Don’t Forget the Lurkers in All Your Social Recruitment Activities

By Jessica Miller-Merrell

If there is one thing I’ve learned in all my years of HR blogging, posting, tweeting and social interaction, it’s that even if there are few comments, people are listening. In fact, those who are interacting are a small representative sample of all the people out there watching, reading and following. The vast majority of people are actually lurkers. 

“Lurkers” sounds like it could be a negative term but in the online world, a lurker is just someone who stays in the shadows. They want to hear what you have to say and see what your company is doing, but you’ll rarely see them interacting. Instead, they’re floating around out there quietly researching, reading and absorbing your information and content. And if it’s not enough to know that they’re secretly finding value in what you have to say, also know that they’re making judgments about your organization and even talking about you. This is why it’s so important to consider them when planning your social recruiting tactics.

Catering to the lurkers

Did you know that lurkers make just as good employees as vocal social followers? It seems silly to say that, but there are many people who seem to not know that because they only attempt to reach the most vocal. In the recruiting game, comments don’t necessarily equal desirable employer. They can, but they don’t always. In any case, it’s important to remember that you may be missing out on some of your best future employees by ignoring the lurkers.

Lurkers are information seekers, so the best way to cater to this crowd is to make information and resources readily available to them. Share about your company culture, what your employees are like, the organization’s values and more.

If you won’t, someone else will

One of the most important reasons to provide this information is because you’re not only missing out on reaching this crowd but also driving them toward outside sources to seek information.

CEB reported that a shocking 80 percent of candidates visit other sources online to find out about a company, such as employer-review websites. This could hurt companies who work hard to shape their employer brand because third-party websites typically have no way to filter inaccurate or unnecessarily negative (read: posts from disgruntled employees) information from being presented. While there are some who will always consult outside websites when considering an employer, many just want their questions answered and aren’t getting what they need on a company careers page.

You have the ability to influence lurkers each time you post. And trust me when I say that every time you think something went unseen, it was likely seen by many. This is something you don’t have to take my word for, however. In the last few years, social analytics have revealed a lot more to us about how many people see our posts, videos and links than ever before. It’s enlightening to know that people, both lurkers and active participants, are following your every move. It helps you shape your messaging and strategy to reach the majority rather than just a few. 

Jessica Miller-Merrell, SPHR is a workplace and technology strategist specializing in social media. She’s is the Chief Blogger & Founder of Blogging4Jobs. You can follow her on Twitter @jmillermerrell. 

5 Books About Human Capital and Recruitment I’m Reading in 2015

By Jessica Miller-Merrell

The human resources industry is constantly evolving and changing, which is why it’s so important for practitioners to make research and discovery as much a part of their jobs as anything else. Whether you’re naturally a reader or not, there is so much insight that can be gained by spending some time with your nose in a book. And with the new year upon us, my mind is already on the books I’ll be reading in 2015. Without further ado, here are five books you’ll find me glued to this year. Each have been chosen for different reasons, but they are all worth the read.

Age of Context: Mobile, Sensors, Data and the Future of Privacy 

by Shel Isreal and Robert Scoble

It’s important for us to understand where our industries and businesses are heading, and “Age of Context” helps us to discover just that. Constant development goes beyond consumer technology and is quickly moving into businesses and our workplaces as the way we do business continues to be more and more technology centric. It’s vital for us not only keep up but also know where we’re going because best-in-class employees we seek to recruit and hire are increasingly expecting us to be at the cutting edge.

Predictive Analytics for Human Resources

by Jac Fitz-Enz

Jac Fitz-Enz has long been known as a pioneer in the human resources and analytics spaces, which is why his newest book, “Predictive Analytics for Human Resources,” was so highly anticipated. HR is increasingly making use of analytics and saying goodbye to dumb luck (link to post about dumb luck) but it’s still an area that some practitioners are unfamiliar with. Start with Fitz-Enz’s “The new HR Analytics,” then follow up with this book to gain a well-rounded understanding of analytics in HR.

The 4-Hour Workweek

by Tim Ferriss

Tim Ferriss’ “The 4-Hour Workweek” has changed my approach to business, which is why I’ll revisit it again in 2015. In this book, Ferriss paints a real-life view of what the business world is like, though it may have you shaking your head and wondering if anyone plays by the rules. Even so, a lot of what business is about is finding a way to manage our time, be as productive as possible and learn how to make other companies’ natural weaknesses work in our favor to hire their best employees.

No Fear: Business Leadership for the Digital Age

by Mark Mueller-Eberstein and Pekka Viljakainen

This book helps you understand and engage the digital cowboys of your workplace and leverage their habits to elevate your business and brand beyond compare. The authors’ focus on ROI and metrics provides useful insights into the world of the social media, blogging and online communities.

