Last week I wrote about social networking skills such as Twitter being part of a political reporter’s job spec at a major newspaper, as alluded to in the recruitment drive.
The electronics company Best Buy is even more direct in its job advertisement for a senior manager: you have to be a graduate with at least 250 followers on Twitter and a year’s active blogging experience, reported The Telegraph.
I can understand it.
For the last two years, I’ve personally been asking job applicants for evidence about their activities on social networks. I’ve turned down CV’s in the screening process before even meeting the candidate after establishing, either through their agent or a simple online search, a lack of interest in Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and blogging.
Why? Your clients are on Facebook and Twitter. Your brand, products, competitors and business environment are being discussed in the blogosphere. I’ve had key questions answered on LinkedIn and Twitter, often from people I don’t know. I found one of my main suppliers on LinkedIn – he must be happy about his presence there as I’ve become one of his major clients. He works with a partner on another continent whom he had met on Facebook. I’m about to outsource work to a lawyer I met on Twitter. I want to appoint those people who understand the world we do business in.
It’s 2009. The world around you is on social networks whether you get it or not.
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