Link Love

March has been a seriously busy month as far as social media goes. There is so much happening on the internet! I don’t know where to start …

Okay, I take that back. I started by writing about Facebook’s soon to be released News Feed updates. I think that was a pretty smart move, considering we are a Facebook recruiting app, but there’s still so much to talk about like :

Pinterest got a makeover, I’m really digging the “people who pinned this also pinned” feature. It helped me waste a whole bunch of time that could have been spent outside, in the sun, with my loved ones. Okay, maybe I don’t like it so much anymore.

Google released Google Keep, their version of Evernote. From watching their promo video, I’m pretty sure Keep would make my life better, as I would never run out of pickles again, oh, and never be late for meetings, or forget an amazing article idea which is also important. Too bad it’s only for Android. No pickles for me.

Facebook has changed their cover photo policy yet again! I think most brands will be pretty darn happy about Facebook getting rid of their rules against including calls-to-action, pricing, and contact info in cover images.

Google Plus has introduced a filter that allows user to search for images only. This is a great example of Google Plus adapting to the increasingly image-based nature of social media and yet another reason to use G+ for recruiting.

Tumblr hit a major milestone, the company recently announced that it now hosts over 100 million blogs. Most of them are dedicated to six-pack abs, kittens snuggling with puppies, and teens who post pictures of their funny hair and tattoos. There are also some awesome blogs about social media and digital culture like the one run by Social Media in Organisations.

Hopefully I covered all of the most important stuff, but I know I’m forgetting something…

…

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Pickles!

Showcasing awesome social recruiting is our jam. We've been having a blast featuring employers and recruiters who are using Facebook and social media to recruit. We're also pretty excited about March Madness. So it makes perfect sense to do a Link Love about social recruiting slam dunks! There're so many cool ways to get social with recruiting and employer branding, that it's hard to pick just a few examples. But it's nowhere near as hard as it would be to restart my career from scratch and try to become a basketball super star — especially considering my diminutive stature and complete lack of agility. So, I'll woman up and get to it!

Let the Link Love Madness begin: First, check out this amazing recruiting video that isn't actually a recruiting video. Cleveland Clinic made a video showcasing what it means to be a part of their organization in such an amazing way that any candidate would be honored to work for them. Warning, you will probably cry. How should you reach out to amazing talent? With sports references, obviously.

"I LOVE THE WAY YOU BALL: How to Write a Crazy, Sports Influenced Recruiting Note To The Best Candidates" by Ken Dunn is a must read. Mostly because he is hilarious, but also because he knows what he's talking about. Killer combination! If you want to win with social recruiting you've got to build relationships! Here's how to get connected with social media MVPs to take your game to the next level.

Papal talent management. Oh wow. Talk about recruiting for the major leagues. And last, but definitely not least, I'm going to toot my own horn a little and link to our fantastic interview with Reg Hamilton of Phoenix Group. This case study examines how Phoenix Group achieved amazing results using Facebook for both branding and recruiting.

Yesterday, we released an in-depth interview with interactive media specialist, Reg Hamilton. In the interview, Reg shared some key strategies for social media branding and Facebook recruiting. We love posting articles like these, as real-life examples of businesses utilizing Facebook and social recruiting are more useful to our client and reader-base than any other type of content.

Our previous post about Gordon Food Service, and their use of Facebook for branding and recruiting, was one of our most successful articles. In that interview, Dave Wiltjer outlined real-world strategies that GFS has used to great success. Most of our readership is employers and recruiters looking to hire for small to medium-sized businesses, and as such, advice from Forbes, based on the best practices of Fortune 500 companies, is far less applicable than the straightforward, down-to-earth strategies laid out by Dave and Reg.

And strategy matters.

In a recent piece for Inc., Eric Schurenburg wrote:

“Strategy is not complicated, or impractical, or disconnected from reality. And it’s certainly not optional.”

I think our recent articles, on both Gordon Food Services and Phoenix Group’s Think Saskatchewan Jobs campaign, show just how true those words are.

