Sourcing for Super Socials

… ideas from Jeffery Giesener CEO Shoppesimple

We all know people who seem to know everyone…people who can get you in touch with just about anyone.

Malcolm Gladwell in his visionary work called The Tipping Point (written in 2002) used the term “Connector” when describing people who like making connections.  They’re totally comfortable meeting people and offering help in facilitating connections on behalf of others. Gladwell was onto something.  His book was way ahead of the curve, written before the birth of LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

From a Social Sourcing perspective have you thought about where the Connectors are hanging out today?  As you may guess, they’re hanging out in Social Networks. In fact, BusinessInsider.com has given today’s Connectors a new label, “Super Socials”.  Specifically, Super Socials are those people who have 150 connections on a given network.

Where are Super Social’s hanging out?

BusinessInsider.com reports that 84% of Super Social’s are connecting on Facebook, 39% are on Twitter and 38% are on LinkedIn. Do these numbers surprise you?  Most HR Pros we speak with believe LinkedIn is where the Social Sourcing action is taking place. But the Social Sourcing game is not just about LinkedIn. It is about Facebook and Twitter too.

When you consider that in 2010 (the last year reported) 1 out of 6 new hires found their job through social media, the growing Social Sourcing trend is one you just can’t ignore any longer. If you aren’t targeting your recruiting efforts beyond LinkedIn you are missing a huge Social Sourcing opportunity. Isn’t it time to begin pushing the Social Sourcing boundaries in your business?

What Gladwell Foretold Pales Compared to Paul Revere

In April 1775, Paul Revere caught wind of British orders to capture rebel leaders and forcibly disarm the colonists. So Revere and his fellow rebels devised a warning system and we all know the “one if by land, two if by sea”. What’s less known is Revere’s networking savvy.

Revere needed to reach Lexington to warn rebel leaders Sam Adams and John Hancock. First, two acquaintances rowed Revere across the Charles River, to Charlestown; there a horse was waiting for Revere, lent to him by another pal, Deacon John Larkin.

Chased by Redcoats, Revere was diverted to the town of Medford. Because he knew the head of Medford’s military, Revere rode to his house and warned him.

Most of us know the Lexington part of the story. Less known is that on the same night that Revere made his midnight ride, a man named William Dawes went galloping off in the other direction to muster the militias to the west of Boston. Revere’s ride stirred up an army, while something like three people showed up from the towns Dawes visited. Why? Revere was networked.  He knew everybody and so was able to storm into one village after another banging on all the right doors and calling out all the right people by name.

Revere was blessed with an uncanny genius for. . . you guessed it . . .being Super Social and used his talents to Socially Source his rebel brigade. He became our very first Super Social recruiter!

Today’s recruiter needs to be Super Social too and ride all the right Social Sourcing horses they can to find the best job candidates.  The Super Social numbers tell the story so don’t limit yourself to just LinkedIn for you can never tell from behind which door your next great recruit will be found.

Best,

Jeffery

CEO/Founder

ShoppeSimpleNetwork

612-349-2740

jeff@shoppesimplenetwork.com

www.shoppesimplenetwork.com

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/jeffery-giesener/0/600/b82