How often do you look back through your social media history? If you’re anything like me then the answer is “not very often”. So, what could this mean for how your personal brand is perceived by somebody who doesn’t know you? As we know, first impressions count and in today’s ever more connected world, that is increasingly likely to come from your online presence rather than a face-to-face meeting.

Given the priority we place on relationships at Eton Bridge Partners, our starting point when looking for top talent across our practices is always our existing network and personal recommendations from people we know and trust. But of course, we’re also always keen to make new connections, so a great deal of our time is spent evaluating people’s details online, for example on LinkedIn.

Beyond LinkedIn

Some employers however will look beyond LinkedIn to get a broader picture and, like anyone else, they are influenced by what they find online. It’s always possible they will type your name into a search engine to see what comes up.

Have you ever tried Googling your own name? Amongst the first things that will appear will be your social media profiles.

Unfortunately, the quality that people post and include in their profiles can vary. And in the less formal environments of Instagram and Facebook, it can be all too easy to let your guard down and share something that might not create the best impression for a potential employer.

There are some potential legal implications of using social media to screen out candidates, which is why we don’t do it at Eton Bridge Partners, but research evidence suggests a significant proportion of employers do.

So, unless you are 100% confident in the secrecy settings on your various social media, it’s best not to share any activities or views online you’d be unable to defend in public.

Negative online press coverage

As a high-profile senior executive, a search engine might also reveal stories about you that have appeared in the newspapers or trade press. Unlike social media, your control over how you are treated by the press is limited and we all know the press is not always fair.

There are several strategies you can use to address this kind of negative publicity:

• Try to outweigh negative coverage with positive. Write a blog, LinkedIn article or journal features that demonstrate your expertise. Some senior executives even employ PR advisors to push the negative coverage to page two or beyond of the search engine results.
• If the story is patently false, raise it with the editor of the content source and ask them to remove it. If that doesn’t work, or the story is widespread, you can approach search engines directly and ask to have results about you excluded. For more details visit https://support.google.com/websearch/troubleshooter/3111061.
• If the story is true or partially true, make sure you have the facts of the story prepared in advance, in case it comes up in interview. This might be as simple as the lessons you learned from the experience, but make sure you have something positive to say.

Note: This goes beyond the scope of this blog, but if you find yourself compromised by material shared by others and a personal appeal does no good, you should consult the relevant authorities.

Why remain below the radar?

Not everyone wants to put lots of information online, especially if they are not actively looking to move jobs and don’t want to be approached by recruiters.

If, however, you are considering the next move in your career, or you’re curious about what is out there in the market, then by improving your profile (your “findability”) you increase the chances that a search firm will approach you with the ideal opportunity. Most search firms, including Eton Bridge, work on searches on an exclusive basis, so you’re far less likely to hear about a role if we’re not able to find you.

The research team is always very happy to provide advice to our candidates on their online presence and personal brand, so if you think you might need a helping hand, do get in touch.

In the meantime, our 6 tips for managing your online brand include:

1 – Conduct a Google search on your name (with a modifier if necessary, such as your job title) and see what comes up. Look under the Image and News search options for a comprehensive check.

2 – Check your LinkedIn profile against the previous blogs we have published on the subject (for example How to stand out in the LinkedIn crowd: Make your profile work for you). Make sure you use keywords throughout and include your aspirations for your career if you wish.

3 – Participate in LinkedIn discussions but avoid getting involved in any online war of words. It’s great to have opinions you are happy to debate, but don’t get pulled into publishing something you later regret. It’s easily done.

4 – Don’t put anything, anywhere online you wouldn’t be happy for a potential employer or colleague to see.

5 – Be your own PR. Publish articles on LinkedIn and write your own blog to boost your online presence and share your expertise.

6 – Address negative publicity if you can. Prepare your key messages for direct questions in interview if not.

To continue the conversation, please do get in touch with Charlotte for a confidential discussion or another member of our in-house research team who would be pleased to hear from you.