This week I attended a seminar titled "The Power of Recruiting" why it was called that I'm not sure, as it was really an update of new technologies available to the recruitment industry, and how to develop a roadmap to utilise these technologies effectively. It looked at 4 key areas; Your Website, Job Boards & Print, Social Networks, and New Media Tools.  I won't going into the in's and out's of the seminar, but comment general about my thoughts.

Firstly; it was well attended by directors and managers, meaning that there is a huge interest in this area, but possibly little understanding of how to do it, and what the expense is.

Secondly; linking social networks through to your website, getting employees to connect up with the company profile on facebook or myspace, and having mini websites (carbon copies, just using same info from the website - easy) on them.  I had some idea in this area, but didn't realise what other companies are doing.  They have company pages on facebook and myspace, with video, discussion forums, news and events, the list goes on.... Why? Because that little box on facebook or myspace that says 'Search' well people are using it like google, they are doing research on companies for product information, jobs and probably just to see if you're up with the times - What am I going to do? Build the company profile in social networks for one; and two while we already have an on line video (introduction and testimonial), I'm looking to invest in video interviewing and video job adverts - the job seeker is getting harder to attract, are more savvy and hunger for easily digested information, in short they want to hear and watch it... If that's what the market wants, then I just need to find the cost effective way of doing it, and we'll find it.

Thirdly; every heard of Second Life or Entropis Universe? Well if you haven't; it's an on line game where your living a second life, got an apartment, job, go out, eat, have friends and relationships... Anyway, recently a virtual job fair was hosted, by one of the largest advertising & communication companies in the world.  Now considering that it's a virtual world, they had nearly 1160 interview requests, over 310 interviews accepted  (These are real jobs, with real candidates), I don't have the stats at current on how many actual hires took place, however what it does show, is that people are using different social and interactive technology to explore opportunity, both real life and virtual.  The question is, what's happening in your market?

All up the seminar was a real eye opener, I listened carefully and took a heap of notes, and what I like about some of my competitors, is that they think it's too hard and out of there reach, and guess what, I'm not going to tell them otherwise.