Blogs and Recruiting: How one recruiter is looking at blogging and PR bloggers for job placement
Posted by Administrator on September 21st, 2005
By Lindsay Olson, Paradigm Staffing
With public relations firms and corporations looking to get involved in the “new PR�, and PR firms realizing that they need to understand how PR is going to be involved in blogs and have bloggers on staff, some of the issues that have come up for recruiters is finding PR bloggers and what they are saying. Of particular interest to both recruiters and their clients is whether or not blogging gets in the way of billable hours for clients. Does blogging help agencies and its clients, or does blogging hurt a candidate’s chance to get a job in the industry?
When I am contacted for a new search, I am looking for certain attributes in the candidates I present: a certain level of professionalism, the ability and skills for client-facing situations, the ability to strategically think and write. I am looking for candidates that I would be willing to put my agency’s stamp of approval on.
Recently, while speaking with another recruiter, an interesting issue came up. She noted that we are going to begin seeing more and more resumes with people’s blog addresses, highlighting that they understand and participate in blogs. This is an interesting point. Public relations is about working with the public, and blogs are a growing part of that public. Public relations is about identifying influencers, and increasingly those influencers are bloggers. Public relations is about working with the media, and blogs are a part of the new media.
But, what the other recruiter was missing is that blogs tend to be written in a conversational tone, and that tone might not showcase writing abilities. We are all judged by what a potential employer can find via Google, and blogs usually come up higher in search results.
Also, a blog might showcase a potential employee’s inability to think strategically or tactically, or a lack of maturity which might be brought to the job. By writing a blog, a person might be showing more than they realize, and this is something of great import to think about.
Do I recommend that candidates know about blogs? Yes. With more and more agencies asking for blog experience, it is a great idea. First, do I vet the blogs of potential candidates, to make sure that there is nothing that is a potential harm to the candidate – and, in extension, my agency? Yes, of course I do, and I know that my clients are going to do the same thing.
With blogs becoming an important part of public relations, PR executives should be dipping their toes into writing on blogs. They should sign up with an account on Blogger or Typepad or go with the new service at PR Blogs and learn how to blog and how blogs work. But they need to realize one thing: the Internet has a long memory. When PR people talk to the press, there is always background and “off-the-record� conversations. With a blog, though, nothing is off the record, and there is a record of what you wrote for a long, long time.
About the author
Lindsay Olson is the principal of Paradigm Staffing. Lindsay has been conducting personnel searches for the top public relations and marcom firms and for in-house positions for corporations since 1997.
September 22nd, 2005 at 1:45 am
I think blogging will benefit agencies and it’s clients. I just think that maybe blogging needs a little more time evolving into something that you practice. To me, it seems like blogging is a great communication tool, obviously, but I think that in order for it to serve a purpose in a buisness atmosphere it has to have a specific purpose to begin with within that company. I think that if there is a particular/specific need that the company can fulfill using blogging technology than I think for sure it would be beneficial for them. I think it is hard to judge someone’s credentials for a job based on their blogging. I think the important thing in blogging is that people keep their ethics. If people keep their ethics while blogging I don’t think there should be any problems with someone getting hired because of their blooging past. Blogging is writing and it’s open for anyone to read so, when people decide to blog they should be aware of this and should remember that they are writing for the public just as if they were writing for a newspaper, editorial, newsletter, etc.
I find it interesting that people have put blogging experience on their resumes. Since I am taking a class this semester and we are required to blog, I have wondered what benefit this might allow me to make in the future. How do I let professionals know that I have the experience and know how to use blogs and could possibly help them understand blogs? I never thought to put it into a resume though. I guess I would just add it to my “additional skills.”
I don’t know if I agree with people being hired because of their blogging experience though, at least not right now. I think that blogging needs a little more time to be understood completely and the purpose of blogging needs to more known. I agree that blogging will be beneficial to a company. I don’t think right now though that anyone should be hired or not hired based on their blogging experience.
