The Social Network World

Over the past few months I’ve become much more informed and aware of the new virtual world that authors and journalists have been writing about for eons. But because of my vintage (a nice way of saying my age) it’s been easy for me to overlook how it’s changing the way we do things, how we stay connected with each other, and from a work perspective (being an HR guy) how we attract and recruit new professionals! I haven’t recruited outside of filling HR positions in my own teams for at least 10 years. And wow, have things changed! Read on.

Now I consider myself to be reasonably adept and in touch with the newest generations (X, Y, millennials) entering the workforce. And yes I have a Facebook account, yes I have a couple of blogs, and yes I have a LinkedIn account. I’ve participated in webcast, blog casts, live meetings, Skype and video conferences. I’ve even participated in a Fantasy basketball league started by one of my brothers. The only large and obvious gap in my repertoire is that I don’t have a Twitter account.

So this new virtual world isn’t entirely foreign to me. But I have to say, I have underestimated its prevalence and how these tools have transformed the way people find a job, and how recruiters find those who want to find a new job. The capabilities of these massive databases are incredible. My figures may not be entirely up to date, but I believe I was recently told that there are around 200 million LinkedIn users (the most prominent professional network) and about 900 million Facebook users. As a basis of comparison there are 300 million people in the United States! So the power of any database of professional and personal information this large is hard to imagine. And these networks span language, country and continental borders. Perhaps the most amazing fact about these social networks is that participation and sign up has been entirely voluntary.

What’s easier to recognize is the power of having such large databases that are completely searchable so that you can easily identify candidates who fit your ideal employee profile for particular positions/jobs within your company. You can target your recruitment campaigns directly to the most likely sources of qualified candidates. And all this is at your fingertips with little more than an internet connection and some training about just how to make use of these databases search capabilities. Monster.com is soon to be the dinosaur of our time, like print ads before it. The strategy of broadcasting your job openings, employer brand and hoping the right people read it and respond – well, is dead. Figuratively, It’s a buggy whip for a Ferrari.

So if you don’t have a Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or social network account you better think about dipping your toe in the social network waters and getting one. Just one is as a start. While these tools have their distractions and annoyances, they are being adjusted and honed continuously improved. You will likely be left in the dust if you don’t adapt and learn just how powerful and useful these tools can be for your professional networking and development. And if you’re an HR guy like me, or worse yet a recruiter these days, understanding and leveraging these tools is an absolute must to win in the “war for talent” that we all know is upon us.