I learned that companies are already tracking things like candidate influence, sentiment, and career scores based on data collected from online activity and engagement. This was eye-opening because it can lead to companies making early judgments about candidate fit. Advising clients about how they interact with social media and teaching them how to analyze potential interpretations of those interactions will be my next step.
The web portal or online presence is the "entrance door" for anyone in the job search and often the first filter is the Human Resources Department that prevents talent from reaching the final part of any job process, today is the assessment testing
While I'm not a huge fan of what we are calling "Social Currency", I can see why it would be beneficial for companies to recruit and hire employees that have a positive and beneficial presence (or brand) on social media. Rather than looking at past achievements on a static resume, being able to determine in real-time how a potential candidate would work to solve problems would be a great way for a company to find the best candidates for their positions. As a career counselor, it is important to understand how recruitment is changing in this new digital environment and be able to counsel students to have intention with their social media presence and know how to use it to be noticed.
The downside to social currency is that it can also cause false "judgements" on individuals if they don't have enough followers, or enough subscriptions, etc. Some of this kind of rating system is based on subjective assumptions that can be extremely damaging.
The most valueable information that I learn was about SEO. I am currently taking an SEO cert through the Hubspot Academy to help me better understand how it works.
From this module, I learned about some of the more recent trends in employers' consideration of candidates, such as requesting them to complete challenges rather than focusing on their resume. While this is an interesting approach and definitely provides more focus on a candidate's aptitude in certain domains, especially adaptability and analytical skills, it removes the focus on past performance as a predictor of future performance. In the right setting, this may be useful and I will share the information with students to be aware of such trends.
Understanding the functions that technological tools, fulfill will further help the institution, and the students to create and expose their talents and skills, to make them known in the world of work.
Very interesting read. The presence of; and value in; an active social media presence and digital footprint is a valued asset in todays career market.
