Friday FOT Bonus: KD's Super-Special Social Recruiting Story...

Earlier this week, JLee riffed on a recent social media recruiting success story she had.  Lots of comments on that one, and it kind of gave me that warm inner glow - so I thought I'd share one of my own:

The date is early January 2008.  The HR Capitalist had gone pretty well, and I got approached by a conference/media company to put together a second blog focused on talent management issues.  When I met them and figured out what they were looking for, I knew there was no way I was going to do the second blog all by myself and keep my day job.  So I pitched them the following:  I'll own the blog and recruit a team of smart people from the industry to write on Talent Management issues.  You sponsor it.  Film at 11.

They said yes.  There was just this one little problem:  I didn't know anybody who could write in the style I was looking for (big writing talent, big snark, pop culture junkie, in the talent game).  So I did the only thing I could do:  I wrote the following "help wanted" ad and put it out on the Capitalist:

HELP WANTED - (4 Positions Available)

"Progressive blogging organization is looking for witty and sometimes jaded professionals, in the Talent Management sector, to blog on a weekly basis, about their life as part of the machine.  New blog, as yet unnamed, to be launched to provide perspective of people conducting recruiting, staffing and talent management activities in the field.

Requirements:

-A working position in recruiting, staffing or HR, focused on acquiring, aligning and maximizing talent in your company, or on behalf of clients.

-Writing skills, plus the actual willingness to write and blog on a weekly basis.

-Personality and the ability to merge other resources and pop culture in writing, all in an effort to make it digestible for the commoners (that's me..)

-Ability to tell the world who you are while you are blogging - name, what you do, and where you do it.

-Skin thicker than that of a donkey, for the lashings you'll receive in the comments section.

What You Get in Return:

-Membership in an exclusive, yet opinionated team that will undoubtedly make the dysfunction in your extended family look like an episode of "Little House on the Prairie".

-The ability to blog and share your thoughts without having to start your own site.

-Exposure of your ideas and brand in the online property of a national periodical in the Talent Management space.  If you're a current blogger, you'll also get enhanced exposure for your blog.

-A projected stipend per month that will fall somewhere between a night out at Denny's and paying your cable bill.

-The warm feeling of giving back to your profession with the professional distance that only digital media can provide.

Sound like you?  Interested in hearing more?  To apply, please confirm your interest in the comments section or email the Capitalist at hrcapitalist@gmail.com.

The results from that social recruiting play using the Capitalist?  53 applicants, over 30 of which I had submit a writing sample and 6 or 7 that I brought aboard the original cast at FOT.  See if any of these names sound familiar:

-Jessica Lee- that's right, the current editor of FOT responded to a social media help wanted ad.  Now she's running the shop.  Hard to do much better than that.

-Jennifer McClure- the Cincy Recruiter was one of the responders, and was already and uber networker by the time we met.  She jumped on the opportunity to carve out an onlinevoice as part of FOT.

-Kelly Dingee- The first and last voice I listen to when it comes to sourcing.  Answered the call and gave FOT creditability when it came to sourcing. 

-Maren Hogan- OK, Maren didn't actually answer the help wanted ad.  I found her off a backlink to the Capitalist she put up at Big O Recruiting, which was the 1.0 Marennated.  I actually cold called her and told her thanks for the link and asked her to be a part of FOT.  Backlink to phone call - maybe an even cooler form of social recruiting.

Think about it - how's that for a lineup that was recruited straight up off a blog?  Others, like Paul Hebert, Tim Tolan and the rest of the gang came through professional relationships and later introductions, but these four?  Straight up off the social platform.  Once they got warmed up, all four have done other things - their own blogs, big twitter presences, etc. - but I was able to connect with them through the social media infrastructure.

As time goes by and we've attempted to recruit other writers, I've become more self aware of how unusual some of that talent I originally connected actually is.  Thanks for reading gang, and more importantly, thanks for responding. 

Pass the tissue.

Comments

[Jennifer McClure]

Ah memories from back in the day...

Truthfully, connecting with Fistful of Talent, you and the rest of the FOT gang/readers has been one of the highlights of my professional career. I've learned so much by being a sometimes (ok not often enough) contributor, a daily reader and the forever number one Fan of FOT.

Thanks so much for posting that Help Wanted ad Boss! :)

[Tim Sackett]

KD,

Great post - I have to admit I was drawn to the Capitalist and FOT because of you and the great group you chose. HR Pros that I respect and reach out to on a weekly basis to help me solve my everyday HR/business issues. I truly value the writings and opinions of this group of professionals -

Thanks for bringing it to life.

[Sarah Nguyen]

Thanks for sharing the story - I had always wondered how FOT came
to be.