If you’re a regular visitor to the CornerStone Staffing blog, you know that social media should be an integral component of your recruiting plan. And the latest entry into the social media fray is known as Google+ (or Google Plus). A social media tool that is part of your Google account (which you may use for Gmail, Picasa or other Google tools), Google+ offers a new way to network, connect with peers and meet great new talent.
Google+ has already made a huge splash on the social media landscape. As of October 2011, there were more than 40 million users! And it’s inevitably becoming a game-changer for recruiting in social media. Let’s take a look at some of the ways Google+ is different than Facebook, and how that impacts you:
- You should already have a profile (and people will expect it to be up and running!). Google+ is past its infancy, and now that businesses can set up their own pages on Google+, top talent and potential clients expect you to have an active profile. Google+ is the latest tool, and it came out of the box with a clamoring for invites. Now that the floodgates are open, you had better have a profile. If you’re not sure how to set one up and use Google+, here’s an excellent online tutorial to help you get started.
- Google+ isn’t about “friends.” Ever have an awkward moment where you receive a Facebook friend request from someone who isn’t really a friend? Google+ circumvents this issue with “circles.” In your Google+ “circles,” you can organize all your connections. Each circle can have access to different pieces of information. Someone (including job seekers and clients) can add you to his or her circle without permission; however, you can control what these people see.
- Privacy still matters. Privacy settings come into play on all social media sites, most notably with Facebook and it’s frequent privacy updates. With Google+, your privacy settings allow you to set certain information as a public “share,” so even someone who isn’t in one of your circles can still keep tabs on relevant information. This can be a great way to include clients, job seekers or current employees, without having to give access to more personal information than you’d like. Google+ blurs the line in our online “worlds” more than any other social media site. Use your privacy settings to your advantage.
- Google+ is more about engaging conversation. Facebook and Twitter are excellent resources for sharing information, and the occasional short conversational exchange. Google+ is made for conversations – in other words: relationship-building. “Hangout,” a group video chat function, allows you to speak to multiple friends (coworkers, staff at clients, etc) using your webcam. Hangout doesn’t require additional software like Skype, and is an easy way to assemble multiple people (across different locations), quickly. “Sparks” is the Google+ news function (similar to your Facebook news feed). Use Sparks to share information and stories (and start conversations) with members of your various circles.
For more information about Google+, visit the official Google+ website.
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