By Michal Kalinowski in Universum Quarterly 3/2010

Friends, it’s time we admit it: Today’s younger generations are more sophisticated than we were at their age. They move in a transparent world where the flow of information is enormous. They know how to navigate through it, separating truth from lies with a strong sense of what is credible. In this world, employers looking to hire these generations have to be courageous. They have to have the courage to  tell the truth. Those who don’t will be spotted and discarded by talent.

Another difference is that older generations tend to source information through company controlled channels, while today’s talent groups get their information from informal and personal channels. There are studies that show that up to 80 per cent of the information about employers comes from employees. And, that they spread it to millions, using social networks, blogs and other electronic channels. It is impossible to maintain a fictitious company image in that world.

So let’s not. Let’s be honest. Trust me. Once you start digging, you will discover that there is a lot to be proud of and a lot you want to be honest about. Generating that knowledge about yourself as an employer can be a great journey, creating pride amongst your current employers – those the talent you want to hire listen to the most. Once you manage to combine courage with knowledge about your identity and values, you will speak the language of your target talent, using the channels they really listen to.