Should You Post Jobs on Twitter?

Hi all. Normally I don't like to re-post other people's articles or blog posts, but every now and then I come across something that really grabs my attention. One of my Twitter buddies posted the link to this article and I thought it was great. It echoed everything I feel about posting jobs on Twitter. There is an art to social networking that I think a lot of recruiters still just don't get. In the mad dash to "follow the trend" I think a lot of people are misusing social media in trying to build their employment brand. Now I will say, some are getting it right. But a lot still have a long way to go and should really invest in getting some real training for their staff to polish up their social media branding efforts.

Enjoy the article.

http://find-attract.com/should-you-post-jobs-to-twitter/

Should you post jobs to Twitter?

A few words I use very sparingly are ‘Should’, ‘Right’ and ‘Wrong’; especially when talking about anything related to social media. I think one of the most maddening aspects of social media for people trying to decide how to use it or if they should use it is that the answer is often, “it depends”. However, when I get this question asked of me by people unfamiliar with Twitter, invariably my answer is “it depends”.

So yesterday this Twitter conversation happened between myself and Jerry Albright, The Recruiting Animal, Adele Vogel, Janice Worthington, Stephanie Lloyd,Bill McCabe, Sheree Van Vreede, and Stephen Van Vreede.

The topic was posting jobs on Twitter. Jerry said its basically a waste of time, I sort of agreed, with the caveat “unless you do it right”. Which prompted the response from Animal and Adele “what the hell does that mean? ‘Do it right?’” So then I promised to write an extended post on the topic to provide a place for the discussion to expand a bit.

Let me just say, I’m not the purveyor of all things right and wrong, but I am opinionated, and I have tried enough things with social media as to have some actual results (good and bad) that inform said opinions. Also, I think its tough to put absolute statements on this question. I think “it depends” works a lot better as a starting point. Provided of course you can fathom on what, exactly, “it” depends.

Let’s get a few obvious points out of the way.

The most obvious of obvious points. So obvious it doesn’t get a number.
If your sector of people you’re looking to hire aren’t typically twitter users; (ahem) don’t use twitter to post those jobs. Painful to even write it, that was so obvious.

Obvious point #1: If you have very few followers (less than 100) and you are posting jobs to Twitter and posting nothing else, you may as well go to the end of your driveway, cup your hands around your mouth and start yelling “I’m hiring, I’m hiring!” You’ll get about the same results. Mea Culpa; we’ve all done it, right? When we first started playing with Twitter, we thought “ooh, a new place to post jobs!” Our enthusiasm waned as we discovered the ineffectiveness of that approach. We discovered maybe its a bit more complicated than that. Maybe Twitter is not just another distribution channel? Maybe its more than that. So the first consideration is how many followers you have. If the number is low, unless its really concentrated with people in the sector in which you recruit, work on those follower numbers.

Obvious point #2 ‘Who’ is following you is probably important.
If you’re recruiting underwater welders, yet you haven’t found groups of them on Twitter, and likewise they haven’t found you, how in the world is it going to work to start tweeting about your underwater welding jobs? Aren’t the people you’re looking for probably underwater right now? You know, welding? This one seems REALLY obvious, and yet, I’ve witnessed it frequently.

Obvious point #3 Timing and frequency.
The other thing people seem to forget is that their legions of followers are probably following tons of other people as well. Likely, they are not just watching twitter all the live long day waiting for nuggets of wisdom from you or me. They don’t see every post by every person they are following. Sorry to burst your bubble, but even your followers don’t hang on every tweet. In fact if they are using Tweetdeck, Twhirl, Peoplebrowsr or something else that relies on a limited number of API calls (connections) to Twitter, they’re only seeing some of the posts from some of the people they follow. So if you tweet your job just once, you’re not likely to get a lot of response. Likewise if you tweet your job opening at 10 pm, you may not get the run you’re looking for either. Post during higher traffic times for twitter, post it more than once.

Obvious point #4 Measure your results.
So you’ve tweeted your job, you even got a few retweets of that bad boy from some of your BFFs on Twitter. You’re feeling good, but yet you still aren’t seeing people apply for the job. In fact, when you stop and think about it, beyond a few retweets, you have no idea how many people are paying attention to that tweet. Seems obvious to find a way to track responses right? However, I see it often that people don’t use an url shortener that does this for them. Hootsuite and Bit.ly come to mind. My favorite lately is Bit.ly. Makes it easy to post something online with the bit.ly sidebar, and allows easy tracking of clicks. If you really want to get funky, hopefully you’ve set up your career site to track who actually hit the site from a given source, and then took further action like clicked apply. Another blog post for another time.

