Personal Branding Blog… an interesting discussion

I recently read “When Personal Branding, Social Media and Human Resources Collide”, a blog post by Dan Schawbel in which he reviewed a discussion with Steph K, an HR Director at HP. The full discussion can be found at: http://www.personalbrandingblog.com/when-personal-branding-social-media-and-human-resources-collide/

The article mainly focuses on blogging, in particular the use of blogs by HR people. However, the last two questions contained information that I found pertinent to my current research. In one question, Schawbel asks “What are the top 3 things you’ve learned as an HR professional while blogging that you didn’t know before?” Personally, I like lists. They condense information and make it easier for me to store in a busy brain. Steph K answers with these three items:

“1. It’s really easy to get wrapped up in your own company and not pay enough attention to trends in the outside world. Blogging and reading blogs has helped me stay informed about the world and people outside my company, more than I expected.

2. A blog is not PR. Corporate blogs are not the company line or the company position, they’re just a place to write the blog around a common interest. Bloggers are asked to represent their own viewpoints; they are not a spokesperson for the company. At the same time, bloggers have a lot of responsibility. We need to be aware of things like privacy and be able to achieve the perfect balance of discretion and transparency.

3. I’ve been pretty amazed at the amount and quality of information that’s out in the blogosphere. In HR, recruiters seem to be the biggest group out there blogging and reading. This should be good news for job seekers because recruiters are always looking for candidates to match the positions they’re working on, even in tough times when they have fewer positions to fill. The world is n the midst of a changing recruitment model and companies as well as candidates are trying to figure out better ways to find each other. I think social media has a huge role to play in that.”

The first item on his list makes a great point. In expanding knowledge of trends in the outside world, outside of a particular company, it can give a professional the knowledge and opportunity to perform better in their current position.

The second item, regarding PR, deals directly with appropriateness and professionalism. It touches on the idea of a fine line between the freedom to express ones opinion and thoughts without causing damage or harm to the reputation of a company. Although not all posts are negative, this is a controversial area and is often one brought to the forefront of the topic. Although blogs are not “PR” represented by the company, they could easily create situations that would potentially involve a PR department if the blogging got out of hand. On the other hand, blogs can also serve to spread positive news by reviewing topics, situations, services, products or practices that could also positively affect a company. In addition to employee blogging, clients and consumers can also blog and comment on blogs which only expands the “word of mouth” regarding a company.

Third on Steph K’s list is a comment on the “amount and quality of information” found in online blogs. He states that “recruiters seem to be the biggest group out there blogging and reading”. This is a great thing for those of us out there looking for potential job opportunities, especially if they are reading our blogs…that is, of course, if the blogs they are reading are relevant to their company and well written. It also gives potential employees an edge over those who just send in a resume and go to an interview. Blogging can show off great writing skills and knowledge on a variety of topics.

Additionally, Steph K describes the web as a “great equalizer” with “constant correction and improvement of information” which means that there is updated information all the time. However, this also means that there more of a chance to receive incorrect information, so blog readers should beware of their sources. Just because everyone can have an opinion and post blogs doesn’t mean that their information is correct.

In the last question of the discussion Steph K asks, “Even before social media, networking was often touted as the best way to get a job and this can be tough for people who are early in their careers. Personal branding seems instrumental to that. What do you think is the best way to get a new job, and if you had to pick one piece of advice to give new grads, what would you tell them?”  

Schwabel’s first sentence sums up the answer: “I would recommend that they start as early as possible”. He advises that new grads, “invest in the development of content that you can use in your interviews or to attract new opportunities”. Regarding social networks, Shwabel’s position is that they have “leveled the playing field, such that you can connect directly with hiring managers and recruiters, instead of submitting your resume to job boards”.

The Personal Branding Blog has been syndicated in Reuters, Forbes.com, Sun-Times, Hoovers, and Fox Business.

Preliminary conclusions

Some preliminary thoughts regarding some of my questions:

How and to what extent do HR departments and professionals screen employees before hiring by searching and examining their online presence?

            I have spoken to about 10 different employers by mouth and Twitter… about half said they check out social networks either before or after an interview. Depending on my time, it might be interesting to look at several different fields to see if this changes. I have found multiple articles on online presence, but not published data on specifically on how often it is used by employers to screen. I plan to address this more when I get to the topics in Week 4.

What do they look for?

The employers that I talked to said that they look at the information posted by the potential employee, pictures, and content to judge professionalism.

How can social media be used as a tool to enhance one’s job application, professional career and networking abilities?

            Establishing a professional, clean, online presence can make one more versatile in the job market for several reasons. Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, PROpen Mic and LinkedIn offer the opportunity to connect with professionals in your field. You can also connect visually through friends and friends of friends, one can ask questions, learn about job openings, etc.

Having recently joined Twitter, I have seen many job openings posted just since I joined. On Twitter, the content of postings has a lot to do with how the site functions as a tool. If one posts, say, what they’ve eaten, where they’ve gone, or some other unnecessary detail. This isn’t really using Twitter to an advantage. However, by responding with educated thoughts, a user can offer succinct opinions and share valuable information with a easily reachable target audience. The user can also “follow” other users and gain information this way. Many users post articles and information about topics relevant to a field, and users can also search by keyword.

I have not found very much information on Facebook as a professional tool, but have heard more about it as a tool to “research” potential employees. Although users can join groups associated with their company, post job history and education info, and publicly advertise, I have found that it is used more as a friendly social networking site and less used for professional networking. LinkedIn, however, is primarily for posting professional information. Users of  LinkedIn can connect with other users resulting in a professional network that can be reviewed visually. On Facebook, one can create groups to separate different types of “friends”, but those “friends” can be from any area of one’s life.

Also in researching these sites, I found the site called VisualCV.com where one can publish their Resume or C.V. as well as work samples, visual images, audio and video samples, etc. All of these components are linked on a site with a personalized web address which can be published on various social networks and exists online for employers to review. Personally, I think it’s brilliant and competitive and should be a requirement of colleges and universities. Documents from many programs can be uploaded to an online portfolio, and the visual CV can be linked to a number of different social networking sites including Facebook, LinkedIn, Myspace, and Twitter. It can also be downloaded and exported as a PDF to be printed or e-mailed. According to their website:

            “A VisualCV is an Internet-based, multimedia resume that provides a comprehensive picture of you professionally and allows you to stand out from the crowd.”

Social Media is a quickly growing industry and there are professionals needed to run it and keep companies current on the various social networks and social media sites. Many companies have hired professionals simply to improve their online presence. Since they basically offer a way to conduct free advertising, companies can harness this by appointing a position to use social media to their benefit. Potential employers who are competing in a technical, global market realize this. By enhancing your abilities to use social media, and knowing how to effectively use it, one can boost their job application and resume.

            Social Media is also being referred to by some as a “bandwagon”, but it does have its advantages. I can definitely see how it could be huge cost in inefficiency by being abused by employees who have access to it during the day. It also has the capability to hurt one’s reputation by the “wrong” material being posted. However, I feel that if it is used wisely, it offers potential employees, current employees, and companies a great way to expand their outreach and receive feedback in a global economy.