It’s truly amazing the amount of time you can spend wasting your life away on a website. Nevertheless! Social networking is out there in a really big way, and we probably should consider its benefits when it comes to recruiting. I attended a very informative NCHRA event recently on the legal issues surrounding recruiting and social media. The main lesson? Just be smart. As a job seeker, be cognizant of what you put out there in the world, and as an employer, tread lightly – legal issues surrounding the use of networking sites are popping up everywhere, and it’s important to hold tight to all EEOC guidelines.

In terms of the benefits of social networking, here’s couple of simple pointers for both job seeker and employer:

Seeker

• Get on LinkedIn. It’s like Facebook, only you don’t have to worry about Friday night’s incriminating photos resurfacing with your name tagged at the bottom. LinkedIn is FOR business. Your work history, qualifications, education, etc are all displayed. It’s a resume of sorts. Through simple searches, joining groups and connecting with colleagues you know, it’s very easy to stay connected with open jobs. It’s also a great way to meet people through connections you around have. Joe may know Bob who works at ABC and whatdoyaknow – ABC happens to be your dream company. So you ask Joe to introduce you to Bob who can then (possibly) get you into ABC. Bravo!
• Keep your other (more personal) social networking involvement tame. For instance, if you’re trying to find a job and just went on a hideous interview and decide to Twitter the fact that the recruiter interviewing you smelled like tuna, just realize that Smelly Tuna Recruiter may have already found your Twitter page. With your lovely Tweet. Yeah.

Employer

• Get on LinkedIn. For same reasons above, really. With the added bonus of being able to actually post your job through groups, LinkedIn is an instant connection to tons of people, many of whom are passive.
• Make sure your company is really out there in the social media world. If you aren’t actively participating in social networking, you probably are missing out on a lot of viable candidates. The truth of the matter is, everyone is socially networking (probably including yourself). Just make sure your company has the same social presence as you do. I’m not suggesting 8765 Tweets a day (annoying), but I am definitely suggesting a Tweet about the new hot job that just landed on your desk.
• Make sure your recruiting resources are out there as well. Your entire recruiting arm: from headhunters to your go-to temp agency need to be connected. A lot of the leg work can be done through a solid recruiter who is out there networking on behalf of you/your business.

In our staffing world, many of our candidates follow our Twitter, are fans of our business on Facebook, and review us on Yelp. It’s through this circle of social networking/involvement that we find candidates, retain them, place them, and then get referred by them.

Plus, come on, social networking is super fun.