for something. And the “something” is important. While it seems counter-intuitive, being known for something is much more powerful, attractive, and desired than a candidate who knows a little about a lot of things. Rather than limiting yourself and potential opportunities, you are actually attracting the right kinds of opportunities that closely fit your skill sets, interests, and preferred corporate culture.
I was catching up on my CFO Magazine reading and saw this little gem in the Letters section: “ … reputation is the new bottom line.” And while this reader was talking about her company, it has never been more true for candidates.
I think that Cindy Kraft “pinned the tail on the donkey” when she emphasized that candidates must carve at a niche for themselves in order to be drawn out from the vast group of applicants. In the age when people have access to unlimited learning opportunities and information, a person who knows a little bit about many things isn’t unique or considered “qualified” to make decisions. The most well-known/published/person with the most Google hits, is the person who will be considered to be the “expert” and he/she will be sought out by clients or hiring firms. People are not satisfied with a little bit of anything, they want as much as they can get–that is in brainpower and intellectual abilities of their employees.
Thanks Cheryl! You are absolutely right about the Google hits!