Today’s links are all about strategy. From why every business must make strategy a top-priority, to simple strategies for everyday business problems. Oh, and don’t worry, there’s an Infographic!

Link Love:

The 4 key things strategic thinkers do. This is the Inc. article I quoted above, it also has a super informative case-study, so definitely check this one out.

Strategy is never static, it must shift and grow with your business. This article explains how and why companies are shifting their strategies to promote innovation over

What about effective strategy for everyday office situations? The HR Bartender explains the importance of using problem solving strategy to find real solutions instead of just bandaids.

Optimize your Facebook engagement strategy with this simple plan.

Infographic time! How and why you waste time and strategies to become a time management pro.

What’s your best bit of social media strategy advice?

International Woman’s Day is on Friday (March 8th, 2013 for those of you in the future).

How will you celebrate?

Please don’t say by wearing a lot of pink. Unless, of course, pink really brings out your eyes. Myself, I’m going to celebrate by reading tons of blog posts about women in social media, because thinking about work as ‘celebrating’ is good for productivity!

Working with the guys I do, it’s easy to forget how differently women can be treated in the workplace. I never feel like gender is an issue at Jobcast. It’s awesome.

Even more awesome, when I started gathering the links for today’s woman-centric post, I realized that in our last article, the one with examples of people using social recruiting effectively, two out of three examples we used were women. I know this doesn’t mean the glass ceiling has gone the way of the Berlin Wall, but I feel pretty good about how amazing women are succeeding in social media and recruiting.

Happy International Woman’s Day to me! And to all of you, from all of us at Jobcast.

Links!

Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook wrote a book encouraging women to Lean Into Risk in the workplace. Here’s a great write-up on the book and its somewhat controversial premise by author Margie Warrell.

And, speaking of female COOs, this article asks the question: why do so many young women aim for COO not CEO? Sure, it’s written by a man, but one with a perspective on women in the workplace shaped by a very successful wife and interactions with his many “bright, talented and capable” female business students.

Rayanne Thorn explains how she got over the fact that she is not Wonder Woman and is much happier for it. Although I’m not giving up the title Sam “The Dark Knight” Parker any time soon, I applaud her honesty.

International Woman’s day is held in March, which makes sense, because March is Women’s History Month. Here’s Laurie Ruettimann (aka The Cynical Girl) on the subject of Women’s History Month and awareness in general.

Now, here’s the article I wish I’d written (I’m getting tired of saying that 🙂 ) The Top 25 women in social media, which makes for an inspiring list. All of these women deserve the mention and many of them have super informative blogs you can follow. Get following!

One of these Top 25 (with an awesome blog) is Leslie Bradshaw. This article about women and success is a great example of why her blog is a must read!

I’m going to sign off with a quote from one of my all-time favorite weightlifting coaches, Mark Rippetoe, on training strong women:

“Women are not a special population. They are half the population!”

Also this is his mom:

Okay, fun fact, both of my parents worked in HR. My dad has conducted and consulted on more interviews than I can come up with a clever analogy for (shocking, I know!). My mother specialized in classifications, so she's also very comfortable with the interview process. When I write these articles I always try to keep them in mind. What aspects of social recruiting would they be interested in learning more about, how can I make Facebook recruiting less intimidating for them, and how can I make posts about things like #hashtags less boring for them to read? Super hero analogies work great for my dad, and I sincerely hope that the rest of you follow in my mother's footsteps and accompany your blog reading with a glass of wine! Lately, like my parents, I've been conducting some interviews. These interviews are for our blog and have been amazing! I've learned so much about how small businesses are using social recruiting through talking with people like Dave Wiltjer from Gordon Food Service. It got me thinking about how social media is changing the interview process and the ways in which employers and recruiters are using new media to benefit their interviewing. So, our Link Love this week is all about the art of the interview, with a bias towards the social media side of things. Enjoy! "The Holy Grail of Interview Questions." Okay, so I took that quote completely out of context, as you will learn if you go on to read this very clever article that lays out some effective interview questions that are rarely asked. Social Media Headhunter answers the question:

So what exactly do you ask a social media consultant in an interview?

