Critical Considerations When Staffing Social Media Projects

on Nov 24, 2010 in Blog

Given today’s interest in social media and the amount of individuals looking for work (and claiming to be knowledgeable in the discipline) everyone seems to be a social media expert these days.  With the increased need for genuine social media professionals to spearhead important projects within an organization, how can a company distinguish the professional from the casual social media users?  Furthermore, what are some key considerations when selecting the right individual?

These days most companies are inundated with resumes for every job opening they post.  That is why so many companies are turning to recruiters to help them source and identify the ideal social media candidate based on the specific needs of the company.  Furthermore, the business acumen that many of these recruitment agencies offer helps companies identify candidates that understand the business forces that drive an organization (and need to be positively influenced by social media programs) versus those that are familiar with social media at a more superficial level.

To help guide your conversation with your recruiting agency, here are some important elements both parties should consider when developing job descriptions as well as sourcing and interviewing potential candidates.

• Social Media Basic Expertise – Candidates should be familiar with most common social networks, be knowledgeable of their use of each, and understand how to optimize participation within these platforms.
• Social Business Strategy – Candidate should be able to create a social business strategy to solve a particular business problem. Their ability to intertwine a company’s objectives with social solutions is key to making a successful and measurable program.
• Content Development – Candidate should have excellent written and communication skills.  A proactive and reactive content development strategy is critical to all social media programs.
• Web Integration – Candidates should have working knowledge of web development, design and relevant technologies.  A social program that integrates existing technological and social programs (internally and/or externally) usually yields the highest results.
• Metrics – Candidates should understand the metrics that define success for a specific program, that are important for the organization, and that can be measured manually or via social media tools.
• Analysis – Candidates should be able to gather data, analyze it, and be able to present is importance in business terminology that speaks to senior management.  T

The selection process for a social media professional can be overwhelming —particularly given the enormous pool of candidates with different degrees of experience.  Recruitment agencies offer a tremendous opportunity to help organizations, looking for business-focused social media professionals, intertwine their own business sense with to find the ideal candidate.  Hopefully the bullets listed above will help guide your conversation next time you are looking for a social media professional for your organization.