Social Media Crisis: Opinion & Analysis - The Case of Cynet Systems [CM 270 - Blog Post #5]

 Written by Marriah Boyd

            Crises are happening every day and, for better or worse, the prevalence of social media has amplified both the effects and the unfolding of crisis communication in the modern age. One recent example of a crisis that was largely publicized and affected by the social media platform Twitter revolved around Cynet Systems. Cynet Systems is a recruiting and consulting firm based in the Washington D.C. area which, according to their official website, has a focus on staffing agencies/organizations with information technology (IT) and engineering specialists. In 2019, Cynet Systems was called out on Twitter for posting a job announcement that stated applicants should be “preferably Caucasian” (Sorto, 2019). While the job announcement was taken down, it had initially been posted on platforms like LinkedIn, sparking immediate concern and outcry from social media users (Sorto, 2019).

Uh, hey @cynetjobs - what's with this?

Your job listing for a mid-senior level business development position's top qualification is "Preferably Caucasian"

How could you POSSIBLY think that's okay? pic.twitter.com/DPWzpgXqqE

— Helena (@misshelenasue) April 27, 2019

                A day following one user’s viral tweet ridiculing Cynet Systems for the job announcement, the company shared a tweet of their own, expressing regret “for the anger & frustration caused by the offensive job post” that they claim “does not reflect our core values of inclusivity & equality” (Sorto, 2019; Cynet Systems, 2019). In the same tweet by Cynet Systems, the company goes on to state that the organizational members who were “involved” had been fired, and that this situation was a “learning experience” (Sorto, 2019; Cynet Systems, 2019). Additionally, Ashwani Mayur, one of the chief executive officers of Cynet Systems, published an official statement recognizing the concern, reconfirming the organization’s commitment to being inclusive and supportive of diversity efforts in their work and policies, as well as reiterating that the workers who published the announcement were no longer employed by Cynet Systems (Sorto, 2019; Cynet Systems, 2019). This statement was posted to Cynet Systems’ Twitter account on April 29, 2019 – two days following the initial spark of backlash and one day following the company’s initial apology tweet.  

Cynet apologizes for the anger & frustration caused by the offensive job post. It does not reflect our core values of inclusivity & equality. The individuals involved have been terminated. We will take this as a learning experience & will continue to serve our diverse community.

— Cynet Systems (@cynetsystems) April 29, 2019

pic.twitter.com/5zjxaku2lY

— Cynet Systems (@cynetsystems) April 29, 2019

                In response to the crisis, it appears that Cynet Systems attempted to use social media strategies such as: 1) issuing an apology to its audiences and stakeholders on the same platform that ridicule first formed, and 2) posting responses to the social media backlash in an effort to manage the narrative being spun about the company on social media and news outlets. After reading additional background on this situation, as well as looking through comments and tweets shared in relation, I do not think that these strategies were effective in managing the crisis. While Cynet Systems did issue apologetic statements on Twitter, the tweets were published over 24 hours after the first viral tweet called out the company’s job post. By that point, it seemed that news organizations and Twitter users had grabbed hold of the story, sharing it across networks, social circles, and various planes of engagement. Additionally, Cynet Systems’ posts still garnered negative attention and comments in response to their apology statements. Some Twitter users stated that they would not use Cynets’ services, while others questioned the company’s policies. Other Twitter users commented that the company’s response was lacking appropriate accountability. As such, it seems that Cynet Systems’ responses did not mitigate damage, but instead spurred it forward.

                In my opinion, Cynet Systems should have done a couple of things differently in response to the crisis. First, they should have responded to the situation immediately. By waiting over a day to respond, the crisis was able to bloom and grow, while the company in question was seemingly “radio silent.” As such, the media was able to control the story, but the company was not. In addition, Cynet Systems’ apology should have been more personal, with perhaps the company’s CEOs even posting a video of themselves addressing the discriminatory job posting (i.e., how it was able to be posted, what steps were being implemented to prevent this from happening in the future, etc.). Audiences want to see action; they do not just want to hear or read “empty” words. By taking organizational accountability for the error, Cynet Systems may have been able to create an apology that truly felt apologetic. Perhaps, due to legal ramifications, the company could not have taken personal responsibility, but in terms of optics, placing the blame solely on the employees involved illustrates an example of “blame shifting.” While yes, the employees were certainly in the wrong for posting that job announcement, the company also should have better safeguards in place to prevent such occurrences.

As always, please feel free to leave a comment below sharing your opinion on the situation. Do you think that Cynet Systems responded appropriately to this crisis?

I, of course, also have to acknowledge the references I referred to as I gathered the facts about this case:

Sorto, G. (2019). A company posted a job ad seeking ‘preferably Caucasian’ candidates. CNN.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/30/us/cynet-systems-job-posting-preferably-caucasian-trnd/index.html

Helena [@misshelenasue] (2019, April 27). Uh, hey @cynetjobs – what’s with this? [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/misshelenasue/status/1122022082404081670?s=20

Cynet Systems [@cynetsystems] (2019, April 28). Cynet apologizes for the anger & frustration caused by the offensive job post [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/cynetsystems/status/1122688106421989378?s=20

Cynet Systems [@cynetsystems] (2019, April 2019). Statement from Cynet Systems Co-CEO Ashwani Mayur [Image of Statement included] [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/cynetsystems/status/1122953131845988353?s=20