How: Why HOW We Do Anything Means Everything

by Dov Seidman

Sometimes the best way to learn how to make something happen is to hear from those who have already made it happen. “How” does just that by discussing the monumental business and work shift we are encountering as our businesses become globally interconnected. The book shares how top-notch business leaders stay effective in this fast moving, technology-focused, transparent economy.

Jessica Miller-Merrell, SPHR is a workplace and technology strategist specializing in social media. She’s is the Chief Blogger & Founder of Blogging4Jobs. You can follow her on Twitter @jmillermerrell. 

How to Talk to and Not At Your Job Seeker Candidates

By Jessica Miller-Merrell

Recruiting strategies are the key to successfully guiding your talent acquisition efforts, but at the heart of that strategy is something so foundational that without it, your strategy won’t succeed –Relationships. Our connections with people will always be the heart of any strategy or employment brand campaign. If strategies and campaigns are the road map we follow, relationships are the vehicle that carries us to our destination.

It’s kind of surprising that given the fact that relationships are so vital to a recruiter’s success, I see so many who struggle to build quality relationships with prospective candidates.

A lot of the struggle to foster relationships boils down to one thing: how we talk to job seekers and candidates. All too often we talk at, not with, candidates. It’s important that recruiters master this aspect of their business because candidates will seek out information from one place or another, whether it’s from the recruiter or elsewhere. This was proven by research published by Conference Executive Board that shared that 80% of candidates seek information about a potential employer from outside sources. This high number raises the question of whether or not candidates are even getting adequate information from their recruiter in the first place. When candidates come to you over outside sources, you have more influence over how their opinion of the company is shaped and get an opportunity to address concerns right out of the gate and help them feel comfortable with the potential transition.

Use these four strategies to build better connections with job seekers by speaking with, not at, them:

Create a conversation, not a lecture

Across all aspects of life, many of us are guilty of performing monologues rather than creating conversations. It’s especially important to make the most of the time you have when communicating with a job seeker, so you must find a balance between sharing and obtaining the information you need and creating a two-way conversation. No one likes to be talked at, so treat your candidate like you would a new friend and create an exchange of information that helps you get to know each other better.

Meet them where they are

Recruiters tend to do a good job of reaching out to candidates in their natural habitat, whether that’s on LinkedIn, through email, by phone or on Twitter. We know we have to meet them where they are initially, but all too often, we make the candidate do the work after that initial point of contact. The best way to maintain conversation is to be consistent and easy to get in touch with.

WIFM

You know how any given conversation helps you –you’re gauging their interest, asking them to apply or seeking further details, but how do each of these conversations benefit them? Put yourself in the candidate’s shoes and ask yourself, if I’m the candidate, what’s in it for me? How does the conversation at hand provide value to them as well? If you’re only thinking about what you can get out of a conversation, it will be apparent. 

Build a personal connection

At the end of the day, every conversation should be a baby step in fostering a connection with the candidate. If they feel connected to you as a person, they’re more likely to reply to an email, answer their phone and even trust you. So consider whether or not you create an enjoyable, relaxed and open environment. In short, would you want to talk to you?

These four strategies do far more than help you build a relationship that will turn the candidate into an employee. They also help to create brand ambassadors for you even before a candidate is hired. By building a relationship and rapport with our candidates for the long term, they turn into much more than just candidates. They can easily be our biggest champions and brand ambassadors.

Jessica Miller-Merrell, SPHR is a workplace and technology strategist specializing in social media. She’s is the Chief Blogger & Founder of Blogging4Jobs. You can follow her on Twitter @jmillermerrell. 

Despite Technology, Recruiting is Still About the People. Always.

By Jessica Miller-Merrell

It seems that across the HR industry, technology has begun to take center stage. Some may think that HR has turned into one giant robot, while others may want us to believe we couldn’t do our jobs without it. But the role of human resources existed long before technology and will continue on with or without it. HR isn’t a technology-driven industry. It’s a people-driven industry.

In HR, the star of the show always has been and always will be people. It’s easy to get caught up in the latest and greatest tool or technology that helps you do your job quicker, more accurately and better than the competition, but we can never lose sight of the fact that the only reason we even use tools is to reach, hire and retain people. At the end of the day, the best HR technology in the world can’t create the type of people we need and make them stay. We’ve got to remember that as we adopt more technology over time, there will never be a substitution for the human element.