Video interviews are probably the biggest game changer that social has brought to the interview process. Here's an infographic that explains the awesome cost and time saving benefits of video interviews. Google+ is back in vogue for social recruiting — big time — and part of that is because using Google hangouts is a great way to pre-screen candidates for interviews. Leave it to the Dutch to come up with the wackiest job interview technique ever! It's no wonder I fit in so well in Holland. Bonus infographic: From the invention of the telephone to video interviewing via mobile, the evolution of the job application. P.S. Happy birthday dad!

On Monday we talked about taking the leap into social recruiting. We shared a few links to back up the argument for using social to find talent, and also some apps to help implement social recruiting strategies. But there is so much more to add to that list!

Social recruiting is getting bigger and bigger. The definition itself is expanding along with the social networks that make it possible.

From employee referrals to job boards to Vine Videos, the evolution of social is fast and furious. And much like the fantastic film Fast and Furious 5 3D IMAX, it can be pretty overwhelming. But, thankfully, like the plot of every movie in the Fast and Furious series, the basic premise remains exactly the same! Create a strategy, implement that strategy, measure your success, and adjust your strategy accordingly.

You could do all of this with pen and paper, but Vin Diesel would sooo not approve, and neither would social media gurus. Personally, I think pen and paper is a great way to go, but it’s even better when supplemented with technology! I thought I would share some of my favorite tips and tools to help you make your recruiting social. Feel free to copy them down into your notepad, or save paper and Pocket them 🙂

Here’s a PDF put out by Oracle (weird, I know!) that breaks down how to develop a social recruiting strategy. It’s simple and very informative.

The best practices to keep in mind when developing a social media strategy.

Now for something more fun : an infographic-style compass to guide your social recruiting!

How to craft a perfect social media post.

It’s important to time your posts to maximize their visibility, and with buffer you can do just that from your PC, tablet or smart phone.

Until next week!

Valentine’s Day is almost upon us. I know this because of all the infographics and slideshows on Mashable, Forbes and Pinterest instructing me on “how to woo a nerd”, “how NOT to celebrate Valentine’s Day in the office”, and “How to make healthy raw-vegan substitutions for V-Day treats!”.

Personally I want none of this. I wooed my nerd a long time ago, and I work from home, cafes, occasionally bars (it’s a European thing [don’t tell my boss!]), and personally I think the term V-Day should be reserved for remembering veterans and that raw-vegan treats should be reserved only for mortal enemies.

Not that I’m not into Valentines Day — any excuse for chocolate is a good one! It’s just that I don’t think it has much to do with social recruiting, work, or finding cool talent. The only exception I could think of is how weirdly similar dating is to recruitment. Recruiters play Millionaire Matchmaker to their employer clients, while trying to convince eager young candidates to brush their hair and put on a collared shirt. So, what better time to drop some links with helpful tips about finding the right candidate?!

We often have a list of qualities we are looking for in a date, but so often those lists just get in the way of finding love. Refusing to give someone a shot, just because they don’t like cake, have a cool bike, or look like Bruce Willis circa The Fifth Element, is a great way to stay single. Lou Adler argues that over-reliance on job descriptions can do exactly the same thing. As unconventional as this may seem, he advocates banning traditional skill and experience-based job descriptions in order to find the right candidate.

Now, just because you should avoid ruling out potential hires based on their lack of Bruce Willisesque biceps doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep some desired characteristics in mind. Here are 5 key traits to look for in potential candidates.

Of course, we have to include this : It’s both an Infographic and a reference to speed-dating — two birds, one stone. This Infographic gives the lowdown on finding awesome candidates quickly.

Bosses are from Mars, employees are from Venus… at least when communication is concerned. Now that you’ve found an awesome employee, you’ll need to actual talk to them. Scary, I know! Thankfully Blogging4Jobs has some great advice on how to better communicate with employees.

