ResearchGoddess

I got really, really fired up by a post I read last Friday that went completely off on social media, ‘snake oil salesmen’, training and certifications, and so forth. I won’t do it the honor of linking to it here, nor will I tell you where I saw it because I do not want to attract attention to it. So don’t ask. Just strap yourself in – I’m sharing my uncensored thoughts on several different issues here. Because, after all, everyone is entitled to my opinion

Poo-Pooing Social Media For Recruiting. #Tired. #Lame. I feel there is a point that is being missed here. Social media: yes everyone gripes about recruiters’ approach to it as another job board, or how much of a waste of time it is. But you know, lots of people also approach the telephone with the same mentality – smile-and-dial and robotically go through candidate calls. And I know lots of recruiters whose phone time is tracked who call friends, family, and each other around the office to boost their phone time – talk about a time-waste! I don’t see how any of these are different, because they’re all still a misuse of communication tools. The focus of this, and any, discussion when it comes to recruiting tools should be your voice. Because your voice is where everything begins. These tools – the telephone, email, social media, and whatever is next (think augmented reality and hologram-type stuff… cool!!) – are merely channels to amplify your own voice. I know some people who have a GREAT voice on social media, and others who suck at it. On the same note, I know some people who have a GREAT voice on the telephone, and others who suck at that too. And I’m not referring to the sound of their voice – I’m referring to the overall message they convey and the passion behind it.

Think of it this way; art comes in many different forms – paintings, writing, music, acting, etc. Often, someone who is a poetic writer may suck at playing an instrument. Or an actor might be an awful screenwriter. As well, some people don’t like music, or hate to read, or detest going to plays. Do these personal preferences make the artists any less of an artist, or diminish the importance or value of the artform itself? Not in my book – artists choose to amplify their voice through a method that they feel is best suited for them. As well, not everyone is going to like or appreciate an artist’s chosen mode of voice amplification, but that doesn’t mean it’s not still art. Diff’rent strokes for diff’rent folks.

Passive-Aggressive Behavior. Enough. Enough! ENOUGH!!! I am tired of seeing people bashing one another while making absolutely NO attempt to share their thoughts directly with the perpetrator. This isn’t middle school. Passive-aggressive behavior is lame. I respect people who, when they have a poor perception of someone, go directly to that person and share their thoughts (tactfully of course). Once that action has been taken, what the offending party chooses to do at that point is out of your hands. Whether they want to accept your constructive criticism (read: you share that you think what they did/said sucked yet offer up some helpful alternatives) or they simply shrug it off is out of your control. If you do due diligence to go straight to the source first, then I’m all for broadcasting your displeasure. But if you’re just snarking off on Facebook or Twitter without reaching out, then you’re the one with the real problem, IMHO.

Education and Certification. As far as these things go, I have mixed feelings about this. As someone who studied Exercise and Sports Science in college and never used my education professionally, I suppose I could say that earning a degree, or a certification, is pointless unless you have a specific use for it lined up afterward. However, my college education helped to shape me into who I am today – I learned how to be independent and discipline myself to complete tasks (something I think is SORELY lacking across all generations today), I learned how to manage my time by balancing school, work, and fun (see my recent post on being a workaholic), and I made some great connections while there that are still valuable today. I’ll repeat what I said above for this: diff’rent strokes for diff’rent folks. Some people need the structured environment that certification courses, higher education, and conferences offer in order to learn stuff. They might get too easily distracted trying to pursue knowledge advancement on their own, or perhaps they simply enjoy the camaraderie of pursuing learning with other like-minded individuals. On the other hand, the School of Life has some pretty valuable lessons to offer in an unofficial capacity, so it’s ridiculous to dismiss individuals because they don’t have a few letters before or after their name. Which leads me into the next point…

Dismissing Experts and Gurus. Another tired and lame discussion, and I always refer to Jason Falls’ blog post on this topic when this discussion comes up. (long live Johnny Incrediblog!) Calling people who are good at what they do ‘snakeoil salespeople’ sounds like major sour grapes to me. I had a discussion with a friend last Thursday night about arrogance. Guess what – I’m all for it! Because I think there is a difference between being arrogant and being a prick. Healthy arrogance is good because I think it’s very important to know – and acknowledge – when you are good at what you do; being a prick is when you take that a step further and belittle those around you. Oddly, I see more people doing the latter….

Now – if you’re proclaiming yourself as an expert or a guru, you’d better have some proof to back it up. But do the same rules apply to those who’ve been dubbed by others as experts or gurus? I’ve had people tell me that I’m an expert on more than one occasion. Does that make me a snakeoil salesperson or a prick? I don’t think so. Do I believe that I really am an expert or a guru? Y’know, I’d like to think I know a thing or two about sourcing and about using social tools for recruiting. I don’t think I would have the kind of endorsements from true experts or have landed my last several roles if I didn’t. I’ll leave it at that.

Following Blindly. This one really bugs me. Just because everyone else thinks that someone or something is the best/worst doesn’t make it so. Don’t be afraid to go out on a limb and form your own opinions. Nothing is worse to me than seeing a post that has 15 comments after it that say “You’re so right!” in one form or another. Grow a pair and challenge the herd! Don’t create a situation of “The Emperor’s New Clothes” where everyone is afraid to challenge the status quo even though we all know there’s something definitely wrong. Speak up!

In the same breath, don’t berate people who don’t share the same opinion as you on a particular topic or person. We can disagree while still respecting each other as human beings. Multiple thought processes are what make our community so knowledge-rich.

Hey – I’m learning all this stuff right along with you! Sometimes, seeing how ugly it looks coming from others helps you to wake up and realize how it looks coming from you too. My takeaway for you from my little tirade is this: keep your eyes on your own paper. Stop worrying so much about what other people are doing and pay attention to your own work. Just because you can’t/don’t have something, don’t make it your life’s mission to prevent others from having or pursuing it. Be respectful of each other and understand that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Form your own opinions about people and situations instead of sharing someone else’s just because they told you to. And don’t be afraid to say, “I was wrong; I’ve changed my mind.”

As how our colleague Joe Gerstandt wraps up his nightly tweets, “Be good to each other.”

Tags: career, community, rant, recruiting, Research, socialrecruiting

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