BMC Communities: Blog: IT for Gen Y: Social Media and the Net Generation: Friday Round-Up: Social Media and HR

- by Alena Hitzemann, Associate Web Editor

Earlier this week, my Web Strategy cohorts and I met with some representatives of BMC's HR team to discuss opportunities on the web. Careers have a strong presence on our company website, but we wanted to explore ideas and options beyond bmc.com. This led to an interesting conversation about HR's current relationship to social media.

To me, the connections between recruiting, job hunting and web 2.0 seem intuitive and obvious. I was on the job prowl not too terribly long ago, and social media played an integral role in the process. Before submitting an application, I not only Googled a company, I searched Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to see what the general public was saying. When I was lucky enough to get an interview, this research intensified. I dug deep for details on anyone I'd be meeting, and usually discovered a wealth of information. By the time the interview began, I often knew what these people looked like, where they lived, where they'd worked in the past, where they went to school, and more.

Was this process slightly creepy? Maybe. Semi-stalkerish? Perhaps. But the thing is, I assumed that they were doing the exact same thing about me. In fact, I would be surprised if they didn't. I keep constant tabs on my online reputation, making sure that Google results, Facebook pages and the like present both information and images that I'm comfortable showing the world. In my opinion, this is common sense. Don't want future employers seeing intoxicated/questionable/incriminating photos of you? Don't put them on the internet.

But- as our conversation with HR proved this week- it's not that simple. From a legal and ethical perspective, knowing too much about a potential employee can lead to shaky ground. Best practices around recruiting and hiring are constantly evolving. The essential tools in the HR professional's belt change frequently. The gray area surrounding the confluence of staying up to date, staying relevant, staying on the ball, staying legal and staying out of trouble continues to grow.

And so, in the spirit of making that gray area just slightly more clear, I present the first installment of the Friday Round-up. These links represent my attempt at learning more about social media and HR. I hope they help you do the same.

LinkedIn:

Savvy Companies Get LinkedIn To Find Top Talent

I’m On LinkedIn… Now What?

Discrimination Issues:

Social Media, Recruitment, Discrimination & The Legal Implications

Is it ethical for a recruiter to Google a candidate?

General Social Media:

CareerBuilder’s Top Ten Best Practices for Using Social Media as a Recruitment Tool

Enterprise 2.0 - Using Social Media to Address HR Priorities

Social Media For Hr Professionals Beyond Linked In 4 16 2009

Three Ways to Use Social Media for HR Needs

Social Media and HR Communication Strategy