Whether you like it or not, social media is here to stay. It will only get more popular, easily accessible and advanced. This has the potential to be a huge headache for companies, especially for their HR and legal departments.

No Policies? Get Some Fast!

Your employees are using social media. Most of us have common sense (hopefully) on what to write about and what not to write about. Some people may not understand that “you are what you post” and others outside of their network may see what they write. Herein lies the danger of not having policies regarding use about social media. Not having clearly defined do’s and don’ts can lead to:

• Confidential information about the company being leaked.
• Potential embarrassing situations for the company.
• Possible sexual harassment or hostile work environment issues.
• Company’s reputation being inadvertently damaged.
• Turn off potential employees and damage recruiting efforts.

Control the Message

It’s hugely important to control your company’s message. While 100% of what happens on the Internet cannot be monitored or controlled, having policy guidelines in place can help curtail potentially damaging situations. Employees will most certainly use social media and networking to connect with family, friends or past/present colleagues. Turn this interaction into employees being solid representatives of the company. Five must have social media policies are:

1. Protecting intellectual property – clearly state what is company intellectual property that cannot be posted via social media
2. Defining company’s message – define the company message and anything outside those parameters cannot be posted on social networks
3. Recruiting efforts – clearly state what the strategy and tactical plan is for recruiting potential new hires
4. Responding to media requests – provide instructions and a company contact for employees to forward to any media requests
5. Maintaining company reputation – outline what can and cannot be written about the company (a list of examples helps)

I recently saw a question on LinkedIn that I had to share. It is the question that has plagued HR professionals and hiring managers every time they post an opportunity!

The Question

This is the question that has sparked a rather long discussion on LinkedIn: Hire employees with the skills or behaviors? There is some debate on whether you hire the person because the right attitude for the company and you can train them to do the work. Or, hire those who already have the skills and orient them on the company culture. What do you do? And, would your answer change based on the level of the person being hired?

My Response

What a thought provoking question! This is a dilemma that continually plagues hiring managers. From a talent management perspective, I’d hire who ever will get the job done. This requires both skill and behavior.

First, is the corporate culture clearly defined? If not, it should be. Even from department to department, the culture will change. Make sure the the attributes you are looking for are worked into the job description. Remember, attributes can’t be taught! This will attract the right talent and make the hiring manager/HR person’s life easier from the get go.

Second, are the job responsibilities clearly defined? Make sure the opportunity is written for the right level of talent the company needs. Writing a job description for a VP is obviously different than writing one for middle management or early career level.

Third, is the initial selection process mapped out? Being able to sift through the hundreds (if not thousands of resumes) piling in for an opportunity. Look for the ones that go out of their way to reach the decision maker. These are the hungry ones who want the job. Plus, it shows their networking skills and resourcefulness.

Fourth, who will interview the candidates? Having the right questions asked by the right people is crucial in determining fit, skill and behavior wise. HR recruiters can normally handle the initial screening which will weed out the best talent. Interviewing with the team, individually or together, others they will work with and the department head is a targeted approach to zeroing in on the right person. Don’t forget to compare notes!

Your Thoughts

Hiring for skills or attributes will always ignite debate. I am interested to get more opinions! Post your thought or join the discussion on LinkedIn.

Retiring with a company after working there for 30 years? One income family? Pension? Those older and wiser have told of such experiences. Gen Xers and generations to follow will be hard pressed know such a life! While this may be perceived as a good or bad thing, that all depends on one’s outlook.

An Employee’s Market

Although 2009 has not been exactly friendly to the employee, the market always changes. Due to the over abundance of people on the hunt for those elusive opportunities, the perfect storm for lack of talent is coming. Employers beware! Employees will have the luxury of picking the best job and company for them. Here’s why the pendulum is swinging:

• 25% of U.S. companies have not prepared for Baby Boomers retiring
• Today’s employees will have 10 to 14 jobs by the age of 38
• 1 in 4 workers has been with their current employer for less than a year
• 1 in 2 workers has been with their current employer for less than 5 years

What Should Employers Do?

Companies need talent to run effectively! It would be great if everything could be automated by robots, but the chances of that happening are slim to none. Businesses must have a plan to combat the challenges they will be facing in the near future. Some suggestions on how to prepare for the talent shortage:

• Have a plan for succession at level of the organization, including a sound knowledge management strategy
• Don’t be afraid to empower employees, see what shakes out of a more self-directed workforce
• Solid benefits, including training and professional development and flexible work schedules, to attract and keep employees
• Communicate, communicate, communicate! The younger generations will look for transparency.

What Should Employees Do?

