Executive Selection & Social Scorecard.

26 Sep Executive Selection & Social Scorecard.

Much has been said about people being the most important aspect of an organization. And we are well aware that employees who do outstanding work take their company to great heights. Today’s world of work has seen drastic changes with cutting edge technologies steering industries on a fast mode on the one hand, while on the other, the prevalent pandemic which is putting a spoke in every wheel of growth and profit.

Organizations across sectors have gone to great lengths to take care of people as well as about business as usual.  Employees have gotten acclimatized to a work-from-home way of being productive. Creating new roles to deal with the demands of this new normal, filling in vacated positions and building a talent pipeline are parallel and equally critical activities of talent acquisition in current times. It is every leader’s responsibility to thoroughly validate an applicant’s personal and professional background to make an informed hiring decision. Here is where social media can play a role by providing a sneak peek into the individual’s activity, personality, his/her communication & networking, and social conduct.  Not many subscribe to this approach, though.

An individual’s social media expression is a reflection of his/her personality.  Professionally, an employee is known by the company he works for, and how he/she comes across on any social platform could have a long term impact on the brand equity of the organisation.  What would a prospective employer look for in an ideal applicant’s social media profile?

Appreciation – Highlighting another’s achievement or posting a note of encouragement may reveal the applicant’s willingness to acknowledge others’ successes. This quality can go a long way in healthy team play and positive leadership.  In addition, how one recognises the role of others while listing achievements, awards and accolades can demonstrate fairness and earnestness.

Communication – Today’s work is all about communication. Common culprits here are spelling errors and poor grammar. How an applicant drafts a post could reveal his command over the language as well as his attention to details.

Inspiration – Bringing positivity and inspiration on one’s social profile may have to do with exuding confidence. However, beware of copy paste or auto subscribed spams messages. Look for original posts drafted by self that expresses earnestness and does not smack of insincerity.

Passion –  Social communication can reveal, in the right perspective, an applicant’s passion about a subject, be it profession, industry or other aspects of life like hobbies, health and wellness, sports, books. The depth of knowledge or interest can be assessed by the nature and content of the post.

Assertion – Arguments by way of debate and discussion are a natural occurrence in any social media platform, but how one handles the given situation without aggravating or personally attacking others reflects on the attitude and personality of the individual.

Recommendation – The quality of recommendation given to a connection can reveal the depth of understanding at a personal and professional level. Mention of their strengths and areas of improvement in a positive non-intrusive manner will reflect on the level of respect commanded.

Representation – Again, how one represents his current organization will tell you how he would be in future too. It is important to look for highlighted strengths, achievements, teamwork and specifically, any avenues of excellence.

Having said, using social media to assess a candidate is not a single selection technique nor is it a time tested tool. As a stand-alone method it can be a very far-fetched way of checking on the candidate.  It is an objective tool that showcases an individual’s subjective expression and demeanor. Comments welcome!