I’ve been asked this question a lot recently, by communications advisers anxious about the great resignation: ‘Do our leaders’ online activities have the potential to enhance – or erode – crucial talent attraction efforts?’
My answer? Absolutely. (And this is actually REALLY good news – more on that below.)
And my question that naturally follows is: ‘So what are candidates seeing from your leaders right now?’
Whether visible or not, ‘stalking’ leaders’ online activities is standard practice for candidates deciding their next career move. Employer brand campaigns aren’t enough – consider this scenario:
You’ve invested significantly in a campaign touting workplace diversity. How will candidates likely respond if they look at leaders’ LinkedIn profiles and find nothing – silence? Or they only find three ‘authorised’ voices speaking up: all middle-aged white males. Or views that actually contradict the campaigns’ claims?
Questions will naturally be asked. Not just on the campaign or its messages: candidates will start to question everything. When leaders fail to reinforce corporate promises with actions online – talk with walk – they fail to build trust with talent.
Why is online so important here?
A leader’s digital presence is the BEST way to demonstrate action and build reputation at scale with the audiences who matter most. It’s also the fastest way for people to assess whether corporate promises are genuine or not.
And this is the good news…
Far from being a problem, a leader’s digital presence provides a rare opportunity in the war for talent. Leaders alone control their profile and activities, and leaders alone influence what others see. And there are plenty of industry leaders to learn from to inform next steps. Consider these few:
Can personal passion attract talent? Yes. Look at Amy Brown, Secretary, NSW Department of Enterprise, Investment & Trade and CEO at Investment NSW. By talking to the issues that matter, she shows candidates the ‘mission’ they will be part of if they share her passion to solve them. That’s the sort of empowering call to arms that sinks legacy perceptions around working in government – just ask her team. Read more from Amy here.
Can ‘likes’ create loyalty? Yes. Take Shayne Elliott, CEO at ANZ: browse his activity feed and you’ll see a mix of corporate initiatives and personal values. But dominating both is a stream of ‘likes’ that shows his unwavering commitment to the people who make ANZ what it is: staff and customers. What does his attention show them, and candidates?
Can authenticity attract better candidates than ads? Yes. Consider Amanda Yeates, former GM of the Department of Transport and Main Roads, QLD. Rather than sharing a job ad link, her personal video message gives connections the asset they need to spread the message for her, and candidates the insight to see who they’ll work with.
I encourage you to ask your leaders today:
Could we be doing more to be seen, heard and to influence the talent we’ll need to thrive now and in the future? And, crucially, could we be doing more where they’re most active: online?