While the job market will favor the employee eventually, the employer still has its pick of the litter. With the U.S. unemployment rate reaching a scary 9.8% in September 2009, job seekers are fighting for job opportunities. Regardless which way the pendulum is swinging, its important to be mindful of one’s career management efforts. A few tips to keep relevant, marketable and valuable are:

• Network and maintain relationships (use social networking sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc. to keep in touch)
• Resumes should be updated every 6 months
• Start a blog that personifies one’s professional experience (most blogging sites offer a free version like Wordpress or Blogger)
• Take any relevant training, certifications or degree programs (staying educated shows employers dedication and sincerity)

Being an entrepreneur and mom all rolled in to one, I’ve gained a pretty unique perspective on striking a balance between work and personal life. I get up early to get a start on the day. Wake the kid up and we eat breakfast together. The husband floats in and out. Work out eventually!

The most important point is that I get to be a part of my daughter’s life. I am an involved mommy! In turn, between dance classes, trips to the park, journey to the library and all other sorts of after school activities, I get to meet other involved parents. Now that the kids are in school, we’ve got moms and dads who are at home with some time to spare. You don’t know how many parents I talk to that would love to have a part time flexible gig to make a little extra money.

I see super potential here! You’ve got a slew of small businesses who need part time help and an untapped talent pool who have some time to give. Think of all the things, as a small business owner, you have to do that would be awesome to hand off to someone else! I know I could use help, but cannot yet afford to another full time person.

When it comes to time consuming, but non-committal type tasks, think of how great an extra pair of part times hands would be. Especially if the hours per week will vary, a stay at home mom or dad is most useful. Besides, parents who take on the kids are totally organized!

Part time peeps can help with:

• social networking for your business (you know how many moms I see all over Facebook and Twitter?)
• organizing receipts and files (my least favorite activity)
• prepping RFPs
• research, competitive or otherwise
• finding leads, checking government sites for contracts
• keeping your schedule straight, answering the phone (can get a Google Voice account to ring where ever)

Where does one find these awesome resources? Talk to people when you take the kids to activities. Scour the schools when the kids are getting dropped off or waiting at the bus stop. Social networking!

Over the past few months, I’ve had many requests to teach people how to use social networking sites, Twitter being one of them. Armed with the new label “Twitter Tutor”, I have coached some folks on what Twitter is, why it’s so important. Now more than ever, my training sessions are being geared towards the job seeker.

Based upon the number of request, I decided to capture the information in three part blog series aimed at training the job seeker on how to use the major social networks for job hunting. For part I of the series, I’d like to introduce Twitter.

What is Twitter?

Simply stated, Twitter is a social network with a single focus: to communicate in real time with people in less than 140 characters. What can you say in less than 140 characters? Plenty!

Being pointed about your message is important. Being interesting is vital to building your following. Twitter is very community based. Showing a personal side, while sharing information is key to building relationships with your Tweeples (people on Twitter).

Getting Started

So how do you get started on Twitter? First things first. Sign up for an account at Twitter. Here’s a few pointers when getting started.

• Choose a Twitter ID that is professional (@starwarsgeek is probably not a good idea)
• Choose a Twitter ID easily identifies you to others (using your name is a good plan)
• Got a blog, online portfolio or website that tells your professional story? Put that in your profile.
• Keep your Twitter bio fun, but pointed. Think of words that describe you personally/professionally.
• Create an eye popping, but professional Twitter background

Once you’ve gotten your Twitter ID and page set up, you are ready to start establishing your Twitterverse (Twitter community). Remember, the point of using Twitter is to find your next great opportunity. The people you connect with can potentially help you land your dream job. Keeping that in mind, let’s move on.

Let the Tweeting Begin

So, we’ve got our Twitter ID and Twitter page looking good at this point. What comes next? Now it’s time to start tweeting. It may sound simple, but with a strategy in mind and a communication protocol put into place, you will have a powerful job hunting tool at your disposal. Here are few tweeting tips:

• Tweet to establish an influence, not to simply gain followers. Numbers are good, but not everything!
• Share useful information, something that represents who you are professionally. Don’t forget to compress web addresses. You’ve only got 140 characters!
• Engage others in a tweet thread. Building relationships is what it is about.
• Share some things that are personal, like “Going to Disney this weekend with the kids. Do you have big plans for the weekend?” People like it when you show a human side.
• Retweet (RT) people’s tweets. If you see something you like that someone posted, send out a RT! If you are using Twitter on the web, type RT, then copy and paste the tweet of choice. The Tweeple will like the recognition!

While these are great suggestions, there are many other ways to communicate using Twitter. Why not simply aks your network a question? Tweeples can be most helpful, especially in a time of need. The job market today certainly qualifies. Which leads us to our next lesson, using Twitter Search for the job hunt.

Using Twitter Search

Currently, Twitter Search is the most powerful method you can use in your job hunting efforts. While Twitter is awesome all on its own, there are additional sites that compliment Twitter nicely. Twitter Search is one of those sites.

