The BrandForward Blog

Social media is probably one of the most profound hiring tools we’ve ever seen. Gone are the days of basing decisions on fancy formulas, over-weighted college pedigrees, jumping at name-drops or affiliations, and (gasp!) eliminating candidates based on resume keywords.

That’s old school. That’s rote. That’s fail.

Today, savvy managers and recruiters are moving away from the formulaic methods of old, and are instead developing their social media evaluative skills, flexing their online intuition, and immersing themselves in social media to get an understanding of their candidates on a deeper level.

Recruiters, managers, and job seekers should be very excited by this. Social media is providing the opportunity to use more creative thinking and less box checking. It’s no longer who looks best on paper, who fits the pre-determined molds, and who can ace an interview. It’s now about assembling a picture of a whole person and being able to more qualitatively judge whether they’re a genuine fit for the company and can ace the actual position.

And what better way to do this than by getting a glimpse into their life, their personality, and their interests without the self-censoring that happens on a resume or in an interview.

To make the most of social media as a hiring tool, recruiters and hiring managers need to be even more savvy in social media than the people they’re looking to hire. Which means it’s time to dig in and get connected.

Tips for Leveraging Social Media in the Hiring Process

Tips for Recruiters & Managers:

1. Get a Head Start in Analyzing Social Media Footprints.

Not every job seeker is engaged in social media yet. Well, at least beyond Facebook. That means a significant percentage of candidates probably won’t have a strong social media footprint, and this gives HR personnel a head start in understanding the landscape. Take this time to get up to speed. You’ll eventually start to pick up on the realities that exist outside the Facebook bubble. As more candidates become active on a broader scale you’re already immersed and ready to evaluate with confidence.

2. Develop an HR Presence Yesterday.

Start to build your company’s HR presence in social media in the same way the marketing department currently does. Work with the marketing team to develop strategic, accurately-branded company HR accounts for all the relevant social media networks, and start engaging in two-way conversation.

3. Connect With Future Employees.

Start conversing and generously share information. Be an ambassador. Open the lines of communication. Answer questions and help candidates prepare for interviews. Don’t look at it like you’re doing their homework for them… realize that by engaging prospects before they put their game face on, you’re getting the opportunity to get a feel for their true personality and professionalism.

4. Eliminate Assessment Obstacles.

Use social media to eliminate the “glowing interview” syndrome, where a stellar interviewee turns into a lackluster employee. Not every potentially great team member will be able to shine in an interview. By exploring a candidate’s footprint in social media, you can better assess their real knowledge level, their experience in the field, and their enthusiasm. An interview environment is great for candidates with the gift of gab, but not everyone has that talent. Social media allows you to see what a candidate has to offer beyond their ability to sell themselves.

5. Dig for Dream Candidates.

Actively seek potential candidates online who are talking about your company, posting links to stories about your company, or responding to company and employee blogs. These are the people who are engaged, interested, and invested in what your company has to offer and may just want to be a part of it. Do deeper homework and use greater insight to discover the diamonds in the rough, the up-and-comers, and the great candidates that fall under the radar. This is also a win for recruiters who would rather come to the table with a candidate who has a genuine interest in the company and has been engaging with it, as opposed to a generic “Hey, I found you guys a rock star.”

Tips for Job Seekers:

As recruiters and managers get more engaged in social media, it’s of critical importance that everyone develops a social media footprint that represents their skill, energy, and professionalism. Even if you’re currently engaged in social networks, this is the time to bring your identities together and develop a strategic personal brand. It’s not good enough to just have a presence. It needs to be consistent and cohesive.

1. Invest Time and Energy Into Your Personal Brand.

Okay, you’ve heard this before. But have you given a critical eye to your personal brand? Step away from the Twitter for a minute and invest in some evaluation time. When you Google yourself, think about the search results from the perspective of someone who’s in a position to hire you. Is it clear who you are? Are your accomplishments easy to locate? Can you be found on social networks? Is your first page of results primarily leading to your links? This is the time to join key social networks you may have missed, update your information, and build on the “body of work” (eg. tweets, blog comments, posts) that represents your personality and your abilities.

2. Take Ownership of Your Identity.

Let’s say your name isn’t original and no fewer than 120 other people who are active in social media are also going by “Janey Smith.” This is a problem for building a brand because you won’t stand out as easily, and hiring managers or recruiters won’t be able to distinguish between you and all the other people with your name. (And what if some of them are in the same industry?)

