Big data is watching your job search. The future is here. NOW.
An interesting post went out into an online recruiter forum recently. Bill Boorman, Founder of Tru, wrote:
“Looks like GooodJob are following Joberate and setting spy alerts for fight risk on social media content.
Received today: ‘Did you know that Network Monkey (our new product) can scan your employees’ social media profiles for changes indicating they’re looking for a new job? That’s right, we monitor your employees and notify you in advance so you’re in the driving seat.’”
Whoa.
Things just got a little more difficult for active job seekers who are currently employed. Big data is tracking your every move.
Everyone knows that employers are watching. But this really puts it out there in black and white.
Between spyware on company computers and servers to monitoring your daily activities, employers like to know what is going on internally.
But monitoring social media feeds and collecting big data through automated tools puts job seekers really under the microscope.
Your every move is being watched.
Any job search “twitch” on social media could generate a report to your boss.
Clandestine job searches could become an oxymoron. Big data is collecting information on you.
There is one magic key to all of this. And it means you could carry on without much worry.
The trick?
ALWAYS have a constant stream of content.
The biggest and baddest giveaway of employee discontent is a flurry of social media activity after a long period of silence.
What you want to do is to create a constant chatter that involves connecting and engaging with people online that creates signal noise to employers who might be watching.
You obviously want it to be meaningful, but if you are consistently adding connections, interacting with key influencers, updating your profile regularly, and posting updates, there aren’t the activity peaks that usually alert employers to employee discontent.
By creating this channel that offers regular, consistent content, you are creating connections that you can take offline for potential new employment discussions.
By hiding and not producing any content, you are simply sealing your fate as someone who only taps into social media when you absolutely need to.
Which is a sign of desperation, and a red flag to current employers that a job search is just starting.
Your best bet to overcome big data is to be a mega data producer. Create content regularly so that you are establishing your online presence, building your profile, engaging with the right people, and expanding your network so that when the time comes to look for other employment, it’s easy to pick up the phone and have that offline conversation that opens doors.