Using the twitter.com platform as a base, SMM maintained a constant, live stream of information flowing to 50-inch flat-screen monitors throughout the venue, as well as to the computers and Blackberry devices of hundreds of conference attendees. The “tweets” included scheduling updates and information on dozens of conference program tracks, information on the presenters and key quotes and data from their presentations, and pertinent conference facts. Throughout the two day-event, attendees were invited to stop by SMM’s booth and tweet out their own comments on the conference and presentations.

With as many as five different program tracks running simultaneously, it was literally impossible for any one individual to keep up with everything that was going on at the conference. Aside from helping Advanced Energy 2009 run smoothly, SMM’s innovative use of a relatively new medium enhanced the sense of community and broadened the experience for all the attendees and exhibitors by keeping everyone aware of every highlight and key event.

Don’t just sell the job, sell the company. Do you offer the greatest benefits? Are you an established company? What are the perks? Are there great advancement opportunities? Paid training? Baseball games and picnics? Tuition reimbursement? Flexibility? Discounts? What about bonuses? Wellness plans? The list goes on. Advertise and market what your company offers, then sell them on what they need to do to get a foot in the door!

Address the negativity. Find a way — perhaps through a clever headline or title change — to address the main issue that you know people will find unappealing. One collection agency changed the job title from “Collector” to “Client Service Rep” because the job did not require calling on people in default of loans. Rather, their clients called the reps to set up payment schedules. Understandably, people would most likely to assume the less accurate, more negative interpretation and bypass the opportunity. The same could be done to improve the appeal of a sales job that does not require cold calling — one of the main reasons people fear sales.

Offer a sign-on bonus. In the long run, offering a sign-on bonus can be much less expensive than using a search firm, continuous advertising, or hours of networking to try to get a prospect interested. Make the bonus competitive in your industry, and offer a second bonus if the employee stays on for at least six months.

Search in lateral occupations. Looking for Customer Service Reps but the well is dry? Try posting and advertising under categories of people who might have the people skills necessary to do the job, such as clerical workers, administrative assistants… even waitresses. If you are looking for certain skill sets, think out of the box at other professions that share similar characteristics!

Give better incentives for current staff who recruit. Sometimes the same old employee referral program just doesn’t provide the motivation that it used to. Refreshing the program and giving it a new look and feel can improve recruitment referrals by100%. It’s a small investment to create some fun posters, paycheck stuffers, promo’s, table tent cards, etc., to really get people motivated about referring and encouraging others they know to work for your company. And remember, employee referral programs also improve retention because everyone wants to work with their friends!

Lastly, show career paths. The best way to have a candidate try a job that may not be their ideal choice is by showing specific ways in which they can move up in the company. Some firms advertise “management potential in two years.” That is a big plus. Consider how many jobs don’t really have any moving up potential, and any candidate looking for long-term growth will appreciate the incentive.

-Tricia Folliero, Vice President, Sanna Mattson Macleod smmadagency.com

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It is my contention that social media, done right, can greatly reduce a company’s reliance on the major job boards, and in some cases eliminate the need entirely. The ‘big 3′ may not like that theory, but they cant ignore the truth about what’s happening online. There are now dozens of great new tools (many of which are free) to find the talent your firm needs.

Entice Labs’ TalentSeekr product which puts your job in front of the right audience. John Sumser calls them a game-changer. Jobvite is also getting a lot of buzz as a way to make referrals a major pipeline. Facebook employer pages are popping up everday (see E&Y). A recruiting channel on Youtube is a no -brainer. Just ask a company like Deloitte.

Twitter is now a viable means of recruiting as well. I’ve heard multiple stories of how people are discovering jobs via the micro-blogging service and landing them. Companies like Intel and Sodexo are very active in this world. In fact Sodexo has a presence on nearly every major social media platform there is and they actively promote them on their career site.

My point is that if social media is good enough for these name-brand companies, it’s good enough for the rest of you. Whether you have ten employees or ten thousand, social media works because it humanizes your company. So I challenge you to convince the powers that be within your organizations to adopt a social media recruiting strategy. Start small, do a podcast or write a blog. But just do something.
–Chris Russell