September 22nd, 2005 at 2:25 am
Thanks for commenting Darien. While I hope that you didn’t think that I meant people are being hired for their blogging experience, it is definitely something that I look at (and my clients look at). If you are blogging, you can be found via Google, and it’s a good gauge for writing abilities. It is true that more and more companies are asking if candidates are knowledgeable about blogs and/or do blog. One thing that I hear all the time, though, is the disbelief that so many people cannot write anymore. If you are blogging, in a roundabout way, you are working on making yourself a better writer. And, you are showcasing your ability to write well, to think strategically, and possibly be a good PR person.
September 22nd, 2005 at 4:01 pm
Although I’ve only been blogging for about a month, I can see the good and the bad in it. Posts are available world wide and people should keep that in mind when posting. I think, as a student, that I have benefitted from blogging. I have learned so much about the blog world that I never would have known if I hadn’t been forced to blog by my teacher. I have also gained access to major PR practitioners around the world that I would have never known who they were. So, for students I think it is very important that they blog because it opens the door for so many opportunities.
The down side of blogging would be that it does take up time and some people don’t do it wisely. I’ve found that it’s hard to find enough time to research and post four times a week and just when I think it’s over, an all new week starts. I’ve also read some post that have errors all in them. I know I’m not the greatest speller in the world, but I do check when I’m not sure. I realize that my site is visible to others and I don’t want to look like a fool. So, I think that blogs hurt some people when they’re not careful about how they write.
In the end, I’m thrilled to have had the chance to enter the world of blogging. It has introduced me to so many things I would have never known about.
September 22nd, 2005 at 5:09 pm
Because blogs are personal, it’s impossible to keep personal information out — even on a professional blog. And I believe that’s the way it should be — Desirable Roasted Coffee is my professional blog, but I believe most readers also get a pretty good idea of what makes me tick.
Some of my readers — some of my clients — my not like knowing I supported Kerry last year, and might not like my going entirely off topic from time to time. I can only shrug… frankly, if a potential client is reluctant to hire me because of what she reads on my blog, she probably shouldn’t be my client. Neither of us would enjoy it.
Amy Gahran, a respected communicator with a professional blog, recently discussed why she outed herself as polyamorous at the BlogHer Conference. As you might imagine, she caught a lot of flack for it. Personally, I would have told critics to shove off, but Amy decided to conduct a poll asking readers how much personal information they would tolerated on a business blog. The results were instructive, and you can see them on Amy’s blog (she reported them over a period of weeks in August, so look there).
My hope is that recruiters and employers will use applicants blogs as a way to better know the “whole” person they are hiring. There’s no doubt that some bloggers’ writing will either overcome a weak cv or undermine a strong one, but we as a profession shouldn’t be afraid of that. There’s no doubt that the information contained in blogs includes a lot of information that interviewers are forbidden to ask at interviews (marital status, age, race, political views, even sexual preference), but we shouldn’t be afraid of that either. It’s who we are.
September 22nd, 2005 at 9:39 pm
I agree that blogging makes one a better writer. In the past month, since I started blogging, I have seen a dramatic improvement in my writing style. As Lindsay mentioned, “With a blog, though, nothing is off the record, and there is a record of what you wrote for a long, long time.� I take this to heart when I write; if my writing is going to be published on the Internet, I want to make sure that I am clear, understandable and professional in all respects. I am well aware that potential employers or clients are or will soon be looking at what I write, and learning a great deal about me in the process.
I hope, though, that I will not be penalized for postings on my personal site that do not sit well with potential employers or client; rather, I hope that I will be rewarded for my progress. I believe that researching writing skills, studying analytical styles and gleaning demographical information from blogs is a great way for an employer to know a potential employee, beyond my resume and an interview.
As students, we should realize that organizations in many different career fields are welcoming this communications tool and take advantage of the opportunities given to us. Like Darien, I had not really thought of putting my blog address or my blogging experience on my resume. However, I anticipate that it can only help me in the future.
September 22nd, 2005 at 9:57 pm
Very interesting topic. After immersing myself in the topic for almost a year now, I would want to be hired not only because I blog, but also to consult in the area of social media. However, over here in Germany PR agency seem a little bit hesitant. At a recent job interview the interviewer just said she does not believe in it, putting blogs off as something like forums. For me in return this will most likely mean that I will not take the job. I have built an expertise, social media is my favorite part of consulting at the moment and I am not going to let it drop just now.
