Two Tribes

You might not realize it, but you’re the member of a tribe. If you came of age in the digital era and can’t remember a time without the Internet, mobile phones and other digital devices, you’re a native. On the other hand, if these modern contrivances are something that you have seen develop and slowly work their way into your daily life, then you’re an immigrant. It might seem a little unfair that those of us who have been around the longest are given newcomer status, but it’s an undeniable fact that the last 20 years or so of technological advancement have altered our world immeasurably. It’s inevitable therefore that the wiry fingers of progress have reshaped recruitment along the way.

The rise of social networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn has perhaps had the biggest impact, both on employment and the net as a whole. It seems somewhat paradoxical that while many complain about the increased intrusion on our private lives from ID cards and CCTV cameras, others are falling over themselves to post information about their likes, dislikes, activities and relationships on networking sites. The implications of this growth affect both employers and their potential hires. For the former, it offers a massive pool of information on prospective employees, effectively acting as a preliminary piece of background screening. For those looking for work, social networking sites, especially the more business focused ones, can act as a virtual shop window. But there are counterbalances to the positives. If the field is so wide, it can prove extremely difficult for recruiters to sort the wheat from the chaff. As with any swelling database, information overload is a very real danger. For job seekers, there’s also the risk that their good deeds will be overshadowed by those that are less employer friendly. We’d all be happy for a prospective boss to see our deeply impressive career history. We’d be less pleased if they saw photos showing us a little worse for wear at a friend’s bachelor party.

Defenders of the social network as a business tool point to the fact that these networks are meant to be closed and only viewable by approved contacts. But there is always a margin for error. Any user of Facebook is sure to have someone on their friend list who they added with an idle click despite not knowing them well or at all. That one interloper is a bridge to a potentially limitless number of people who could end up viewing your personal information. This is before we even address the problem of what happens when a site chooses to change its terms of service.

A good illustration of this risk can be seen with recent developments on LinkedIn. Initially conceived as a way for business professionals to network online, it has recently undergone a transformation that has riled some users. It is now possible to buy different levels of membership to the site that allow users to directly contact others even if they are not part of that person’s network. At a stroke, LinkedIn becomes a tool for passive recruitment. Good news for some, but less so for those inundated with unwanted job offers who might justifiably feel aggrieved that their personal details have been sold on.

Collaborative web 2.0 tools are already making their presence felt on the inside of the enterprise and their rise in outward facing roles is a virtual inevitability. While such innovation is generally to be applauded, it brings us back to the idea of technological ‘natives’ and ‘immigrants’. While the Gen Y and Millennial natives are extremely comfortable with this free flow of information and concepts, older immigrants may be less so. Too great a focus on the recruitment possibilities of technology may have the unwanted effect of narrowing the field of potential candidates by excluding less tech savvy individuals.