Ok, that covers the obvious points I think. Now for some less than obvious things to consider about posting jobs to twitter.

#jobs
The # is a hashtag. Its used when you want to associate a keyword or tag to your tweet. Just like tagging a bookmark or a blog post, same idea. When you use the hashtag you associate your post with any other post that also uses that hashtag. In this case if its a job, it certainly makes sense you should associate your post with other jobs. In this way you are displaying your post to people who may be searching on the hashtag #jobs. I’m not entirely sure how effective this really is. Its really applying a job board approach to Twitter isn’t it? You kind of suffer from the same dynamics as job boards do don’t you? Your job is mixed in with a bunch of other company’s jobs. You’re not necessarily targeting people with relevant skill set either. I still use the #jobs hashtag anyway, its cheap, only costs me 5 characters, plus I capitalize on any retweets that leave the #jobs hashtag in there. Do you have to use it? No. Should you use it? It depends.

Its not about the jobs I say this fully realizing it will make some people’s minds seize up. This one probably could go under Obvious Point #5, but for many, oddly, I don’t think this one is very obvious. Social Networks and Social Media are about people, people. It isn’t just another distribution channel for your kitten calendars, your smurf mugs, you male enhancement pills, or your jobs for that matter. If that is all you are using your twitter handle for, you are missing out on 95% of the goodness out there. Even if your twitter handle is @abccompany_jobs it still isn’t just about the jobs. You have a unique opportunity here to interact with your potential prospect, and potential candidate community. You have an opportunity to tell a much richer story about what its like to work for your company, or your client’s company. This is unique, and not previously really possible in the job board era, because all you could talk about on job boards was your job description. It made sense there because a job board is expressly about jobs. Twitter is not. Twitter is not a job board. I think its shortsighted to take a job board mentality and apply it to any social network. You’ve missed the point. I predict your results will suffer if you limit your thinking this way.

Don’t just add your jobs to Twitter, add Twitter to your jobs.
Say what? There are a number of ways to do this, but the essence is to allow anyone looking at your jobs to share them via twitter. Who in the world would want to share your jobs via twitter? Your hiring managers for starters, non-hiring manager employees in that department, other recruiters who may work in that same department. Even your BFFs on Twitter may feel magnanimous enough to help. If you’ve established some cred in the networks of people in your target sector, you may even get people to share your job who aren’t interested in or invested in filling the job themselves.

So how to do this if you’re website isn’t enabled for web 2.0 tech? Add a link like this to your job descriptions on your career site or wherever you post your job.

http://twitter.com/home/?status=RT+@(your twitter handle)+cool+job+-+http://your_shortened_jobURL.com

So maybe at the end of your job description it looks like this…(click it to see how it works)

Share This Job on Twitter

Under that link is the following…

http://twitter.com/home/?status=RT+@bestbuy+cool+job+click+here+to+see+more+-+http://bit.ly/19B7gv

Basically it starts with http://twitter.com/home/?status= then you follow with your message with words separated by + signs. End with a shortened URL (track-able please) to your posting. That’s it. Use it whether you are posting to a niche board, a forum, Facebook, or your own job site. Now you’ve expanded the ability for your jobs to be part of the social stream of things. Sure its a manual process, but thats the only way I know of to do it if you’re career site isn’t enabled with web 2.0 doodads.

Enable others who have a vested interest in your jobs.
Filling a role isn’t just about that role. Its about the hiring managers, the employees above and below the role that’s open, the HR generalist, the C level and management people in some cases, the vendor partners related to that role, and last but not least its about the local community of people in that industry. Moreover, its about the culture of the company, the employment brand, the brand of that department even. So what if you could enable this group, intimately connected and invested in getting the right person, to participate via Twitter? One way to start this, is to use Connecttweet to create a shared twitter channel. This is a channel through which multiple people can send twitter messages. The @bestbuy handle is such a channel. Its not some PR dude, its multiple Best Buy employees, as many that want to be involved, that provide the content for the channel. You can do the same thing on your own using Connecttweet. It allows you as the admin to determine who you want to allow to post through that handle. Members of that handle just use a special hashtag to push selected messages through this shared channel. Imagine if you had hiring managers posting through it, and department employees posting through it, not jobs necessarily, just everyday stuff. You begin to paint a picture of the culture surrounding that job, or category of jobs. Then of course you mix in some job conversation when appropriate, and everything else happens naturally. You’ve attracted a targeted crowd, you have help posting content about not just jobs, but also other things. You start to create some sense of community around your employment experience.

