Influence comes with responsibility!
Many dream of building a huge online following. But influencing a following of people comes with responsibility, which most of us don’t realise until we learn the hard way.
Many moons ago, I spoke at an event in London, and I made a statement I believed was factual. An attendee messaged it to someone in the US. The recipient blew up my DMs, sternly rebuking my claim.
As someone who values the truth and being honest, I was mortified, but I realised that my words influence. Whether someone hears me speak or reads one of my books, my points must be factual. I must be accountable for them. It’s a duty I don’t take lightly.
Influence requires responsibility
Right now, there are non-recruiter influencers with huge followings, making reels about a study that highlights significant bias in a specific ‘gamified assessment tool’.
(I won’t go into detail here, so read these posts from Shiran Danoch, Amy Miller, and Oscar Chavez about it later. For good measure, add this from Matt Buckland, too.)
The bit causing recruiters angst: they’re calling the assessment tool an ATS. 😩
One is a COO who, unintentionally, makes a great case for giving leaders my second book, Reboot Hiring. She states in one post that she has built internal hiring teams, so surely she should know the difference between an ATS and an assessment tool. The other previously worked in corporations, but appears not to have worked in talent acquisition per se.
When recruiters state in the comments that the tool is not an ATS, the influencers deny it or double down, demonstrating zero self-awareness or consideration of the impact.
No matter their intent, I’m frustrated that the error or, more aptly, misinformation is misleading people. One reel has millions of views, so it’s unlikely that that dopamine hit will be deleted. And my voice, and those of others in hiring, is lost or gaslit in the comments.
Mark my words
Words matter, yet we can use them flippantly or carelessly. Words can cause long-term damage – hence the title of my memoir– whether intentional or not. I bet you’ve heard a few over the years that have hit home.
An unfair label.
A cruel jibe.
I still remember mispronouncing the word sword in 6th grade and the total humiliation I felt as the class laughed. I also remember an early bra fitting and the years of shame that followed, ‘They don’t come that small.’ Then there are the names I’ve been called, particularly before healing.
Of course, this was all long before the modern internet and social media, where everyone is a supposed expert and trolls thrive on tearing others down to feel better.
However, when you choose to grow a following of people and claim to be experienced or knowledgeable in a specific area, it is essential to be certain of your stuff and wise in your choice of words. Your influence could be detrimental.
If many comments on a post counter your point of view, especially if they are stated calmly and logically, you may be mistaken. It is an opportunity to learn. It’s ok to be wrong. Just delete your post, investigate the matter further, and correct it in your next post.
Use self-awareness. Drop the defensiveness. Consider why so many people are stating you are wrong, and redirect. Don’t double down because the dopamine hit of millions of views is stroking your ego!
Influence is a double-edged sword: misinformation harms.
And for those readers who follow people with big followings, remember that they are human and might be wrong. Engage your critical thinking and trust your intuition!
All that glitters is not gold.
