Kim Shepherd, CEO, Decision Toolbox

As we kick off a new year, we have already started to see new hiring trends. In my opinion, the most crucial trend employers need to be aware of is the shift in hiring power. Nowadays, nine out of 10 employers still think it’s up to candidates to prove themselves for jobs. This, however, is no longer the case. We are living in a “ME Inc.” world. The hiring landscape has become less about the employer choosing the employee, and more about the employee making the decision. Now, it’s time for companies to impress.

Critically, pay close attention to what people are saying online about you as a company or employer. We place so much importance on the social footprint of our potential candidates, and forget they are paying attention to ours as well. A great example of a new social media platform that can be detrimental to an employer’s social footprint is Glassdoor. Glassdoor is essentially an employer’s social media police. It serves as a platform for past or current employees to post about your company, and you have no control over what is said. If a CEO is not fearful of Glassdoor, that’s a problem. I quake at Glassdoor. What’s important is that you are aware of it and face the criticism – good or bad – head on.

This widespread shift in hiring power is especially apparent while interviewing candidates – or should be. If I was meeting with a candidate, I’d give them the opportunity to interview me as well. It says, we’re equals, I respect you. I also want to talk to them in their venue. For example, I’d send a GenYer a text after an interview such as, “Hey great meeting you, would like to schedule a follow-up.” I get on their level, and don’t always require them to get on mine. People need to get out of the mindset that “I am the boss and you answer to me.” That’s not going to work anymore.

The two most important elements to landing a top employment prospect are speed and honesty. Don’t waste weeks thinking about your candidates – interview people and determine next steps in a timely manner – otherwise, they will move on. Candidates are not steaks that need to be marinated, and they will lose interest in you. Your decision hesitation is a poor reflection of your ability to make ANY timely decisions. Good candidates will be interviewing with at least two or three other companies, and if you take your sweet time, someone else will snatch them up.

In the past ten years, technology and social media have taken over our world. It has been both a blessing and a curse, and has made our ability to keep secrets virtually impossible. Everything we do is accessible online to a certain degree. Remember that the technology revolution of the late 90’s has forever changed the way we look at time. The sooner we start acknowledging this fact, and make it work to our advantage, the more successful we will be. I’m speaking to both GenYers, who are just starting to get a taste of the professional world, as well as older generations who have extensive work experience. We live in a data-driven world, consumed by the media and social networking. So let’s embrace it and make it work for us!

About Kim Shepherd

Kim Shepherd joined Decision Toolbox in 2000 and brought her unconventional approach to the company she had admired as a client. As CEO, Kim leads the company’s growth strategy, primarily through developing partnerships and alliances, and as an active member of the Los Angeles and Orange County human resources community. As a recognized thought leader by HR organizations nationwide, including the Human Capital Institute, Kim is a regular speaker at national and regional events on topics such as recruitment best practices, recruitment process outsourcing and the virtual business. Kim is also the author of The Bite Me School of Management, a book journaling her 20-year business journey and the challenges she has overcome along the way.