So, obviously this last bit takes some work. If its reasonable to assume that your targeted industry is represented on Twitter it might be worth it. If you’re hiring for that underwater welder job, you may want to consider other options.

Hastags + Conferences
The last thing is something I talked about at the Social Recruiting Summit at Google. Its about using the hashtag functionality as it relates to conferences. Its common practice to associate a hashtag with a conference. Recently in the Twin Cities there was a Social Media Breakfast conference. They used the hashtag #smbmsp (msp = Minneapolis/St. Paul). I did not attend, but while the conference was happening, someone asked me if I knew a good WordPress designer/coder. I don’t, but I figured there had to be someone at the social media breakfast who did. So I tweeted my question, including the hashtag #smbmsp, and within 5 minutes had a referral. My friend has reached out to that person already. Not sure what has happened since, but a useful connection was made in a very short period of time.

1,919 words so far, and I feel like I’ve just scratched the surface, what ideas do you have? What works? What doesn’t?

Sphere: Related Content

Wolf in Recruiter's Clothing

Hi all. I've been busy, busy busy. With my son graduating High School two weeks ago and my workload, I'm swamped. But I have some down time and wanted to share a story with you. A cautionary tale if you would, from the perspective of a Mom and Recruiter.

As I mentioned, my son graduated from high school recently. He's 18 and "free" (yeah whatever that means) and ready to take on the world. He has some time before he reports for college this fall, so he decided to look for a part time job in addition to his side business. I have no problem with that. Hey, I was 18, and I know what it's like to be "free" but broke. So as his RecruiterMom, I sat him down to give him some job search advice. I mean I've only been a Recruiter for 16 years and his Mom for 18. I think I know a little something. Well the young man stopped me a quarter of the way through the conversation to tell me "it's OK Mom. I got this. I know enough to find a job. You already taught me how to present myself and all that good stuff. Trust me to do this on my own".

Well as a Mom, it was tough. He's been under my watch for the last 18 years. My husband tells me it's time to let the baby bird fly. As a Recruiter, I respected that some of my words have sunken into his head and he felt ready to do this alone. So I stepped back and let him do what he needed to do. He had received a letter in the mail from Vector Marketing. Yes, I'm naming names, as I am very upset by the whole incident. They apparently bought mailing lists of graduating seniors and college students, because I know he didn't reach out to them. As a Recruiter, that's a proactive move and I can't be mad at them. But when I saw the letter, my red flags went up. I talked to my husband and he said to let the child..excuse me, young man..work it out. So I sat back.

My son got up early on Wednesday morning and got dressed to the nines. He had a suit and tie, his best shoes, a leather portfolio I had lent him, copies of his resume and a gold pen of mine that he borrowed. He was intent on making a good impression on the recruiter. So off he goes. About three hours later, I get a call from my very excited son "Mom, I got the job!" I think, wow that's great! He promised to share the details when he got home. I had a nagging feeling that something wasn't right. I went to my trusty friend Google and looked up this company. I realized my son got involved in Network Marketing/MLM/whatever you want to call it, and called my husband immediately. Again, I was told to let him find his way. So he comes home with the information and says he has to attend training Thursday, Friday & Saturday. I thought OK, fine. When he hears what he needs to do he'll quit. They told him they'd pay him $16 per APPOINTMENT, not per hour as he thought. There would be no hourly rate. Off he went the first day of training. He comes home and tells me about the "Cutco Way" and asks about scheduling appointments to sell me knives. WHAT!? My spidey sense was tingling..scratch that, it was hollaring! I asked him again if he was ok with this "job". He said sure, I'll give it a try. It seems easy enough.

So off he goes the second day. He comes home last night and says hey Mom, I need $140 for a deposit to buy the items to sell. WHAT!! So I asked him to tell me about the interview process. He said "you know mom, they didn't ask for my resume at all. I gave it to him and he was shocked. They didn't take any ID. They had us go to individual and group "interviews" then told me I was hired". I asked did they at least have him fill out an application or ask for references and he said no. At this moment I asked him, "did you really think this through?". He told me he was starting to feel funny about this "job". Every ten minutes, he'd come back in my office with another "AHA moment" about something that should have tipped him off. So I sat him down and we surfed the internet.

