Google+ and Recruiting

When it comes to social media, there is no doubt that some platforms are better than others. Of course, this is very dependent on one’s goal, as the audience tends to vary from site to site. For instance, LinkedIn is designed for serious professionals who want to connect with peers and potentially advance their careers, which makes it a valuable asset to recruiters. Facebook and Twitter are absolute must-haves for anyone, including recruiters, mainly due to their vast audiences.

Then there is Google Plus.

To this day, it seems that Google Plus is still some sort of enigma to many people. Why? I’m not entirely sure. Perhaps it is rooted in an innate distrust of Google, though I’m not convinced that’s what’s keeping people, and especially recruiters, from using it. Newsflash: Google Plus is now the second largest social network in the world. If that’s not enough to convince recruiters to jump on board, consider the following:

Circles

This was Google’s big selling point when they launched Google Plus (remember the commercials?). At the time, people were very dissatisfied with Facebook’s sweeping privacy changes, and Google tried to capitalize. The “circles” feature allows you to choose who can see each post. While this might be more useful for individuals who don’t want their boss know about their latest weekend outing, it can also be helpful for recruiters who want to control who is seeing what. After all, recruiters and staffing agencies often have two distinct audiences: job seekers and companies who might hire out their services to fill positions.

Communities

While not unique to Google Plus, a lot of communities on Google Plus tend to be vibrant and active. Recruiters will want to take a look at “Job Postings” communities within their particular industry, among many others. This is probably the best way to target audiences, but recruiters should make sure that they don’t try to promote their own openings too much. It sends the wrong message, and people will eventually tune you out. Try to engage in industry-related discussions and give job seeker’s tips geared toward their field of work before mixing in the occasional job opening.

IT Audience

This is not applicable to all recruiters, but for those who focus on the IT field, Google Plus is an absolute must-have. People in the IT community tend to be more active on Google Plus than anywhere else, so if you haven’t joined Google Plus you are lagging way behind. It’s time to get on board.

As mentioned in the introduction, the usefulness of social media sites depends largely on what you plan on doing, but there is no longer an excuse for staffing agencies and recruiters to not be on Google Plus. It’s certainly not the ghost town that some people claim, and the site has a number of features that warrant giving it at least a look. What are you waiting for?

-Cobey Culton