In 2007, Wired Magazine published an article entitled the See-Through CEO where Redfin founder Glenn Kelman gained the public’s sympathy and a slew of new members by blogging his corporate woes. Lately we’ve been looking inward at how companies can improve their employee recruitment strategy through social media. Great candidates research you before accepting an offer, and here is what your social media profile reveals to them.
LEARNING: A few months ago Bessemer Associate Sarah Tavel wrote an article entitled Venture Capital’s Freemium Model. Tavel explains that her firm gives away free advice via blogs, tweets and white papers. The point of all this is to display their knowledge to potential portfolio companies and make startups understand the value of Bessemer’s advice. By this same reasoning we can assume that CEOs who blog establish themselves as thought leaders and attract better employees.
TRANSPARENCY: Flybridge Capital Partners’ Jeff Bussgang gives transparency and accessibility as reasons for his blogging. Says Bussgang, “The VC business can be an intimidating business to many. I am an iconoclast at heart. As a former entrepreneur, I particularly enjoy breaking down barriers and making the VC business more accessible and transparent for others.” Make your business accessible to both employees and potential hires. Rather than waiting for scheduled meetings to celebrate your successes or public partnerships, give others the option of reading about developments as they happen. You might even get some useful feedback in the comments.
HAPPINESS: Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh once wrote that Twitter made him “a better and happier person.” He asks, “What would you do differently if there were a permanent public record of what you do or say?” Hsieh argues that Twitter adds a public broadcast element that reminds him to be more positive, thankful and empathetic. He writes that those same values trickle down to the corporate culture of Zappos. As a company voted one of Fortune Magazine’s Top 100 Companies to Work for in 2009, Hsieh makes a great case for using social media as a recruitment tool.