There were TONS of reports about this company and they weren't very pretty. Well my son decided that since he hadn't signed anything he would not be returning. Ordinarily I would advise him to handle it differently, but in this case, I couldn't blame him. I told him he could find a REAL job. Here's my issue. On their website, they talk about the process and mention that they tell applicants at the interview that there is an "investment". They NEVER disclosed that to my son or any of the others. The so called "recruiter" should have explained to those kids (because that's what they are) everything about the position AND the policies of the company.

Now, I don't begrudge anyone a chance to make money. But don't prey on kids who don't know any better. We all know that as Recruiters, you have to disclose certain information to candidates when hiring. We also know that references, background checks, W4s and I9s are all part of the process. They did NONE of this with my son or anyone else. In this tight economy, I find it reprehensible that companies like this are allowed to prey (yes I used the word again) on young kids. My son was lucky. He figured it all out before he got in too deep. Plus he has me as his Recruiter/Mom to minimize the damage. But what about those who aren't as lucky? And what kind of so-called "recruiters" are these? They didn't do their "job" as recruiters, they did a job as a salesperson. They suckered these kids into thinking that they had these wonderful jobs when all they did was suck them into their pyramid schemes. I am disgusted that companies like this are allowed to advertise along side legitimate companies and legitimate jobs.

I will be placing two calls on Monday. One to the high school for selling this information without permission, and Vector Marketing for being so disgusting. I don't generally disparage any company. When I have an issue, I may allude to it without mentioning names. But this economy is not the right time to have people get taken. I know I'll get hate mail from the MLM crowd, but I don't care. I'm not putting down that line of work. Only the unscrupulous ways some of them use to "recruit". I for one don't want my title/job/reputation as a Recruiter to be confused with theirs. There are ways for teens and college students to make money. Let's take the time to properly educate them so they can make the best decisions for themselves.

Til next time. Watch your back people!

Adrienne Graham Sphere: Related Content

Webinar Teaches Women Fearless Networking...Without Asking Permission

Buck the system and circumvent the Glass Ceiling and the Ol' Boys Network...without asking permission. Learn the ABCs of networking from the woman who personifies networking! Become the networker you were born to be and be fearless doing it.

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) May 22, 2009 -- Let's face it, it's all in WHO you know, but also the ACTION you take. The book Go Ahead, Talk to Strangers- The Modern Girl's Guide to Fearless Networking is a guide for women to elevate their networking game and be fearless about it. Networking is a team sport; and if you don't get in the game, you'll come up short on your career aspirations. Now you can learn how to network fearlessly at the in-demand live Fearless Networking Webinar on June 6th and June 9th.

Written by much sought after Recruitment Consultant and Networking Strategist Adrienne Graham, Go Ahead, Talk to Strangers is a practical guide that gives readers key tips and personal networking experiences designed to show that all women can become fearless networkers. Women find it difficult to make time to network because they don't make the time to fit it in their hectic schedules, or they fear that it won't benefit them. Most don't know how to network effectively, so they feel it doesn't work for them. But with the economy in shambles and jobs (and companies) being obliterated daily, networking allows people to build key relationships they can tap into in a pinch. "People are more willing to help people they know and have a relationship with," says Graham. "This book inspires women to actively build relationships and take 'who they know' and turn it into a competitive advantage. The webinar allows them to immediately put what they learn to work for them".

People are more willing to help people they know and have a relationship with

This book inspires women to actively build relationships and take 'who they know' and turn it into a competitive advantage. The webinar allows them to immediately put what they learn to work for them

If you are ready to become a Fearless Networker, reserve your space for the Fearless Networking Webinar on Saturday, June 6th at 9AM EST or Tuesday, June 9th at 6PM EST. Women can tune in to learn the strategies to become a powerful and empowered networker, followed by a Q & A session. Networking Strategy Coaching and a Fearless Networking Bootcamp are also available to individuals and groups who want to become better networkers. To get your copy of the book, learn about the author, or learn more about coaching and the Fearless Networking Webinar, visit www.goaheadtalktostrangers.com.

About The Author:
Adrienne Graham, the author of Go Ahead Talk to Strangers, is CEO of Hues Consulting & Management, Inc, a diversity recruitment consulting firm, and Founder of Empower Me! Corporation, a media, publishing and networking organization for women. She writes blogs on corporate recruiting, career management and professional development for women, and is the host of the Blog Talk Radio Show Views From the Top.

