The Importance of Online Presence

​Online presence is a term that’s being banded around all over the place these days. Not only do we have to cultivate a certain gravitas and skill for speaking to people “IRL”, we now have to do the same in the online world, too?!

To answer that question, yes. And it’s especially important when you’re hoping to recruit new staff, whether the business is your own or you manage a team within one.

So what does online presence mean?

Literally speaking, your online presence encompasses everything someone could find if they were to search your business or name. It includes any associated websites, social media profiles, published works, news and more. It’s every post you make, whether personal or professional, company or individual; every blog you put your name to; any press release in which you’re mentioned, whether personally or at company level. The job adverts you post, your online reviews… You’re getting it, right?

But why is online presence so important when recruiting?

We live in the digital age; if you have a question, I’m sure the majority of people would agree that the first place you head to is Google. We have to assume the same can be said for any job seeking candidate who’s introduced to your business, whether through a recruiter like us or having found you directly. Whether they’ve just seen an advert online or yours is a name many endeavour to work for in general, it’s pertinent to think about what your online activities say about you – because the talent you want onboard is going to be looking at it.

What should we be thinking about specifically?

In short: everything.

At company level, your website needs to reflect the professionalism you embody as a business – in terms of both aesthetics and usability. Make sure it’s a representation of what you do and actually gives jobseekers an idea of your value proposition. You should be using company social feeds to talk about industry matters, news, hot topics and fundamentally what you do, to show that you’re “with the times”, up to date on current affairs and ultimately still relevant. And finally, on a personal level, post about things you care about! Humanise the person on the other side of the hypothetical interview table (/Zoom meeting host). Make someone want to come and work for you, not just the company.

And don’t forget, it’s not just about what content you’re putting out. Is your website being kept up to date? Do you still have old, long-ago-filled job vacancies listed? What does your online housekeeping say about your business?

CEOs, I’m talking to you!

You shouldn’t just be looking after the company page and be done with it – your personal presence counts, too. More and more jobseekers are searching up C-suite individuals when looking for a new opportunity, to see who it is they’re going to be working for and looking for that all-important cultural fit from the off. Plus, prior research into your personal profile could provide them with strong points on which to build rapport at interview – everyone’s a winner.

And as for candidates?

Yep, it works both ways – quite rightly, jobseekers are beginning to look at their own online presence as an extension of their resumé. If a candidate has included a link to their LinkedIn profile, don’t be afraid to take a look! As a hiring manager, you’ll be able to get a good feel for how they’re spending their time online, the sort of content and ideas they connect with (check out the “Activity” section on their profile) and whether that’s something that works for you. As with anything recruitment-related, it’s a two-way street.

Online presence is something all business leaders need to be aware and on top of in order to attract the very top level of talent. We’re proud to have recently hit 30,000 followers on our company page and, if you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll see that I like to throw out some of my own inner musings from time to time. The truth is, I’m hiring – and I want people in this wonderful world of LinkedIn to see the real me, so they can make an informed decision about getting in touch.

Now is an incredible time to be joining Certus Melbourne so, if you’re an experienced recruiter reading this and thinking about how well aligned our values seem to be… I’d love to hear from you!