CATALYST Issue 1 | Page 14

DigitaI Innovation Enhancing C A N D I DAT E EXPERIENCE in the Age of the Customer Applying consumer-grade technology to the candidate journey will enable proactive, two-way communication and lead to a better experience for candidates and insight for recruiters. W hether or not “the customer is always right”, in an era of ‘social’, the customer’s ability to make their voice heard, instantly and globally, means they wield power over organisations offering products or services. Sustaining positive engagement therefore involves proactive, two-way communication. If you need evidence of the power of social media to impact on a company’s reputation, look no further than United Airlines in April of this year. Disturbing footage of an incident involving a passenger being ‘bumped off’ a flight – and dragged out, when refusing to leave voluntarily – went viral, provoking a horrified reaction from the public. The handling of the incident was poor, the outcry vocal and the impact on engagement with United Airlines – and on its bottom line alexandermannsolutions.com 14 – will no doubt be felt for years to come. On a positive note, exemplary practice can also catch the public imagination, or a negative scenario can be handled well, leading to enhanced customer confidence. Such examples relate to consumer business, so what has this to do with talent acquisition and management? This is the theme of a candid discussion between Jeremy Tipper, Managing Director of Alexander Mann Solutions’ consulting business, Talent Collective, and members of the team at Rant & Rave, which provides multi-channel customer engagement solutions. To enhance perspectives, Rant & Rave’s Managing Director, Kenny Bain, brought his Head of Channels and Partners, Rew Golding, and his Head of Marketing, Jen Morris to talk to us about the benefits of a new partnership between Talent Collective and Rant & Rave.