BOOK SUMMARY:
Title: Go Ahead, Talk to Strangers- The Modern Girl's Guide to Fearless Networking
Author: Adrienne Graham
Publisher: Empower Me! Corporation
ISBN: 978-0-615-25666-5
Softcover, $19.95

###

Post Comment:
Trackback URL: http://www.prweb.com/pingpr.php/WmV0YS1JbnNlLUhvcnItSGFsZi1IYWxmLUNvdXAtWmVybw==

networking women webinar career professional social networking webinar adrienne graham social media online class webcast

Bookmark - Del.icio.us | Furl It | Technorati | Ask | MyWeb | Propeller | Live Bookmarks | Newsvine | TailRank | Reddit | Slashdot | Digg | Stumbleupon | Google Bookmarks | Sphere | Blink It | Spurl

Sphere: Related Content

Working Efficiently at Home as a Contract Recruiter

I've been working as a remotely as a Recruiter for years. First as a business owner, then a Contractor, and now a business owner once again. I have always loved working from home. I get more done being at home and I've gotten really good at multi-tasking. But when I started, there weren't nearly as many advantages and tools as there are now. Let's be real. Who wouldn't want to work at home (or wherever) as a Recruiter. The freedom is liberating and it really can be done despite what the naysayers would like you to believe.

Today’s remote recruiters have many advantages over the recruiters of yesterday. Technology has leveled the playing field for many of us. Before the Internet boom, all we had were a telephone, phone books, a rolodex, directories and various newspapers and magazines to find leads for candidates. And of course, good old fashioned networking. The internet has increased productivity and efficiency of the recruiting process. You can do everything from chronicle interviews, to track applicants, to source candidates to even conduct interviews and meetings online. And the beauty of it is you can do it for free or low cost in most cases.

To be a successful recruiter working from home, you need to have a few essentials to make your job easier and more efficient:

Things You'll Need:

• Home Office
• Blackberry, iPhone, Smartphone
• Applicant Tracking System
• Webcam & conferencing system
• A solid network
• Laptop
• Mobile computing capability
• Access to social networks and specialty job boards
• Kick-butt recruiting skills

• A dedicated office space is vital. This is the most important element. You will be on the phone a lot. A private area free of distractions is best. If you can have an entire room all to yourself instead of the kitchen or family room, the battle is half way won.

• Outfit your home office to resemble an onsite office. Invest in standard office tools- A multifunctional printer/fax/scanner is strongly suggested, although I'm a huge advocate of a paperless office. The right office furniture is crucial because you’ll spend a lot of time in there each day. You need to be comfortable and happy going into your office each day. Because you'll be on the phone a lot, invest in a good headset to give you hands-free conversations with candidates and clients. A stand alone microphone may be useful but it's cumbersome to use. If you can, get a wireless headset if you don’t want to be chained to your desk. Of course you know you need your most important tool- a computer. I prefer a laptop so I have complete mobility to work anywhere. A webcam is fast becoming the new must have tool for people working from home. This is a tool I introduced to my own office a few years ago. It helps me to do “face to face” interviews with candidates, meet with clients and hiring managers, and conduct staff meetings with my team. Flash drive or other back up- A flash drive is vital to backing up your data. I would recommend keeping your candidate data and client records on a flash drive as a BACK UP. Of course you should still back up your information offsite. We never know when a hurricane or other natural disaster will hit. Be prepared.

• Now that you have the foundations of a real office, you need reliable communication. A dedicated cell phone line- I would recommend a two for one here. A Blackberry, iPhone or other smart phone to manage your data and an unlimited plan with no roaming while you're on the go. It's a practical solution for at home use and while on the road if you don't want to carry a laptop. Plus you can keep your finger on the pulse of the operations through web browsing. You’ll still need a separate land line. And a cordless speaker phone is ideal. Instead of investing in a stand alone fax machine, Efax or other web based fax service works well. Nobody really faxes any more. But it’s helpful for receiving resumes and contracts. Everything is housed on your computer via email. Again, I believe in a paperless office. Skype is a service you can use in place of a phone and to conduct web conferences and phone calls. Netmeeting from Microsoft is another option for those on Windows 2000 or XP. And one that I've found most useful is DimDim. I can use it to not only do teleconferences and web conferences, I can also share my desktop and whiteboard views. If you plan to be in conference calls a lot, invest in a dedicated conference number. Freeconference.com allows you to have a dedicated number you can use to conduct conference calls. And the beauty of these services is that they are FREE.

