It seems that there’s a large number of IT/Digital Media Recruitment companies that are getting a presence on social networks. The unfortunate thing is that, of the ones I’ve heard from, almost none of them actually get the point of social networks.

Here’s a big fricken hint for you guys that DONT get it: Plastering everyone in your target audience with invites, friend requests, etc is a quick road to people’s shitlists.

The point of me being on social networks isn’t so that you guys have a convenient way to find and recruit me, it’s so that I can keep in touch with my friends and other folks I know.

Here’s a few indicators that you’re doing it wrong:

#1 – Following way more people than are following you (eg on Twitter)

This fine person is a great example:
# Following 1,690
# Followers 190

#2 – Being anonymous and using a Company alias instead of your real name.

Seriously, use your real name. Use a company profile only for company specific messages.

#3 – Sending Friend Requests to people you have no association with, and no friends in common.

If you open up my Facebook profile and see that we have zero contacts in common, and you’ve never actually contacted me in any other way – then that’s probably a pretty good indication that you should NOT be clicking that ‘Add to Friends’ link.

That’s all I can think of for the moment.