If you were the early adopter Janey Smith, you’re in luck. You probably own janeysmith.com, the Facebook vanity URL, and the handle on most social networks. But what about the other 119 Janey Smiths? Easy. If you can’t own your basic name on at least the .com domain and the top social media sites, use a variation. ON EVERY SITE. Don’t just take Janey Smith when you can occasionally get it. Be consistent everywhere. If you’re a woman, you could combine your maiden and married last names (Janey Zucker Smith = janeyzuckersmith) or add your middle or first initial to your name.

Again, keep it 100% consistent on every network:

Facebook Name: “R. Janey Smith”
Facebook Vanity URL: rjaneysmith
Twitter Handle: rjaneysmith
YouTube: rjaneysmith
Linkedin Vanity URL: rjaneysmith

Don’t deviate! When you sign off emails. When you submit a resume. When you sign blog comments. In your bio. When you author an e-book. On proposals and RFPs. Anything. Make sure it’s clear exactly who you are. You are no longer Janey Smith, you are R. Janey Smith. Include your name or appropriate handle at the end of your correspondence, especially with recruiters or company contacts. If you’re consistent, it will make it easier for your social media footprint to be found and not confused with someone else.

Also, even if you don’t think you would ever use certain popular sites under your real name, GO GET YOUR VANITY HANDLE! Even if you think you want to keep your identity private. GO GET YOUR VANITY HANDLE! I’ve learned my own lesson on this one when I recently came across an indiscreet user with my name who apparently spends a lot of time posting on WebMD about her pregnancy and sex life. Yikes! I was careful to manage the Michelle Tripp brand early on, but ignored sites where you wouldn’t expect people to use their real names. (Seriously, medical issues?) So decide on your unique name and secure the handle and URL on every site you can find. Even if you never plan to use most of them. At least your brand is protected. And you won’t be cringing when “Janey Smith” tells the world how often she’s having sex in her second trimester.

In case you’re able to get your unique handle on almost every network, but there are a few secondary ones where someone already has it, add an extension at the end. But do this only in an emergency when you have every other network secured. When YouTube first came out, I was still keeping my online identity private and signed up using my standard confidential handle. (Back then, most of us were still worried about privacy and “stalkers”). At the time it didn’t occur to me to secure my name anyway, so at the advent of social media I had to create an account on YouTube under “michelletripptv” because someone else had registered “michelletripp” before I did. It’s not ideal but it’s a workable option when you’ve been able to secure your preferred name on most other networks.

When choosing your unique name and securing handles and URLs, I don’t suggest the “janeysmith1″ or jnysmith” alternatives. Unless you plan to put “Janey Smith 1″ or “Jny Smith” at the top of every resume, that’s not your brand and it’s not helping you build your social media footprint. Stick with letters. Be consistent. Yes, it’s hard to give up being known as the one and only Janey Smith in the entire Milky Way galaxy, but for social media and personal branding purposes, it’s just not practical. And certainly not helpful to recruiters or anyone who might want to investigate your experience and hire you.

3. Connect With Your Dream Companies.

Savvy HR pros are engaging curious candidates before they ever apply. If you’re interested in a company, start connecting with them now. Even if you’re currently employed, be true to your interests and join the networks of your favorite brands and start having conversations. Comment on blog posts, join in the tweet loop, become a Facebook fan, and get involved. Even if you don’t plan to leave your current job for a long time, spread your wings and connect with companies that matter to you.

Discretion and professional ethics will obviously be required when connecting with a competing company in a highly-competitive industry, but most bosses won’t assume you’re sharing state secrets or have one foot out the door as long as you spread your connections among multiple companies and industries, and if you keep public conversations light. For example, if you’re an Art Director and you’re starting to heavily tweet with or comment on Creative Directors of other agencies, your own Creative Director can’t help but wonder how long before you fly the coop. Yes, connect with your dream companies but don’t become a “public fixture” with them unless you’re ready for a hop.

4. Build Genuine Two-Way Relationships.

You’ve heard it a million times. It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. An old cliché but more true now than ever. Almost any company you could want to work for has current employees who are active in social media. Even if they’re not officially representing the company, they’re still excellent contacts. These are the people who know what’s going on and who’s hiring.

Whoa there, coyote! Don’t run straight for the chicken coop. Be a good social media citizen and seek out people you sincerely connect with, don’t fake it. Be genuine, be honest, look for ways to help your contacts, and let them help you. Be authentic and build friendships across the board, not just with the guy who can assist you in the moment. It’s a fact, people love to help each other. Earn it by being someone worth helping. And always give back more than you get.