• If you can't access the web, a lot of what I've shared will be rendered useless. I recommend you invest in high speed internet access. Dial up doesn’t cut it any more. Recruiters can spend a lot of time on the internet doing research and managing their practice. Invest in high speed broadband. You can get it in just about any area now so there is no excuse. And to take it further, I also invested in Mobile Broadband from Verizon. I told you, I like to be mobile. I take it whenever I take my laptop and it literally works everywhere- at the airport, on the road, in restaurants, etc. I have the ability to be always "on" and available to candidates and clients. Most new laptops come with automatic wireless configuration. But when you need to take your laptop on the road, it’s best to buy a mobile computing solution. AT&T, Sprint and Verizon are all vying for the number one spot in this area. They each have a small drive you can plug and go anywhere. I take security very seriously. A virtual private network is usually provided by the company you are contracting with. But if you are on your own, there are options out there. OpenVPN, LogMeIn and Cisco Remote Access are examples for free to high end services. Keeping your data safe and secure should be your main priority and it makes your clients feel safer about their data.

• Tap into technology. I've already mentioned a few of the tech items I use for my own business. Now it's time to focus on applications to keep you running smooth. For a Recruiter, an Applicant Tracking System is the lifeline of the business. An ATS helps keep track of job openings, where you post, interview progress, and of course your candidates. I would recommend (in order of preference)Taleo, MaxHire or CATS depending on your need and volume. While Taleo and MaxHire are affordable solutions, CATS has a free and a paid version. If you plan to have subcontractors or staff working with you, an Intranet for your staff and/or clients can come in handy. If you can’t afford an ATS, sign up for a Yahoo Group, Google Apps, or a system like HyperOffice. You can share documents, maintain group calendars, post messages and email and store documents for your team or clients. It's a little more cumbersome than a pure Applicant Tracking System, but worth it if you can function with it. A business email and website is vital so people know who you are. Even if you are just a contractor, you still need a professional presence. You can’t email candidates with a job lead from a Yahoo, Gmail or Hotmail address. It just isn’t professional. At worst, they won't take you serious. You can put together a brief website to showcase your skills and past successes. You can even include a page to submit a resume.

• A Recruiter is nothing without her network. A solid network is key. Online and offline networks need to be cultivated and built over time. That is the first place you turn to when working on filing positions. Places like Linked In, Twitter, Facebook, Viadeo, Ning and Xing are places to build onto your online network. With social networking becoming more popular, a lot of independent recruiters are opting for using them first then considering paid job sites. Internet resources- I detest job boards- are your best sources if you know how to use them right. But I will say that depending on what type of positions you recruit for, they can come in handy for quick pipelines. Monster, Careerbuilder and Dice are the big three. Also look into niche specialty sites to increase your odds of finding the types of people you need. If you can afford it, invest in one or two specialty boards that yield good candidates. ZoomInfo, Spoke, Konnects, Jigsaw, Pipl, Hoovers and Naymez are some of the other sourcing sites you should have premium access to for researching candidates. You can also explore associations, organizations and user groups such as Yahoo Groups. They were around long before social networking sites. In fact, they could be considered the first social networking sites. Don't let your internet sources become your only sources. You still have to use good old fashioned relationship building and people skills OFFLINE. While more people are building their professional presence online, you still need to cultivate personal relationships with them offline.

• Invest in an accountant and accounting/bookkeeping system. Microsoft Money for Small Business, Quicken and Quickbooks Pro are all great tools for managing your finances. If you have decided to work as a W2 contractor, then you won't need to worry much about your finances. But if you work on 1099 or corp to corp, you absolutely must worry about it. As an Independent Contractor you have to invoice your clients on a schedule and collect payments. It's a business and you have to run it as such. Hire a professional to handle the finances if it's too much for you. Just remember, if you don't document, you could be losing money.

