I recently received an email from a recruiter who is just getting started out with the joys of social media.

One piece of the email went like this:

“… I feel and know I am lacking in the knowledge of social network recruiting.  I have been getting up to speed with a number of blogs, but am intrigued about what some people are writing about Twitter.  I have not explored this option yet.”

Further:

“Honestly, I would love to get some training, but I am just starting back into this and am concerned about start up costs, which is why I have been scouring the internet looking for information.”

Jumping Into Social Media As A Recruiter

There is no way, shape or form that I could provide a comprehensive list of what to study/research if you are just getting started in this realm.  But, I think that there are a few good things to review if you are considering this route.

Here is my response to the recruiter:

“Sounds like you have a vision for what you’d like to do next!  That’s great!

Over the past year, I’ve been engaged in speaking and training around the topic of social media in recruiting, HR and employment branding.  My sources for learning have ranged from studying like a mad-man to making mistakes along the way.

One source you may find useful is Mashable.  Check out this resource section on Twitter specifically:

http://mashable.com/guidebook/twitter/

As social media applies to our specific business, it’s still a work in progress.  In fact, ROI conversations are now becoming central to the topic.

The other activity I would recommend for your learning process is to attend a conference by Chris Brogan – he knows his stuff!  Here is a link to the conferences that he puts on… It will be a ton of information, but well worth it!

http://inboundmarketingsummit.com/

You may want to consider following his blog too!

http://chrisbrogan.com

In terms of an approach, I would start by creating a blog where you want to share information about your skill set focus – become a thought leader on the topic and produce helpful posts for your potential candidates.  To experiment with blogging, you can always get a free site at http://wordpress.com – just to get familiar with how things work.  Eventually, and especially for your business, you will want to develop a self-hosted site.

From there, you build a presence online (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube) that compliments your material… All the while making sure that you maintain your authentic voice.  Be yourself and have fun!

Feel free to let me know if you have any questions!

Looking forward,
Michael Long
The Red Recruiter”

We Should Make A List!

This question and the answer I provided makes me feel like we should create a list for recruiters who are just getting started.  And NOT a paid list… just a general reference section designed for recruiters who need a hand.

With the thousands of resources available, it must be incredibly confusing for someone just getting started.

Sounds like a project to add to the list!

What other sources would you recommend for recruiters who are just getting started?

What’s your favorite tool thus far?

Photo Credit, Erik Charlton