There are organizations using Twitter and Twitter Search to aid the job seeker in finding the right

opportunity. One that popped up seemingly out of nowhere is JobAngels. JobAngels is a non-profit

organization whose aim is to help a person a day find employement, at no cost to the job seeker. JobAngels

Twitter Search - #jobangels Search

is a fantastic example of how social networking, especially Twitter, is so crucial in job hunting.

• On Twitter Search, use the #jobangels tag to search for JobAngels activity
• When you tweet in relation to JobAngels, add #jobangels to the tweet for it to track in the JobAngels tweet threads

Using Twitter, JobAngels has transformed how the job seeker and “JobAngel” interact. You can be connected with opportunities, professional resume writers, career coaches and all sorts of amazing resources that can assist in job hunting. Surprisingly enough, JobAngels would not be possible without Twitter. It all got started with one little tweet. Click here for more on their story.

What Comes Next?

Now that you are on Twitter, have a following, know how to use Twitter Search, you may be asking yourself “what comes next?”. Like anything in life worth having, it will take some dedication and effort. Growing your network, on Twitter or any other social networking site, takes time. Make sure:

• You tweet meaningfully a few times a week.
• You truly connect with other.
• You are willing to help as much as ask for help.

While Twitter is a great start to social networking for the job seeker, it does work well when paired with other sites. In part of this three part series, we will take a look at how to incorporate LinkedIn into the job hunting strategy. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account yet or need some guidance on getting started with your profile, check out this helpful post.

A question came my way about a sensitive situation. A fellow professional of mine was asked for a recommendation on LinkedIn for someone she is not terribly comfortable giving one to. What do you do in a situation like this?

Not surprisingly, the thread on Facebook from the folks she contacted were very different. This proves that social networking and how you approach situations are going to vary greatly.

Here are a few of the notions that were tossed around:

• Ignore the request
• Ask for details on the basis of the recommendation
• Don’t give a recommendation at all and let the person know this is your policy
• Give a recommendation based on your honest feedback
• Give a recommendation based on a specific project that you with the person on only

Now the dilemma is what course of action to take! In my experience, people coming in and out of my life has been almost like a boomerang effect. Sometimes they leave and somewhere down the road come right back! Past interactions might come back to haunt you because this is a small world.

Dealing with the situation head on and being dead honest in a professional manner usually seems to do the trick. Of course, you have to do what feels right. In short, any of the above suggestions could be the best way to proceed. It all depends on the person making the decision.

What would you do in this type of situation? Feel free to share your thoughts by leaving a comment. Opinions are always welcome on this blog!

Social networking is becoming a part of every day life, including the professional aspect. While the younger generations can be quite comfortable with technology, its professional application may be somewhat of a mystery.

I had an opportunity to speak at DeVry in Orlando, FL on January 22, 2009 to the students and some faculty about how social networking can be used for job seeking and to establish professional credentials online. What I found surprising is that the students seemed like they were hearing this for the first time. Many of them thought that social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace are for games, sharing videos, pictures and other entertaining activities.

My presentation on Social Networking 101 was quite an eye opener for many of the audience participants. I introduced LinkedIn as the premier professional social network, guiding them through basic principles and how to apply them. It was a great experience! It did get me thinking that schools should start teaching social networking for professional use as a part of the student curriculum. I’ve been approached by numerous companies, professional organizations and entrepreneur / small business centers to teach classes, so why don’t colleges get on board?

Colleges, like DeVry, take on the philosophy of helping students bridge the gap between college life and the professional world. It only seems logical to have social networking be a part of that philosophy. I’d like to challenge educational institutions to push the envelope further away from traditional notions of teaching and really help prepare their students for the new business world. As educators, I believe it is our duty to get them as ready as we can for the next stage of their lives. Besides, they might be our bosses one day!

What are your thoughts on teaching social networking as part of a college curriculum? Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. Feedback is always welcome and encouraged!

Jenna Papakalos at Social Networking 101, DeVry in Orlando, FL

So you’ve been laid off, now what? According to the U.S. Department of Labor, over 500,000 in November 2008 people were added to already overwhelming number of those laid off and asking themselves that very question. Unemployment is now up to 6.7%. This is the highest it’s been nationally since 1974. Some of us weren’t even alive yet!

It’s no doubt that times are scary and we need to brace ourselves for another 18 to 24 months, as the experts are projecting, of the insanity that is our economic outlook. This leads us back to our question. So you’ve been laid off, now what?

Well, there are plenty things you can do to hunt down the next big opportunity. The major job or contract opportunity boards are so flooded with information, using them may not be as productive as you would like. Showing a little ingenuity on finding or creating your own opportunities is highly impressive and says much about you as a person. First things first though, decide what your desired outcome is and that will drive your entire direction.