People vs. technology

I am a major proponent of technology, both in my professional and personal life, but even I can admit that technology has its limitations. This especially proves to be true in an industry where the human element is such a key part of all that we do. Technology will never be able to make connections, build relationships, determine when and how to deal with a personnel problem or be able to assess a situation and all its human complexities. Technology can do a lot for us, but it will never be able to meet human needs.

Technology has its place in the industry, though, and that is to support the efforts of HR professionals. The role of HR technology is not to replace human resources or recruiting. Technology is designed to help automate administrative tasks so we can focus on what’s important. And that is the people side of HR.

People don’t work for technology. They work for people.

There’s a lot to be said for being a trendy company, having the best technology, a cool image and modern branding, but that’s not usually why people want to work with you. It may get them in the door, but what’s going to make them want to stay is the people. They want to work with people who inspire and challenge them. They want to work with people who see the world differently.

From the outside looking in

Outsiders often place too much weight on what HR technology can do instead of why we’re using it. Executives and others on the outskirt of HR looking in sometimes look at all the functions HR does and immediately associate a technology with that task. For instance, they may attribute recruiting success to social networks even though it would be impossible to accurately source candidates on social networks without a recruiter’s knowledge and techniques. Technology supplements the work we do, but it does not replace it. As HR professionals, a small part of our job is showing business leaders and others the value we bring, and this area is no exception. We must help them see what role technology plays and what role we play.

Technology helps businesses cut through the red tape and paperwork to see what really matters at the end of the day, which is people. The human element is the key to everything.

Jessica Miller-Merrell, SPHR is a workplace and technology strategist specializing in social media. She’s is the Chief Blogger & Founder of Blogging4Jobs. You can follow her on Twitter @jmillermerrell. 

Jeff Lackey @Rolls-Royce: Creative People + Authentic Storytelling = The Right Hire

By Marylene Delbourg-Delphis

One of the best presentations at the December HCI Conference in San Francisco was the last one: Jeff Lackey's. The title says it all: "Creative People + Authentic Storytelling = The Right Hires." I love such straightforward and energizing assertiveness.

If you think you know everything about Rolls-Royce, think twice. This prestigious company produced its first aircraft engine a century ago and generated half of the aircraft engines used by the Allies in World War I; it is now the second-largest maker of aircraft engines and one of the top largest defense contractors in the world.  Rolls-Royce would have the perfect makeup to be somewhat conservative and unappealing to younger generations of employees. However, many consumer brands may have a hard time catching up with Roll-Royce's upbeat approach.

Jeff Lackey and his team addressed this potential perception problem in four short years and transformed the organization into an employer of choice addressing head-on what matters if you want to attract IQ and foster diversity. You must:

• Speak the language of your sociological target (the millennials who will compose the majority of the workforce in 2015),
• Offer a career path and not simply a job,
• Identify the candidates with a calling rather than those only looking for a position,
• Reflect our societal diversity, nurture thought-diversity, and proactively cultivate the interest of veterans, students and women in STEM.

As Jeff likes to put it, "World-class products start with world-class people." Of course, the number one requirement to attract world-class people is a world-class sourcing and recruiting team. Jeff raves about his game-changing squad: 

• Lindsey Gamble, Global Resourcing Manager for Engineering (yes, a woman!); 
• Tiffany Overton, Diversity Resourcing Leader; 
• Toby Barnes, now Group Head of Resourcing at Travis Perkins; and 
• The irresistible Daniel Perkins, Global Employment Brand Manager, whose contagious sense of fun ravished the HCI audience. 

Thought-leadership is not a solo endeavor: it's a shared mindset for a better workplace where people turn into storytellers and, by becoming the company's evangelists, attract new candidates.

Creativity is the motto of the talent acquisition department, so much so that when you watch the videos they produce, you want to be part of the Rolls-Royce's DNA adventure. Here is the video presentation of this philosophy they gave to university students across the UK earlier this year:

Employment branding doesn't start when you opportunistically need candidates. It's an overarching motivational message. Inspired by a young LEGO fan in Derby, U.K., Rolls-Royce made a replica of a jet engine from 152,455 LEGO bricks. Key to the team's outreach is to appeal to new generations and prompt interest in technology and science as a means for a more sustainable future.

Many venerable brands still stick with the self-centered and condescending approach that people should be grateful to be offered a job. Rolls-Royce has definitely given the cold shoulder to these paternalistic behaviors of the past and embraced our people-centric social world: stop waiting for candidates to come to you but, rather, proactively pave the way for them to become your fans whether or not you currently have a job for them.

The cultural change initiated by Jeff Lackey and his team is somewhat spectacular. Think that four year ago LinkedIn was not even allowed behind the firewall. Today, the Rolls-Royce group has a stimulating YouTube channel and has garnered over half a million fans on Facebook.