What's New In Social Media? ? Career Partners International ...

by Elaine Varelas CPI Boston Keystone Partners

I know of at least a few HR traditionalists who are secretly hoping that the social media frenzy will quickly go the way of the mimeograph machine and typewriter, becoming obsolete and fading away. In fact, the opposite is happening. According to a comScore report, social networking accounts for one of every six minutes spent online. It?s growing exponentially and has a significant and dynamic impact on business. Having a social media ?presence? isn?t enough any more. Organizations that don?t have a concentrated, encompassing social media strategy are being left behind. The same is true for all job seekers and business professionals.

While social media?s early adopters may have been the ubertechies and middle-schoolers, it isn?t just the realm of teens and tweens anymore. Believe it or not, a? Pew Internet and American Life study found that the average age of Facebook users is 38! Social media sites, such as LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Twitter are being utilized by millions of Americans for professional endeavors including recruitment, job searches, and other career development activities. Here?s what you need to know and do to be a social media star:

Accept it ? Social media is here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future. It isn?t just ?fun? or ?interesting,? but is quickly emerging as a powerful tool for HR and other business areas. Once you accept this fact, you can figure out how it can (and will) impact your organization and your career. If you can learn how to harness it you, can get out in front of it.

Change your perceptions (and those of leaders) ? There is an erroneous perception that social media is just for the slacker generation. However, that is no longer the case. Social media is a viable business tool. It isn?t just for the marketing team or IT department. Used the correct way, it can drive business, attract customers and employees, aid in a job search, increase employee engagement, and help to build a brand. HR professionals may have to work within the organization to change these perceptions. Those whose job it is to take the lead on social media strategies cannot be deemed as having a less important ? or more frivolous ? job than others in the company.

Educate yourself ? If you think a Tweet is a sound a bird makes and Pinterest is a typo, it is time to learn about social media. You may have a personal understanding of social media (hey, you?re on Facebook!) or a peripheral knowledge of how the technology works but you need to build your business-based knowledge. How can you drive business, attract customers and clients, and recruit new employees? How are job seekers using it? Customers? Competitors? You can educate yourself, take a seminar, or enlist an expert at your organization to become your social media mentor.

Get a person (or a team) ? Have a designated person to work on social media strategies. If you?re in a large organization, you may need a team or a department.? Social media is fluid. It changes everyday. You can?t just put a plan in place and follow it. The plan could be obsolete within a week! You will fall behind if you don?t have that person to update and implement your plan.

Have a strategy ? It is possible to waste your time on Facebook or Pinterest (face it, we?ve all done it). While it?s okay to waste a few hours on a Saturday morning, it shouldn?t be done on business time. Have a policy of ?who? and ?what? ? who should be using the technology and how. What is expected of people in different positions? At many companies, middle managers aren?t even on LinkedIn. They may think they ?don?t have time? or that time spent on social media won?t be valued.? Management also needs to be educated about how social media can help the organization and their employees careers, not to mention how it can help them reach their own department (customers, sales, referrals, retention) goals.? Someone in the midst of career transition will also need a solid social media strategy to ensure that they get the most out of their social media efforts when it comes to their job search.

Take the lead ? Where do the social media conversations happen? Who is involved in making decisions? It should be done at the leadership level. These aren?t backroom conversations in the IT department.? Social media can reach active and passive job seekers. It can also be a valuable retention tool and help to build brand and company awareness and loyalty. It can touch almost every aspect of business, from employee engagement to the job search, so it needs to be given credence by company leaders. Not too long ago company leaders were wondering if every employee should have a computer. Leaders should be having these same conversations about social media.

Despite your secret wishful thinking, social media is here to stay?and it is changing at lightning fast speed. Instead of lamenting it, get out in front of it. It is time to embrace social media before you miss out on a tremendous business tool.

We would love to hear how your organization is using social media!

Source: http://cpikc.com/2013/02/23/whats-new-in-social-media/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=whats-new-in-social-media

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