UK Training Industry Press Releases

Most UK senior executives will trawl the internet for photographs and profiles of prospective employees and business contacts before meeting them, according to a survey by the executive communications consultancy, The Aziz Corporation.

They are looking for personal information which will give them a feel for the person as well as inconsistencies with curriculum vitae, to see whether candidates or contacts are telling lies about themselves.

Nearly 70% of respondents, employed at the senior management levels of large UK corporations, admit to checking the internet in this way as a form of due diligence before meetings and interviews.

Potential employees should be very concerned about both "official" and "unofficial" photographs of themselves.

Most senior executives admitted being potentially influenced by on-line photographs.  The vast majority said they would be put off by a photograph of a poorly presented interviewee.  Around 40% said they would be discouraged by photos of overweight candidates or women wearing too much make up.

More than a third said they would look at "tagged" photographs put up on sites such as Facebook by friends and family and said they might be discouraged if these photos were inappropriate.

However, the 200 or so senior executives who responded to the survey were not always diligent about their own online photographs.  While 83% have an online presence and mostly update their photographs at least twice a year, they are slack when it comes to photographs of themselves posted by other people. 

Only 22% of senior executives with "tagged" photographs of themselves have requested that these photographs should be removed.

Of the executives surveyed 72% had a profile on Linkedin and nearly 50% on Facebook.

Professor Khalid Aziz, Chairman of The Aziz Corporation said: "Presentation is all important. This survey shows that, know it or not, business people are being judged everyday by their online presence.

"We need to take control of the way we present ourselves online and to ensure this is consistent with our business image. 

 "Photographs need to be appropriate and professional and any ill-advised snapshots of beer-swigging on stag-nights or romantic holidays - erased from the internet immediately.

"The line between professional and personal profiles is becoming invisible."

Author: Helen Glanville

The Aziz Corporation

The Aziz Corporation is the UK's leading independent executive leadership and development consultancy. Its mission is to add value to businesses by ensuring their people are effective communicators. Consultancy services offered by The Aziz Corporation include presentation skills, media training, crisis management, image consultancy and voice development.

http://www.azizcorp.com/

Contact:

Helen Glanville                                                Tel : +44 (0)7813 687234

The Aziz Corporation                                      Email: heleng@azizcorp.com

Professor Khalid Aziz                                       Tel: 01962 794 540 / 07703 345 401

The Aziz Corporation                                       E-mail: khalid@azizcorp.com