Comments on: I Simply Have Got To Know

By: Ron Ulrici

Ron Ulrici — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 15:19:50 +0000

I’m thinking that Rafael hit the old nail on the head. I used to recruit for highly technical engineers and I can imagine that today I might get some names (for cold calling) from some technical chat room, but that is about it. Oh, and I guess that I could ask my contacts on FaceBook for names of engineers. Other than that, I believe in the 80/20 time management rule. Somehow I see some HR people spending 80% of their time “twittering” away for 20% (if they are lucky) of the results.

By: Lisa Rosendahl

Lisa Rosendahl — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 12:01:45 +0000

@ Michael, thanks for the list!

@ Rafael, I too question some of the effectiveness of Facebook and My Space, but see potential in Linked In. I am having fun right now with Twitter personally and keeping a “business” use in the back of my mind. Our job postings are 99% print and journal and getting even those posted widely, and appropriately, on the web would be a giant leap forward. Include that with a bit of employer branding and we would be unstoppable!

By: Rafael Cosentino

Rafael Cosentino — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 20:48:17 +0000

I know a lot of hiring manager HR folks and recruiters. They tell me all the time that they have never hired anyone off of Face book, MySpace, twitter, bebo or any of these silly sites. The mere fact that people spend their time updating their status actually goes in the minus column in the eyes of serious hiring managers. Social networking sites are not for serious players and I think most people understand this fundamentally. The idea that someone would hire you over a more qualified candidate because his colleague is your Facebook buddy is silly. Hiring managers want one thing�The most qualified candidate for the money. The myth that recruiters or HR people are so desperate for a body that they are trolling twitter and face book is highly overblown. I don�t think perpetuating these urban myths is healthy for job seekers or for recruiters. How were you last hired? Did the employer find you playing Scrabulous? Where did you find your last hire? Did you bite him and turn them into a werewolf? Yes there are exceptions to the rule but we don�t live in the exception. Job boards, newspapers, telephone calls, emails � that�s how people are found, how interviews are scheduled and how positions are filled.

By: Michael VanDervort

Michael VanDervort — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 18:03:23 +0000

Lisa,

Sadly, you are already swimming in deeper waters than a lot of HR professionals. Kris Dunn has written recently about trying to evangelize social media web 2.o etc, into his local HR group. Many HR professionals,and other managers are missing the boat by not picking up these tools.

I recently posted a list called “Seven Days to Being Neck Deep in Social Media”
outlining how to do exactly what you are doing: diving in and getting wet.

Seven Days to Being Neck Deep in Social Media

If you start this easy 7 step program today, you will be well on your way to entering the brave, not so new world of social media/Web 2.0 with a minor in Human Resources!

A quick list of places that Human Resources professionals should be looking at, especially if you want to increase your exposure to social media and how you can use it in our field.

LinkedIn – You need to create a profile NOW if you don’t have one. Do it today before you go back to work on Monday.
Facebook – See above, except you can probably wait until Monday to do this.
HRM Today – go to this site, mingle with the people, read the blogs (including Human Race Horses)and sign up. It’s free and easy!

RecruitingBlogs.com – even if you are not a full-time recruiter, this single site is a treasure trove of information and networking opportunities. Create a profile on Wednesday.

HR Alltop – on Thursday, make a note to bookmark this site, go there often, read the blogs. You will be as smart as if you had stayed at a Holiday Inn Express!
Immerse yourself in Google <— through this link you can use an hour this coming Friday to sign up for a Gmail account, add GTalk, set up your Google Reader account, and learn how to use RSS feeds (that little orange box you see everywhere) to aggregate news and information and make yourself into a business ubermensch!

Saturday is party time – get social by joining twitter and microblog, or learn about lifestreams at FriendFeed, or some other social media aggregator.

Now that you are going full speed ahead, you will mingling all over the world in a few weeks.

If you are still on cruise control, sign up for Plaxo, which is a less heavy duty aggregator that also functions as a great contact manager.