The big buzz in business today is social media. Remember when it was branding? Remember when it was networking? Social media has the potential to do both.

Fads come and go, but social media is not a fad – it’s here to stay. Social media will continue to evolve; it has already changed the way we use the Internet and is moving us towards a more social, collaborative, and interactive web.

Modern Web Presence

Today, everyone has a web presence. Most businesses successfully use company websites and social media accounts, and it’s because of our society’s appetite for all things Internet.

We can learn more about people than ever before with just one click. There are sites that list our names, ages, addresses, phone numbers, and relatives. While this may seem scary, there isn’t much we can do except embrace it.

What is Social Media?

Let’s talk about social media and what it is. The word social indicates interaction between people, and the word media is used to describe instruments of communication, like the newspaper some of us read every day or the radio we tune into in our offices.

In Web 2.0 terms, social media is a type of search engine that provides information while allowing us to interact with others.  My blog, for example, asks readers to participate in polls or leave comments – that’s social media.It’s a far cry from the one-sided newspapers we read.

Interaction on Social Media Sites

Social media websites offer interaction in a variety of ways – here’s a quick rundown:

·Social bookmarking sites (Del.icio.us, Blinklist, Simpy) are user-powered sites that rely on suggestions from members to provide quality search results.

·Social news sites (Digg, Propeller, Reddit) allow users to interact by voting articles up and down based on personal preference. Users can voice their opinion on articles by adding comments.

·Social networking sites (Facebook, Hi5, LinkedIn, Twitter) allow users to add friends, comment on profiles, join discussion groups and recommend connections to others.

·Social photo and video sharing sites (YouTube, Flickr) allow users to share photos and videos. Users can comment on other users’ submissions.

It fascinates me how a “human” society is moving toward using social skills through computers rather than live conversation.

Advantages of Social Media

In my staffing business, I see more and more companies (including my firm, Adam Personnel) taking advantage of social media to select and secure talent.

Companies now know that most people own either computers or have handheld devices with Internet access. We all have the ability to be online at any time, and it’s easy to gather information quickly.

Why would we wait to watch a news program when we can read the information in real time? We don’t have to – and that’s one of the reasons news broadcasts are decreasing. The same holds true for companies: they know the fastest way to attract talent is to tweet and post job openings on Facebook company pages. Sites like LinkedIn are goldmines of qualified potential employees.

When you have an unemployed friend and see a tweeted job opening that matches her qualifications, you’re going to let her know – and the company didn’t have to pay to list a job in the classified ads.

Who Can Compete with Social Media?

As a staffing expert, I don’t think job boards like Monster, Career Builder and HotJobs will be able to keep up with the results social media provides. Within the next five years, I fully expect that all companies will only use social media sites to secure talent.

Through our own experience here at Adam Personnel, Inc., we find better quality talent through social media efforts than our account with Monster.com. I know if these job boards don’t do something to capitalize on social media’s benefits, they will be left behind.  

Have you gotten a job through social networking or helped a friend get one?What are your experiences with the job hunt through social media? Share your story here!

Blog by Catherine Palmiere, President
Adam Personnel, Inc.

 CPalmiere@AdamPersonnel.com
(212)557-9150 ext. 208