That’s all for this, aptly-titled, Link Love!

I need to figure out which running shoes to wear on tomorrow’s hot Valentine’s Day date (ie. drinking tea and watching The Ultimate Fighter)  — marriage for the win!

What’s the buzz, tell me what’s happening, what’s the buzz, tell me what’s happening…

Just in case you’re not a theatre nerd, those are lyrics from Jesus Christ Superstar. And yes, I was a lady-apostle in a live performance of JCSS, and no, it was not back in highschool… It was just last year!

So I’m basically a rockstar, which is awesome, just don’t ever call an employee that. According to Forbes, the term “Rockstar employee” is one of the most annoying bits of office place jargon to come out of 2012.

Although I’m of the opinion that all jargon is terribly annoying, I find I still use it  in my blog posts or “Articles”. Mostly because it’s recognizable. Using terms like “personal branding”, though rather silly, is still more succinct than explaining the idea it represents over and over again. It’s also great for SEO, and I’d be a very naughty blogger if I neglected SEO!

Forbes is running a poll to determine the most annoying corporate buzzwords of 2013. It’s pretty hilarious, and I highly recommend you give it a look-see! Try not to snort coffee out of your nose and all over your tablet (not that that happened to me or anything).

So, in honor of Jargon Madness 2013, here’s some buzzword-related links to inform your vote:

Buzzword numba one : Engagement!

It used to mean when two humans decide to make their relationship legally binding. Now it means, well, about a hundred million different things depending on context, who you ask, and whether you ask on Facebook or Twitter. On this blog though, context is everything, so we’re going with engagement as it relates to HR, here’s 5 tips for engaging employees.

Next up : Pivot!

Number two is the best kind of buzzword, and one I had never ever heard before. Except maybe whilst watching golf with my dad. It basically means to switch directions and it is being applied a lot to strategy. It is kind of a positive spin on flip-flop, but less hilarious sounding. This article from Inc. explains how to plan for a successful pivot, and let’s face it, sometimes you’ve just got to switch up your strategy to stay on top.

Content Marketing is number three.

I think it is the least sexy (remember when that was a buzzword?!) of the buzzwords on our list, but perhaps the most useful to those of us involved with social media. Copyblogger explains that content marketing is basically “sales-minded storytelling” and gives us the lowdown on how to use it effectively. Now that’s money!

And as an added bonus, this article about the valuable content market strategies of George Carlin and Sheldon Cooper is a must read!

Topicjacking!

Related to content marketing is “topicjacking”. This one wins hands-down as the most hilarious buzzword. This short little article explains what topicjacking is and how to do it. Warning : topicjacking is a little bit evil!

Now, how could we talk buzzwords without including the king buzzword : Big Data? Very easily. Moving on.

.. to a topic that’s not actually about any particular buzzword at all. It’s about the job titles created by employers and recruiters to make jobs seem more awesome than they actually are. Same concept. This article gives some solid advice on how to choose a job title that actually fits the position you are hiring for. It also wins this week’s award for silliest blog image.

Okay, okay… you’re right, we do have to include Big Data (at very least to justify using that image of Data playing the violin!) Here’s a fantastic article explaining how HR and Big Data are a natural fit!

That’s all for links.

In other news, I have finally chosen my Ultimate Fighting nickname: BIG DATA.

Fear me.

Hello, dear readers! Today I'm going to stop pretending like I'm a trendy human and instead give you some links about an old-school recruiting medium. By old-school, I mean waaaay old, like 2009 old! 2009 brought us a lot of cool stuff: Lady Gaga music videos, popular nerds, awkward family portraits and most importantly: an amazing article by ERE on video recruiting! Who can pay attention to strangely dressed pop stars when there are blog posts about video recruiting to be read?!? In August 2009, Kevin Wheeler wrote a brilliant piece for ERE called Why Recruiting Has to Go Video!  I reread this article recently and was blown away by how pertinent it still is today. Kevin outlines the basic ways in which video can be used for recruiting and gives a short explanation of why each is effective. All six of the points he makes have held up over time, which is really saying something when it comes to social media. I mean, honestly, it's pretty great if something written about social media is still relevant after a couple of months, let alone four years! This article is also important because video still isn't getting the attention it deserves. Now I'm not saying every employer needs to go out and shoot a recruiting video with Vine, although it's a lot of fun! But, video is the most effective way to showcase company culture and is an important addition to any career page. If you don't believe me (after watching Jobcast's Vine Video it may be difficult to take me seriously about anything!) then these super talented and knowledgeable bloggers will convince you! Link Time

