A colleague in the recruiting industry told me this week that he made a social media faux pas.  He asked an admin to post a job opening to Twitter.  But she accidentally posted it to Facebook.  I was quick to tell him that I didn't think it was a faux pas at all to post a job opening to Facebook, "le facebook n'est pas un faux pas!".  Okay, I didn't really say that.  But I don't think that it is bad form to post a job opening, job search, or anything job related to Facebook.

An article posted yesterday on TechCrunch noted some stats, visualized by Buzzpoint, that  shows Facebook's 250 million members would make it the 4th most populous country in the world...if it were indeed a country.  With numbers like that, why would you not want to utilize your network there to promote your job search or job opening?  If you post your message with a link, your network can easily share (repost) to their network and your message will grow more visible exponentially. 

As long as you are not constantly posting spam-like links or inane business/marketing messages, your network won't mind when you post something very relevant to you, such as you are hiring or you need a job.  In fact, if you ask your network to please comment or share, they likely will.  Even if they just click that they "like" your post, their network will see your message as well.

Alternately, if you rarely update your Facebook status or rarely comment on others posts or updates, your network is not likely to be very responsive to your message.  Facebook is typical of social networks in that you must participate on a regular basis to get much out of it.  Many people feel that Facebook is only social, or only fun.  But it is a powerful tool full of helpful people who will gladly refer you or offer help if you just ask for it.  Everything in moderation.  But, when it comes to posting job openings or job search information, "le facebook n'est pas un faux pas!".

What's your opinion?  Do you hate seeing job openings posted on Facebook?  Do you cringe when someone announces a job search?  Or do you like to help?

I heard recently about a company that didn't want their corporate recruiters to have their Twitter profile connected to their Linkedin profile because they were concerned that the recruiters might say something on Twitter that would reflect badly on the company.  Amazing.  I wonder if they are going to ask them to stop sending email and using the phone too. An untrusting environment and a misguided approach to control will not breed productivity or loyalty. 

In this great article by Stephanie Lloyd, Do you keep your employees in cages or are they allowed to interact with the public? .  she states that "Social media is a dynamic communication and branding tool and companies should be proactive in coaching their employees as to how to use it. Managed well it can be a fantastic vehicle for promoting your company in positive and genuine way. Zappos has embraced social media in a bold way and incorporates Twitter into its corporate culture. Comcast is an excellent example of a company that is utilizing social media to deliver customer service in a whole new way and they are turning disgruntled customers in to raving fans."

There is a new article written almost daily telling job seekers how to use Twitter to connect with jobs and recruiters.  Who better to be your employer brand advocate on the fastest growing social network, Twitter, than your recruiting team?  The fact that people respond better to real people than to corporate brands is not debatable.  So why ask your recruiters to disassociate their brand on Twitter from the company?  

And now, with applications such as Jobvite, you can even utilize your own employees networks to auto-source candidates for your job openings.  It's a great concept.  But is unlikely to work in a company that doesn't trust their employees to be professional.

Work to do.  Open email client.  See message: "Top Five Ways Social Media Can Cause Death".  Must know more.  Open message, click link.   Enter email address to login to intriguing online community.  Get sucked in.  Consent to be an honorary "group leader".  Email all your friends to join.  Time wasted = 3 hours.  And your hooked.

One of the important things we are supposed to do with social media is to build online communities and engage our networks.  And I wonder why it hasn't been suggested that we can take some tips from successful cult leaders. 

Granted, cult leaders are often psychopaths.  But they seem to share some important characteristics with successful community managers.  So with that in mind, here are my top seven goals of a great cult community leader:

1. Be very helpful and engaging. 
2. Identify and recruit a first generation of lost souls followers that will, with your "help", breed additional followers...
3. Build trust and fanatical loyalty. 
4. Build internal teams to give members a sense of purpose. 
5. Give your followers a mission, motivation, and direction.
6. Convince them to donate money. (optional)
7. Convince them to commit acts of violence, murder, or self destruction. (optional)

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References

What Does it Take to Manage a Community? at Fast Wonder: Online ...

Essential Skills of a Community Manager

Talk It Up!: Top Five Skills a Community Manager Must Have

The value in attending such a conference is different for everyone.  For me it's not so much about learning the latest tricks and trends.  I'm egotistical in that I feel I've got that covered.  It's more about reminding myself of the basics that bring me the most success.  And getting that invaluable renewed passion for the game that comes from communing with my recruiting friends face-to-face.  As a recruiter, it's always comforting to see that we are not alone.

I have made so many good friends over the last year on RecruitingBlogs.com, and Twitter, and through my own blog who are going to be at RecruitFest.  And knowing I can't attend makes me feel a bit like Richard Dreyfuss in Close Encounters, drawn to Devil's Tower by some unknown force. 

