Employment Brand Integrity

HCM's Dr. Mike wrote last week:

Something that has been bothering me for a while (I guess this is a "rant") concerns the emphasis on recruiting MATERIALS. There is such an emphasis on presenting the company in a positive light, making their Internet materials look spiffy, attractive, sharp, etc. All this may well induce an applicant to accept a job offer. But what about once he or she is on the job? Do we put enough emphasis on having good bosses, interesting work, effective learning opportunities? And, if the Internet materials look too good, might this not be misleading to the job candidates?

I think you're noticing the problem of integrity, being true to yourself. You know the 360 degree exercises that help you see yourself as others see you? Ideally, you can use that information to bring the two together.

Four minutes. Look at your career site. Contrast it with the stories insiders tell. Do you see gaps between image and reality?

I had a great conversation last week with Charles Helliwell, a London management consultant who performs Business Personality Audits. He compares the internal and external perceptions and does the consulting stuff you'd expect. This is a great way to drill down to systemic problems, to root causes. And a marvelous light to shine on your career brand.

I expect the Disney recruiting site to be all smiles, customer service, and continuous improvement. But a workplace where survival of the fittest is the rule, where everyone carries sharp knives and time not billed is wasted, that character should come through the career site. It will attract and repel exactly the right people.

So integrity matters. To the recruiter and the job seeker.

Welcome to the fray, Dr. Mike.