• Finally, if you are an in demand Recruiter who is flooded with work, An Assistant or Researcher can do wonders for you. This is perhaps the most important element. A junior recruiter or someone interested in learning recruiting is the perfect person to hire either part time or as an intern. This person will be able to help with administrative functions, invoicing, reporting and general sourcing while you focus on candidate development and the interview process. If you have a client who provides you with administrative support, that's great. But most won't. And being that you work from home, alone, it can't hurt to hire some help.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure you equip yourself to work anywhere and everywhere. Mobile technology is here to stay.
• Invest in an ATS. Documentation and tracking keeps you working smoothly and ensures nothing falls through the cracks.
• Maintain a professional image and make employers feel comfortable with and confident in you. Always put your best foot forward.
• Free isn't always best. Assess each service thoroughly and make sure it provides what you need to get your job done.
• Don't be afraid to hire help if you need it.
• Talk up technology to your clients/hiring managers/managers. It has to fit in seamlessly with their environment or it won't work.
• Keep your skills fresh and your networks growing.
• Remote positions don't come easily. You have to build up trust and a rapport with clients/hiring managers over time. Don't slack off or give sub par service.
• Don't assume that you don't need firewalls or other security because it's "your" computer. Viruses and hackers are everywhere.
• Don't fluff reports. Be detailed and truthful on the work you've done for your client.
• Don't slack on communication. You must always keep the lines of communication open with hiring managers and candidates. The quickest way to lose a client is to disappear when you are most needed.
• Don't be one of the few who mess it up for everyone else. (No explanation required).
  

Resources

• http://corporaterecruitingdiva.blogspot.com
• http://www.huesconsulting.com
• http://www.linkedin.com/in/adriennegraham
• http://www.twitter.com/talentdiva
  

Til next time,

Adrienne Graham Sphere: Related Content

Hire Me- Coming to a Billboard Near You!

This morning, as I watched a news show, I saw yet another instance of candidates bravely taking matters into their own hands to find employment in new and creative ways. I always commend those with the wherewith all to step out and do something to get noticed and ahead. Pasha Stocking paid for a billboard of herself and website to go up over an exit on the I-95 in Bridgeport, CT. The billboard read "Hire Me" and included her website (yeah I'll give her a shout) at http://www.hirepasha.com/. She was on the news this morning and I am impressed. But she spent (reportedly) $7000 to get her billboard up. I venture to say many unemployed cannot afford to take that kind of financial risk and gamble just to find a job. Yes, the payoff potential is great. I'm a risk taker and I know the bigger the risk, the greater return.

But what she did didn't prompt me to write this blog post. It was the why of it. I know this economy has tightened up a little. And I know companies are doing what they must to streamline human capital and costs. I also know that they are playing these "pipeline" games, which I have always been opposed to because it gives false hope to candidates. I understand it, I just don't like it. Have recruiters & employers forced candidates to become like puppets or trained circus seals to find a job? Even the most basic of jobs? Is it no longer about qualifications and all about who can impress/entertain us the most to get a job? Is that fair? I hear from lots of people that the only way employers look at them is if they do something outlandish. Partly true. I've seen some of their resumes and let me tell you, some of them evoked a yawn or three and really didn't stand out or put their best professional foot forward. But ok, we can't use that excuse for everyone. There are some very talent folks out there. Candidates are complaining that traditional methods are not working. And I agree, somewhat. Why are recruiters/employers making them resort to tricks to even get a second look?

With companies out there commencing to pipeline and streamline, I think employer brands are going to suffer. Let me explain why. I'm a job seeker, and I go to a job fair or see some ads on the internet job boards saying "Hey, We're Hiring!". I'm a highly qualified person, talented, and available with a great track record. I get to said event or website and I hear, "well, just submit your resume and someone will contact you". Recruiters, it's time to change your shtick because everyone knows that means "we don't really have jobs we're just pipeling and if we happen to stumble upon a department with an opening in the budget, we may contact you...or may not. It's getting old. People are still showing up to career fairs but with a healthy dose of skepticism. They already go into these things knowing they won't come out with a job. Let's be real, we as recruiters know job fairs rarely give us the return on investment we want and seldom yields us enough great candidates. So why put candidates through that? If it's really just about pipelining, why can't you just tap the job boards and do your name generation behind the scenes, and when ready, then contact them? Don't waste their time or yours. Some recruiters will probably come back and fight me on this, and that's ok. All opinions are welcomed and respected. But hey, it is what it is, and I call it like it is.

Here's my final thought. Recruiters claim the talent pool is larger so they have the luxury of selectively pick and choose the candidates they want. I need you all to understand that more quantity available doesn't always equal the most talented available. Undoubtedly the truly talented will find work quicker. But I want recruiters/employers to understand this and not be so brazenly wrong to believe it is an employers' market. Yes more "people" are on the market. Not much more "talent" is available as you'd like to believe. The truly talented are the last be let go. Don't let ego or false perceptions damage your employer brands.