So as I sat at dinner last night, absentmindedly carving the shape of Toronto out of my mashed potatoes, I decided that I would help someone else get to Recruitfest.  You see, I have a ticket already.  And I will give it away to the person who leaves the most compelling comment to this post telling me why they need or want to go to Recruitfest. 

That's it.  Leave an Oscar-worthy comment, and subscribe to my email updates here to qualify.  I will announce the winner around the middle of next week.  Plenty of time to buy a plane ticket or hitch a ride with Jerry Albright.  If the stories, pics, and videos from the last one tell you anything, RecruitFest 09 will be informative, inspirational, and a great chance for a close encounter with your online friends in recruiting.   

"Wow, I shouldn't have said all that!..." you're thinking to yourself, "Especially that part about the unicorns!"  Somewhere in the 20 minutes it took you to respond to the question "Can you tell me a little about yourself?", you realized that your inner monologue had been awkwardly introduced to the hiring manager sitting across from you.

It's easy to be drawn off sides by seemingly innocent interview questions.  Some actually are quite innocent.  But others are designed to see how you respond to tricky questions.  Others still are open ended and attempt to get you to "speak freely" about a subject.

To stay on message, ask the interviewer early on what he or she feels are the most important qualities to have in the job for which your are interviewing.  Listen carefully to the answer.  Then target your answers to any questions accordingly.  Highlight the facts about your background and skill set that compliment those things.

It will help to be well prepared.  Be sure you know your resume very well as it applies to the job description.  In a great post written by my Co-Founder at A-List Solutions, Jeff Lipschultz, Interviewing is Easy…if Done Right!, Jeff suggests making a check list to bring with you to the interview:

• On the left side of your desk, put the job description (and any other company information beyond the job description—a good recruiter will have this, along with the company’s web site).  Put your resume to the right.  Then put a blank sheet of paper next to the resume.
• Literally connect requirements and company info on the left with the resume experiences and skill set on the right.  Literally, it’s like connecting the dots with a crayon—child’s play!  Hopefully, you create a complex web of connections as you may connect a requirement to several spots on your resume.  And several requirements on the left may link to the same experience on the right.  These connections are checklist items. 
• Build your checklist by listing the requirements (and related company info) along with the best examples of your ability and experience.  You should include boxes to check off as you interview.  You need not write out details, as all you will need is some code words to remind you of the example(s) you want to share. 

It may also help your nerves a bit to know, in advance, what some of these seemingly innocent questions are really about.  Colleen Clark has a nice list of What an Interviewer Wants to Hear on Monster.com.

What motivates you the most?
They want to know what gets you out of bed - helping people, building a safe facility, developing teams, completing projects on time, implementing fair and honest practices, making people laugh.

How would you describe your personality?
Mention two or three personal characteristics that you are confident about -- a sense of humor, patience, supportive of others or highly versatile. Try to make them relevant to the company or position being applied to. If you have done any assessment testing, take words you most identify with out of them. Of course, prepare for this question beforehand.

How do your subordinates perceive you?
Stick as much as you can to work-related skills that you know they know you have. Interviews are not personality disclosing interrogations; they are to ensure you have the skills and fit to do the job. Say you are conscientious, ambitious, tenacious or helpful.

What can you offer us that other candidates cannot?
You have no idea what the other candidates bring to the table so your best answer is to mention at least two benefits you will provide: I will save the company money on.... OR I will decrease OR improve OR increase OR implement...

What is the most demotivating work environment for you?
This question comes in the back door of what kind of people or office personality do you like best? Negativity, inflexible, non-team supported or closed-door policy are safe answers and not too revealing. You can always turn that question around and say, work environments that are supportive, friendly, helpful and congenial are my favorite places to work.

Where would you like to be in five years from now?
Keep in mind that you are not interviewing for any other position than the one you are there for right now. Best you say something like, I hope to still be working for the company and hopefully promoted based on my accomplishments. Telling them you want their job is not a job idea or saying that you want to start your own business, but you need some practical experience first, do not go there.

What important trends do you see coming in our industry?
This is your opportunity to tell them your opinions and to show that you have read up to the minute articles or books on what's coming down the pike.

In your last position, what where the things you liked the least? The most?
Have a reserved list ready of activities or tasks that you don't like, but really try to accentuate the positive as best as you can. Know your must-haves and flexibilities.

In summary:  Know yourself, your background, and your skills.  Know how they apply to this job.  Ask what's important to the manager at the beginning of the interview.  Target your answers accordingly and stick to the point.  This will give you the best chance to properly allow yourself to introduce...yourself.