In the past few years, the web has been playing an increasingly important role in areas that were usually reserved typically for human interaction, or at least for the print media. Dating sites to find love online, classified ads to dispose of old furniture and recruitment sites to find a new job.
This migration of tangible (in person or on paper) to intangible interactions opens the door to many opportunities, but also implies new constraints that were unknown just a few years ago.
Managing online reputation is very important to job seekers, but what about the companies’ side? If applicants remove all traces of inappropriate behavior on public platforms, companies sometimes forget that the other side of the balance, the online reputation of the business, will also have its importance.
Whether you are active or not on the various social networking sites, people still have the opportunity to interact with your profile. What message your Facebook page (or lack thereof, as appropriate) sends to future potential recruits? Is your twitter feed representative of your professional field? Does your LinkedIn page contain all the information necessary to understand your company? Using these contact points effectively is a healthy practice to attract and retain new talent.
Facebook is a showcase for a portrait of company culture. More playful than their social counterparts, it gives you the opportunity to show the human face, the atmosphere at work.
Twitter allows you to interact with people in your field. It is a very useful information and discussion incubator, which allows you to get in touch with leaders in multiple domains. It also represents an opportunity for you to show your expertise.
Meanwhile, LinkedIn is designed specifically for recruitment. Make sure that the information shown there is always up to date and invite people to write recommendations. Your credibility will be enhanced online.
If sometimes maintaining these windows may seem like a burden, or a negligible priority, keep in mind that each one has the potential to be a communication tool of choice for your business. If you do not have the resources or time to get started, some companies offer great prices to keeps and maintain your social medias at an affordable price.
Do not miss the opportunities Web 2.0 has for you!