Til next time.

Adrienne Graham

Sphere: Related Content

Are You Kidding Me??

OK things are getting ridiculous. I understand that there is a so-called recession. I understand companies are looking for ways to trim back on expenses. I even understand that the media has created such a heightened frenzy about the hemorrhaging of jobs in America. But what I cannot understand is why is RECRUITING the first to get hit.

I've been talking to a few friends and former colleagues who are Recruiters, and the stories they've been telling me have been crazy. Companies, it seems, are cutting recruiting staff to skeleton crews because they feel giving the recruitment function to hiring managers and Generalist is the best way to "save money". OK, I understand they need to save money, but this is wrong on so many levels. First of all, hiring managers are busy with their own jobs and managing their departments. Half the time they have no idea how to effectively interview and get candidates they need. The first place they run is to agencies, and last time I checked, that isn't saving much money...for a good agency anyway. Faced with frustration and the possibility of having holes in their teams, they are often desperate and make desperation hires. We as Recruiters know this is not good. You end up spending more money in the end.

Generalist have a billion and one other things on their plate. They are being pulled in so many directions, half the time they barely remember their own name. It's not fair to them to burden them with yet another set of tasks that they may or may not be trained to handle. Some Generalist may have been Recruiters in a past life, but they rarely are looking to return to that old life. You dilute their value by pulling them away from what they do to what you WANT them to do.

Why should recruiting be protected? Simple. If you hired people who are highly skilled, have a solid track record and who understands the intricacies of the recruiting function, then let them do their job. They are the professionals. They are going to brand your company and find yo talent at the best value for your dollar. They understand what it takes in terms of time, patience, luck prayer and money to get the best of the best. Why would you want to lose that advantage?

I believe the problem began when everyone started breaking down the recruiting function. Getting a separate team of Sourcers, then a team to do background checks, then a team to handle interviews. We need to integrate these functions back to the Recruiter. Before everyone starts yelling at me, think about it. Recruiters cried and moaned that they didn't have enough hours in a day to do their jobs. Then those jobs started being parceled off. Now, in the big bad recession, companies are making cuts and Recruiting is getting scrutinized with a fine microscope. A Recruiter who is unafraid to do all of their own grunt work and do it well, are going to be the survivors because they can prove their value. If they take back those functions, they will prove themselves indispensable...and when the market recovers, they'll get that help again. But now is the time to prove your worth.

So companies, before you start slashing Recruitment, think about what you're doing. Do you want a professional who can handle your employment brand effectively, or someone who is begrudgingly forced to do another task they didn't ask for? Think about it. You'll save in the long run if you make the right decision.

Til next time.

Adrienne Graham Sphere: Related Content

Fearless Networking Webcast

You know what? It IS all about "who you know". Let's face it, this economy is on shaky ground. As witnessed by the collapse of some of Wall Street's powerhouse companies we never know when our job is in jeopardy. If your company collapsed tomorrow, what would you do? Do you have a solid network of key decision makers who could help you land your next job? Do you have a contingency plan like starting a business? Chances are if you haven't taken the time to build a strong network, you don't have many allies who can help you in a pinch.

Fearless Networking, based on the book written by Adrienne Graham, gives you the foundations of becoming a fearless networker. In this session, you will learn:

* Branding yourself
* Build, communicate with and tap into your network
* Networking with top executives and key decision makers
* Making a memorable impression on the people you meet
* Positioning yourself as a subject matter expert and an asset
* Being a fearless networker
* Navigating and tapping into traditional and social networking
* Using networking to advance your career or build your business
* Building a proper Inner Circle (aligning yourself with power brokers)
* Networking 'Seasons'
* Networking strategies

Don't miss this dynamic session that prepares you to become a powerful and empowered networker. Your real networking experience begins at this seminar. Adrienne Graham gives attendees a look into her own networking journey, shares her experiences and best advice on building your own network from a position of confidence and strength, and gets the audience involved in interactive networking exercises.

Date: April 4, 2009
Time: 11 AM- 2 PM EST
Location: Online Webcast- must have internet and phone access
Cost: $69 (refer 2 friends who register & get $10 off your registration! Limit 2 referrals per person.)

Space is limited and advanced registration is required. https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=4000183

Drawing will be conducted for a $25 American Express Gift Check, a copy of the book Go Ahead, Talk to Strangers, and 1 free networking coaching session with Adrienne Graham. Sphere: Related Content