What's the best way to learn about recruiting with video? By watching a video, obviously!

Jim Stroud's webinar about how to use video for recruiting is super informative. It is also hilarious and entertaining, like most of Jim's videos so you can learn from both his words and impactful graphics. Yes, 2009 was grand! But this article has some more up-to-date, yet just as persuasive, stats about the benefits of video for recruiting. Do you love the letter W? Of course you do — it's the silliest letter in the alphabet! Do you want some very simple tips about making recruiting videos? Yes! Then check out The 5 Ws of recruitment videos... They do cheat a little and end with an H, but I hope you won't hold it against them! Jessica Miller-Merrell shares the 12 Best Employer Brand and Recruiting videos. They also happen to be the most hilarious! I was going to share Will Ferrels spoof recruiting video from Funny or Die, but it's just too inappropriate for work. Although, thanks to the previous sentence, you have all the keywords you need to hunt it down with Google (or WebCrawler, if you're kicking it 1999. Now that's old-school!) Last but not least, here's a fantastic example of how embedding a recruiting video can make you Facebook Career Page better! Happy net surfing, I'm going to go play with Vine some more and call it research!

Leadership is a big deal. Employers and recruiters need to have leadership on the mind when hunting for new talent. Will potential candidates be able to grow with your company, take on more responsibilities, become leaders? How can you foster leadership in them? How do you know if they're ready? Are they a Cyclops (Middle management at its finest) or a Wolverine (Reluctant to lead, but born ready!)? A Batman (So moody, but inspires you to do better) or an Iron Man (Let's hope not!)? Doctor X is, of course, my favorite example of leadership. He knows how to foster creativity, initiative and drive from his team. This is, of course, in part due to his mind-reading abilities, but I'm sure he also honed many of these skills by reading this blog. In today's Link Love we've rounded up some great articles about leadership. How to do it well, how to foster it in others, how to lead better office meetings. The HR Bartender wrote a very insightful answer to the question of how to foster leadership in employees who are reluctant to move into a leadership position. And then there are those we wish were a little more reluctant to become leaders. "Real leadership serves as a talent magnet – not a talent repellent". According to Mike Myatt, if you can’t acquire talent, can’t develop talent, or can’t retain talent, you are not a leader. Harsh, Forbes, harsh! But as one bad leader can wreak some serious havoc on an entire business  (also see Iron Man 2 for an example) sometimes it's got to be said! Myatt also uses the terms chicanery and skullduggery, so harsh or not, you gotta love him! Some people should be leaders. If you have these qualities and characteristics of a great HR leader, then I applaud you! If not, then I hope, like me, you work for people that do! I also hope that they know a good leader encourages their employees to play Farmville. Okay, not exactly, but Dr. Todd Dewette makes a great point about increasing productivity by encouraging autonomy and fun! I prefer the use of office dance-parties to Angry Birds competitions personally, but that's because a little physical activity also increases productivity... And it doesn't get much more fun than watching one's colleagues drop it like it's hot! Last but not least, great leaders have great ideas! Steal this one, and make your office meetings a thousand times more productive. The rules are very blunt, but make perfect sense. How Batman would run a meeting : "If you're not getting anything from it, leave" — preferably with some cape flourishing and smoke! Although I recommend against leaving your colleagues tied up in a damp, Gotham warehouse for your managers to find. Oh, and in case you were wondering, as far as my leadership skills are concerned, I'm totally a Storm. Take from that what you will. Storm out.