1. Decide what you want to do:

• work for yourself or work for someone else

2. Target your search for opportunities:

• Make a list of ideal companies to work for or with
• Make a list of jobs titles you want or services/products you can provide

3. Check company for existing opportunities:

• Check the company website for existing jobs or contract positions open
• Do a search on Google on the company, see what comes up
• Try sites like JibberJobber that offer more than job postings, but total career management
• Check out the major social networks, like LinkedIn to see what the company has going on

4. Find key people to contact:

• User your existing network to search for people in the targeted companies, like HR or department head you want to work for or with
• Search local Chamber of Commerce website for info on company leaders
• See who you know who works for the target companies and ask for an introduction

5. Use those contacts you found:

• Write an email to the person you found, specifically stating how you can help them and how you found them
• Make sure to include your resume & cover letter or your website on services/products you can provide
• Request a time to meet at the person’s convenience, such an important call to action!

6. Repeat steps 1 to 5 until you land the opportunity you want.

Don’t let your good advise go unheard. If you have any experiences or suggestions you would like to share with others, please leave a comment!

Good luck and happy opportunity hunting!

I had the good fortune of meeting with some very forward thinking educators at DeVry University here in Orlando, FL just this past week. A colleague referred me to the college as they are looking for someone to speak to the students about the importance of social networking in job seeking and establishing professional credentials online. The entire campus is warm, friendly, and welcoming. As I walked in, I was greeted with big posters with my name and company logo on directing me where to go for the initial meeting!

I was so unbelievably impressed by the people I met at DeVry. Many of the students are in their young twenties, even younger. I remember my first professional experience while in college and I recall being intimidated by senior management and employees who were older than I was. The thought of actually networking made my palms sweat! Regardless to say, traditional college did not prepare me all that wonderfully for this aspect of the working world.

Well, DeVry is not your average college! They are setting up mock professional meetings to teach their students on how to network. Now if only I had that in school! There will be a registration, buffet lunch, ten minute opening speech (me), and then role playing with the faculty and professionals in the local area on networking techniques. This definitely goes beyond the books.

So I want to send this blog post out to the educators at DeVry in Orlando, FL that I had the pleasure of meeting. Were you taught how to network? Please feel free to leave a comment with any tips and techniques you may have!

With the economy in the state it’s in, we have more and more job seekers on the hunt for the next career opportunity. It’s officially become an employer’s market.

With competition being fierce for the available positions, job seekers need to be extra judicious on presenting the cleanest professional image possible. In turn, being in as many places as you can be at once is crucial to success. So how can this be accomplished? Social networking!

Social networking is becoming mainstream as a job seeking and recruiting tool. Information is easy to come by, which can work to your advantage or detriment. With a solid strategy and a few tweaks on existing web presence, wielding social networking can be one of the most powerful tools to lead to ultimate success.

So job seekers, here is a list of the top ten things you need to know about social networking:

1. Are you on any social networks? LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, just to name a few. If you aren’t, get a profile and start building your network.

2. You are what you write! If you’ve got some posts that do not hold you in the most favorable of light, get rid of them. If friends have shared funny pictures of that night out on the town, ask them to consider taking it down.

3. Guess what, your friends aren’t the only ones who can see your content on your profile! Many make the mistake of thinking that when they post content or pictures online, that only their friends in their network can see it. This may not be the case. Double check all of your privacy settings on your profile.

4. Have you Googled yourself lately? Do a quick search on your name (full, maiden, partial) to see what is out there.

5. Your online user names, are they professional? This can include email, profile IDs, or just about anything electronically related. Hot2trot probably is not a good idea! Keep it clean.

6. Do you have a blog? This is a great way to establish your professional credentials. Focus on your passion and post content that truly reflects your knowledge and experience.

7. Have you expanded your existing network? Reach out to new people. Ask your current connections to facilitate introductions. If someone posts a blog or comment you like, take a chance and reach out to them. You’d be surprised at the relationships you can establish.

8. Ask for endorsements. On several social networking platforms, you can ask for recommendations or have folks post favorable comments that can be attached to your profile. Ask your connections for viable endorsements that helps establish your professionalism.

9. Just because a company may not have a position posted on a job board, it doesn’t mean the door is completely closed. Use your network to do some recon. Find the person you need to speak to about the company and obtain info you can’t find on a website or annual report. Your resourcefulness can be a great asset on a first impression.

10. Always nurture your network, not just in tough times. Put the offer out there to help others. Post a discussion on some useful information, answer a question on your social network, or simply send a note to say hello. Networks take time to build and strengthen. Do your best to give this important resource the attention it deserves.

It’s no question we are in the midst of hard times. Let’s help each other out. Leave a comment with your tips on using social networking in the job hunt. You never know what may come of it!