If you work in the talent acquisition and employer brand space, chances are you’ve seen some of Lauren Spearman’s viral content on your LinkedIn or TikTok feed already. With an impressive marketing career, a 50K strong TikTok following, and Podcast host amongst her many accolades, Lauren is widely known for her refreshingly honest opinions as an advocate for care, transparency and flexibility in the workplace. We’ve been huge fans of Lauren at Holler and Searchability since we first saw her posts earlier this year, so we are delighted to share this Q&A with you all! If you work in talent acqusition, employer branding or are simply a candidate looking to navigate the career hunt – this is a must read!
You’ve built up an impressive personal brand, including a 50K strong following on TikTok – how have you seen this grow since you started?
I saw an initial burst growing 20k followers in just 8 weeks during my job search. I think people found it refreshing for someone to speak so openly and realise they weren’t alone in this. Since then it’s been slower but steady growth: people coming for the transparency, and (hopefully) sticking around to gain career advice, specifically related to the marketing industry. More recently my content has evolved a little to introduce more commentary on working as a freelancer, and sharing my experiences working in social media.
It’s no secret that you are a huge advocate for transparency in job adverts – what do you feel are the essential elements a brand needs to include when advertising a job role?
Pay transparency. Pay transparency. Pay transparency. I am hugely passionate about educating companies on the benefits, and importance, of this. Businesses that share salary bands when recruiting are seen favourably as it says a lot about the transparency, engagement & culture of the company. It’s a demonstration of them having their ducks in a row internally, and that value is really attractive to prospective talent. It’s also hugely beneficial in the quest to close the gender pay gap by addressing potential discrepancies which could be discriminatory. This sign of trustworthiness has a knock on effect for employer branding & even appeal to customers too.
You also flag “Roles on your Radar” on your TikTok – what are some of the green flags that employers can include to make the cut for this list?
The green flags, my favourite kind. A clear salary & compensation package- if upfront about this then you should get a good feeling that they value equity and diversity (and recognise that compensation deserves transparent discussion). Details of team structure – who you’ll report into, any direct reports – if you’ll be able to shape the team etc. Development opportunities that may be available at the company. Then when it comes up interviews themselves the interviewer asking follow up questions – shows active listening & a genuine interest rather than reading from the interview script. If the interviewer eases into conversation – asks about your day etc – can help you relax so that you’re better prepared to show off your expertise later in the interview. One of my favourite flags: lots of employees have grown within the company, and finally hiring for “culture add” not “culture fit” – a company open to fresh ideas & diverse perspectives feels healthy.
On the other side of the spectrum, you don’t hold back in sharing red flags you’ve spotted in job adverts – can you share any of that candidates should be mindful of before hitting that apply button?
I’d say a lack of connection with the people hiring you is a red flag- chemistry is important & you want to feel you’d get along with the people you’d be working with. Although not that well…I hate the use of “family” in job listings, as well as “fast-paced environments” which is often a euphemism for understaffed, disorganised, lack of communication resulting in constant schedule changes and unclear deadlines, long working hours & stressed out people.
You’ve highlighted the importance of timely candidate feedback in your posts before – including a shocking 3 month wait for an application rejection from one brand – what advice do you have to employers who are slow to get back to candidates?
Lengthy job processes would ideally be nipped in the bud at the source: the responsibility should be on the company hiring to get their processes in order. Constant rescheduling and disorganisation of interviews/feedback calls along with excessive stages/drawn out processes aren’t a good sign – either (or both) of these can demonstrate that the team or organisation is overly consensus driven, indecisive, or has issues driving things to completion. I’d encourage candidates to ask about the hiring process itself at the earliest stage of conversation with the employer. How many stages are there? Who will you be meeting? What style of interview will it be? How long before they expect to give feedback? When do they hope to wrap up the process will all help give you a good steer & allow the candidate to decide if that works for them.
A bad employer brand experience can be hugely damaging for a company’s corporate brand – in fact you’ve flagged this previously in your interactions with Never Fully Dressed – how can brands ensure they live up to their promises on both sides of their brand?
I’d really encourage businesses to consider their candidate experience and realise the impact it can have on their employer brand. A sign of a great experience is not getting a role but still recommending the business to others. I’d also love to see more upskilling of hiring managers to be able to carry out adequate interviews. I saw a quote recently that said “The beginner chases the right answers. The master chases the right questions” & I think this sums it up well. If you are a skilled interviewer who knows what questions to ask that would allow the candidate to demonstrate their experience & passion you could wrap up the interview process fairly swiftly in minimal stages.
One of your TikTok posts that first caught our attention was your rundown of your own career journey with salary insights – great advice for candidates looking to maximise their experience and secure the best leaps in salary! What other advice would you have to candidates in the marketing / digital sector looking to level up in their career?
Ooo, I’d say two things spring to mind immediately. Firstly: be curious. I encourage anyone in their early career to be a sponge. Take it all in. Ask questions. Show interest and use what you learn to help shape your career path: what do you love, what are your strengths, what would you like to know more about? I’d actually say this is relevant throughout our entire careers to be honest, I wouldn’t limit that now to just the early year.
Secondly, building your network will be so beneficial to your career: new connections, perspectives, support, surrounding yourself with radiators; people who warm you up, uplift and encourage you and will mention your name in a room when you’re not there. That’s hugely powerful.
You are the co-host of the “Working on It” Podcast with Molly Johnson-Jones – can you tell us a bit about the Podcast and what listeners can expect to hear?
I am delighted to be co hosting with Molly. I’ve admired her and the work she does for a while, so I am thrilled I get to have such interesting conversations with her. The premise of the podcast is to help others navigate the complexities of today’s work environment. A mix of practical advice, insightful discussions that we often have opposing views on and it’s also important for us to share our own personal experiences. Careers podcast can often be in danger of feeling too serious so it’s important that as well as sharing advice that works in reality, not just theory, that we also have some fun along the way.
You can follow Lauren on TikTok and LinkedIn and listen to the Working On It Podcast here too.
