Okay, so we've had Google Buzz for what boils down to a week now.  And we've heard phrases like "what Wave should have been" or "the Twitter killer" or "the best thing in my Inbox."  But on day 7 I think I'm going to assign my own analogy to Google Buzz.  To me - it's like drinking 'social' from a fire hydrant.  Yeah - I said it.  And While I think there are some incredible possibilities here it's another example of how Google has shoved something to the masses to see how they'll react.  The only thing that really surprised me about this move by Google was that Google Buzz doesn't have "beta" stamped all over it.

So here's where I think I come out on this latest social frenzy - and yeah, it's a bit of a mixed review... 

So let's talk mobile applications for employment.  Why?  Well quite simply because I'm tired of hearing people say that job seekers aren't ready to apply for jobs via their mobile.  And I think I'm to the point where I just have to call it out and say, "that's crap."  If done right, I can't think of a single reason a job seeker wouldn't want to submit interest for a job via their mobile device.  After all, we're being honest and talking about what the job seeker wants and not the limitation of a system or the unwillingness or inability to accommodate this by the employer or a vendor... right?

Let's talk about just a few of the bigger and more obvious challenges...  No one wants to build a resume on their mobile; The vast majority of people don't have the ability to upload/carry documents (resumes) on their mobile; Many ATS or job boards just aren't mobile friendly.  These are valid for sure.  But for well over a year now I've had a solution swimming around in my head - and I think it's time that I let it out and touched lightly on how, in a perfect world, these might be addressed.

Let me walk you through how I see it working - and then I hope you'll weigh in.

Today I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with a pretty smart bunch here in Dallas.  The New Media Training Institute asked me to speak at a local event and discuss how companies are using Social Media and engaging customers through the seemingly limitless channels.  One of the items that I was asked to really dig into was how teams can make the most of their time and avoid the Social Media Time Suck we're all afraid of.

My approach? I created ~15 high to mid-level slides and took an un-conference approach to presenting with a focus on Twitter and Facebook.  My instict was that this audience would be savvy enough to appreciate an avoidance of basic "how-to" items and the freedom to chime in and share both successes and failures along the way - as opposed to my dictating opinion and reciting a presentation.  Was I right?  Yeah - I was dead on.

The dialogue was good and the information was great.  What follows is simply the ppt deck that I used to spark the conversation with this sharp group of activists. (normally I don't post presentations that I've done on behalf of my employer but this deck will be available publicly on the event website soon anyhow.)

"Listening, not imitation, may be the sincerest form of flattery." - Joyce Brothers

This quote (I love quotes) came to mind when I started writing this article.  And while not I'm not a big Joyce Brothers fan per se, I think there's more truth here than not.  After all, none of us really likes being copied - but we love when someone shuts the heck up and lets us talk, right?

So why wouldn't our approach to social media (even for recruitment!) be the same - at least at its base?  Why wouldn't we start by ensuring that every single soul we pull in to talk about social engagement or ambassadorships understand the importance of listening to our industry or "customers" and how it should be a priority over broadcasting to them?  I think this is important - and sometimes gets missed in the rush (or pressure) to get on board and ride the social media wave.  Besides - we'll have a much better feel for who is talking about us and their perception of our [employment] brand if we'll listen and monitor what's being said already.