How Social Media Is Changing Power Dynamics in the World of Work
Recently a tweet from a woman trying to find a job went viral after she had a truly horrible interview. Such an experience isn’t unusual — what is unusual is that she decided to hold the company accountable for it.
The woman, Olivia Bland, had a two-hour interview for a position as a writer with a company called Web Applications UK. She tweeted that “the CEO . . . tore me and my writing to shreds (and called me an underachiever.)” She was so upset afterward that she cried at the bus stop. Much to her surprise, she was offered the job. Much to the company’s surprise, we can assume, she decided to decline it — and to explain, publicly, her reasons for doing so. In short, the CEO’s behavior reminded her of an abusive ex.
“I’ve been in this position before: they tear you down, abuse you, take you to the breaking point, then they take you out to dinner or buy you a nice present to apologise and make it seem like they’re the nice guy,” she wrote. “This job is suppose to be the present.”
Bland makes an important point here: abuse is abuse and bullying is bullying, whether it happens at home or in the office. That’s a reality that far too many organizations conveniently ignore, or they take the view that employees need to be “tough.” There’s nothing weak about having the confidence and self-worth to decide that you don’t deserve such treatment in exchange for a job where you’re going to spend the majority of your waking hours.
Further, Bland’s tweet exposed the utter disparity between WebApp UK’s external brand and internal culture. The company’s website extols its commitment to “the value of constructive criticism” and “having a positive impact,” as well as the “friendly faces” in its workforce. Keep in mind that Bland’s experience was during an interview, when organizations typically make an effort to present themselves in the best possible light. If that was how they handle interviews, one can only wonder what it’s like to work there. (It’s not great, apparently, as several Glassdoor reviews and responses to her tweet reference similar behavior from the CEO.)
The incident is a stunning example of the way that social media is balancing the power differentials in the world of work. Anyone who’s had any exposure to marketing and advertising knows that companies like to present a positive image, while the internal reality might be quite different. That’s why smart companies scramble to respond to individuals calling them out on Twitter or other social media complaining about customer service or shoddy products. Social media has given consumers a voice — and power. Whereas once their complaints might have been relegated to a file cabinet at the Better Business Bureau, they’re now on Yelp for everyone to see.
Now it’s not just consumers using that power. Employees and job seekers are flexing it too. Glassdoor has provided workers with the chance to give their honest opinions about their employers. Bland was unusual in that she chose not to be anonymous. She risked potential future job prospects to speak out (and remember, social media is forever). For decades, employers have counted on having the upper hand in that equation. Bland showed that they’re losing it. Responses to her tweets were overwhelmingly supportive, with some sharing similar experiences in toxic workplaces and interviews, and congratulating her for having the strength and self-respect to speak out.
In response, Web Application UK’s Board of Directors put out a statement that after an internal investigation, it “is satisfied that no bullying or intimidation occurred.” However, the damage to Web Application UK’s reputation will be hard to reverse, especially since it doesn’t even acknowledge it has a problem.
Employers still hold a lot of power, but social media is providing new visibility into their cultures and practices. Smart, skilled workers are not going to take or stay in jobs where they’re not treated well. That means that organizations that ignore or play down incidents like the one at Web Applications UK are going to lose out on the best talent, or they’re going to attract and hire people who don’t have a problem with bullying and intimidation. Neither scenario is a winning strategy for organizational growth, development, and success in this new connected world.
What should companies do? They should recognize that they’re going to be held increasingly accountable for living up to their brand image and adapt their internal standards and processes accordingly. They should understand that communication no longer only flows one way, and that employees and job seekers are having conversations, and that the public can see those conversations. It’s no longer enough to give lip service to the idea of transparency and honesty — because your audience is savvy enough to know when you’re faking it, and they’ve got the means to call you out on it. Publicly.
