Companies are starting to fill ‘new media’ or ‘social media’ positions in their company. However, they need to remember that social media technologies are secondary to meeting business and customer needs.

I have spoken to several people trying to hire ‘experts’ to develop strategies and manage their ongoing social programs for their brand as well as recruiters who said that they have a very hard time trying to hire the right candidates for the job. The common problem I realize in these conversations were: Candidates are wrongly positioning themselves. Therefore, I have put together 3 golden rules when it comes to hiring social media executives.3 Golden Rules For Hiring Social Media Candidates

1. Using social media extensively does not mean you are an expert: Many candidates think that having a large number of fans, followers or blog readers means they are influential and is an expert. At times, I do that too. However, the numbers only indicate that the candidate have an ability in using the tools but it is not a good indicator that they are good at using it in the corporate setting to meet the business and customer needs.
2. Long term experience on social media does not mean you are an expert: Many speakers or ‘about us’ page usually like to indicate  the number of years they have been using social technologies in order to boast their credibility as an early adopters. However, that can backfire because the duration does not indicate the ability to use social technologies in a strategic way.  In fact, many early early adopters aren’t the type that can work well in a corporate environment.
3. How candidates behave online will make or break the deal: Candidates should understand that recruiters and hiring managers are looking at how well the candidates behave online. It’s a factor that will determine whether they will or will not be contacted again. So before hiring someone, check if the candidate post a blog criticizing another blogger, or having suggestive photos on their Facebook or talking about their hangover on Twitter, remember that most hiring managers are also considering how their online behavior will affect the brand.

Althought hiring managers are seeking candidates with the skills and experience with the social tools, they are also looking at how these experiences align with corporate and customer objectives and not just because they are fond of the latest and greatest tools. Btw, I am certainly guilty of breaking rule number 1,2 and 3, so this is a good checklist to keep us focus.

I would love to hear what else candidates should be considering in their social media positioning.

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