September 26th, 2005 at 12:42 am
I also agree that blogging will not only make us better writers, but will help us learn more about the PR world. I have already learned a great deal and had the opportunity to communicate with PR practitioners around the world. I honestly knew nothing about blogs until I started taking this class. I can definitely see where having blogging experience and knowledge makes you more appealing to a company. However, I feel that if a potential employee or client reads your blog, it could either help you or hurt you.
Being required to blog four times a week has improved my writing and helped me think before posting something. It’s important to get your thoughts and ideas down in a way that doesn’t make you sound dumb or unprofessional. I didn’t think about how your blogs can be found on Google anytime. It makes me more aware of what I have to say and how I say it. Blogs are personal and can show a lot about you.
I never thought about putting my blogging experience on my resume. It seems that blogging has become such an asset to the PR world, that maybe we should all consider adding it. It’s a great way to show potential employers that you are out there reading, researching and writing about PR. It will be interesting to see if blogging will eventually become a common thing for all PR practitioners and their organizations. If it does become a requirement to get a job, then I am glad we are all one step ahead.
September 26th, 2005 at 5:31 pm
Your point is a good one. A recent class discussion was focused on the potential side-effects of having our own blogs. I agree that it is beneficial to know about blogs and how to operate them. Also, we must be accountable for what we write and how we write it.
I try to keep my blogging topics neutral. Nobody likes to read the negative views of an obviously pessimistic individual. Therefore, I try to express my opinions with a positive perspective. There is nothing wrong with a little constructive criticism. However, it should be kept constructive.
Every once in a while, I will google myself just to see what pops up. This is a good habit to form. This helps with self-reflection and gives a glance at what a potential employer might see. We must always be aware of what we are writing.
September 26th, 2005 at 7:13 pm
I didn’t realize how big of an impact blogging had on the PR community when I first began my own blog at the beginning of the semester. Blogging has allowed for networking among students and I have also had the chance to interact with PR professionals all over the country. Like Lee Ann said, it has also improved my writing skills because it makes me think through what I am writing.
I can understand why a potential employer would look at blogging experience for recruitment purposes because blogs have become such a powerful tool. Blogs may not show exact AP style writing skills, but it can show a person’s interests and thoughts. My professor keeps telling us to watch what we write on our blogs because now anyone can search my name and find my blog site. As Lindsay said, “We are all judged by what a potential employer can find via Google, and blogs usually come up higher in search results.”
I also have never thought to put my blogging experience on my resume, but I think it can only help show the diversity of skills I have learned. I would hope that my personal blog site would not limit my job opportunities because of the content, but help by showing what I am capable of doing. Blogging has become essential to many PR practitioners so it is nice to know that I have a head start before I have even graduated from college.
September 26th, 2005 at 10:33 pm
After reading your post and taking a blogging class, I am truly beginning to understand the effect blogging can have on my PR future. I like many others, who are new to blogging, have previously attacked blogging as if it were a conversation. It was a place for getting my ideas out without the formalities of normal writing. However, in light of the knowledge that potential employers might read my post and assume I am immature or not a proficient writer, I will surly take a new approach. I definitely agree employers should be aware of a potential employee’s blogging ability and the benefits that can bring to an organization. Yet whether or not it should stand as a weighing factor in the hiring process, the verdict is still out. Blogging is still in a some what infant state in regards to Public Relations and it role there. Yes, looking at a potential hires blog sites would provide employers with a sample of an applicants writing style and ideas on certain things, but I don’t feel it highlight how an employee will perform on the job. I think many people would take a much more formal and work related style with a professional blog that was used to reach clients than they would with personal blogs and posting. So to gauge their writing style and effectiveness based on personal blogs would seem slightly unfair. I do however agree that it would allow an employer to gain insight into the type of person they are dealing with based off blog choices and topics.
Blogging is a growing area within PR and I must admit I believe much of PR is headed in that direction. Blogging does offer us a new way to reach clients and even non-related consumers making it a valuable tool. I appreciate your advice on what recruiters are looking for and it will weigh heavily on my future postings! As you said, “…nothing is off the record, and there is a record of what you wrote for a long, long time”. With that in mind I am challenged to create a more professional blog that I hope will stand the test of time and recruiter scrutiny!