Imagine walking into a room and seeing familiar faces. You
immediately start to recall the details of their lives such as how
many kids they have, a funny incident with a squirt gun that
recently took place, a nightmarish home electricity issue that
caused evacuation from their home, or songs that remind you of
them. This seems normal doesn't it? But here's the
catch…you have never actually met these people!
What an interestingly awkward situation . .
.
This was my initial feeling going into the ERE Social Recruiting
Summit in June. I was thrilled to finally meet so many of
the people I know and follow on Twitter---people I had occasionally
exchanged words with, but had never sat down with in person and had
an actual conversation.
I must say that the event and the people attending surpassed my
expectations. While many attendees were old pros when it came
to using social media to recruit, I was relatively new to the world
of recruiting via these avenues. However, the content was
enlightening for both the experienced user, as well as those who
were just venturing into the world of social media. In the
end everyone found themselves either being teacher or student and
that was exactly the purpose of the event.
When you love what you do, it shows!
The first thing I realized upon attending the summit is that the
people I met were amazing at what they do. It was obvious
that they love what they do and are passionate about it.
Nobody was there because they had to be, but because they wanted to
be there and thirsted for more knowledge. While I don't think
anyone could match the enthusiasm of Sacha Chua, in a way we were
all giddy, excited, and proud to be there sharing ideas with one
another.
It's a digital world… Embrace it!
Another thing I immediately realized is that if you are
attending an event on social media, it is not disrespectful or
frowned upon to be tethered to your digital devices, Blackberry, or
iPhone while attending a session. In fact, it's
encouraged! It is assumed you are tweeting about them or
looking someone up on Facebook---in other words, applying the
knowledge you just learned.
A sense of belonging
Finally, my biggest takeaway was one of belonging. I left
the event with a sense of delight by company of these
recruiters. I have always been proud to work for an industry
that openly exchanges information and best practices, thanks in
large measure to Joni Doolin and her team at People Report.
But during my time at this summit I discovered that I am also a
part of a bigger network of recruiters that embrace this same
remarkable philosophy and want to take it to their own
industries.
Like People Report, ERE has provided us with the opportunity to
come together, whether in person or via the web, to exchange ideas,
strategy and methods of implementation, and become a better more
cohesive community. I am proud to be a member of this
community and look forward to seeing them again in person and
online.
Editor's Note: Brianna Foulds is a Senior Manager of
Recruiting for California Pizza Kitchen (CPK). She staffs
operations and corporate positions, focuses on the on-going
development of CPK's recruiting function. She has been a
People Report member for 5 years, and her company, CPK, has been a
three time Best Practices award recipient.