Leading Media Specialist Featured in HRWire

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(Free-Press-Release.com) March 3, 2010 -- CUPERTINO, CA - Whether you’ve embraced it or not, social media isn’t going anywhere, Melyssa Bernstein tells HRWire in a recent article. It’s not just a fad. And companies have to become part of the conversation.

CKR Interactive’s Emerging Media Specialist was interviewed by Paula Santonocito, a journalist specializing in employment issues, for a feature entitled, “The Next Phase of Employment Branding.”

In the article, Bernstein underscores the importance of two-way communication when it comes to addressing your employer brand on the Internet. Since some of the brand control has shifted from the employer to the consumer, companies must start participating in both the positive and negative conversations taking place in social media channels, or else their message may be decided by these consumers.

Bernstein highlights some companies that are utilizing social media to not only counteract negative images, but also to convey a sense of corporate identity.

Microsoft, for example, uses video and encourages employees to blog. "It's all creating a truer sense of brand," she says.
Despite the widespread consumer use of social media, some companies are still reluctant to establish a Web 2.0 presence. Bernstein cites a lack of knowledge about technologies and legal concerns as generally the reasons for their hesitance.

For those that are ready to make the leap, Bernstein recommends educating employees on good social media practices and establishing company-wide policies. She also emphasizes the importance of having a strategy upfront before participating in social media, with set goals, whether the objective is to increase candidate flow, build a talent pool, increase brand awareness or all of the above.

Bernstein also suggests integrating elements of social media into a company’s corporate career site as a great way to get the social conversation started. A company can house a Twitter page on its career site, encourage employees to blog, use videos to highlight corporate culture, or ask employees in leadership roles to regularly publish articles to maximize exposure on the Web.

Whatever your strategy may be, Bernstein says that restricting social media from employees and ignoring how your brand is evolving on the Web is no longer ideal. The recruitment model is changing to an interactive mode, and companies should become proactive online to engage their potential candidates.

"It's more about getting to know candidates and getting them to know you," Bernstein says.

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