Using Social Media and Online Technologies

in the Public Workforce System

NORTH EAST REGIONAL EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ASSOCIATION

Colleen LaRose

Have you ever “googled” your name?

Howmanyofme.com

4 people out 313 million in the USA are named Colleen LaRose

TERRORIST?

What are people saying about you? If you do not control your image, you can lose control of it!

Social Media Defined

• CREATE - Social media (SM) describes a variety of internet based applications that allow for making contributions, creating and exchanging user-generated content.

• DISCUSS - SM fosters interactive dialogue, allowing people to share information. (2.0). Contrasts with the editorially controlled style of old media

• BUILD RELATIONSHIPS - SM platforms encourage group conversation and group contributions.Strengthens ties/Draws out formerly weak relationships.

How does this change things?

Due to the ubiquitously accessible nature of online social networking, the way organizations, communities, and individuals communicate has changed dramatically.

Now, more than ever,

individuals as well as organizations

have images to be controlled.

What is Social Media?

It’s a listening and an interpersonal communication tool…

• Networking

• Introductions

• Information sharing

• Reviews/opinions

• Entertainment/multimedia

• Collaboration

The common characteristics of social media are:

• Accelerates Communication and Collaboration(networks, employees, customers, partners)

• User generated “Social” Content (capture and share expertise and best practices – efficient and transparent)

• Enables New Business Insights (analyze social data to understand business situations and improve decision-making)

Who is using Social Media• Professionals in the same industry (best practices,

commiserate, etc)• Professionals sharing across different industries

(economic development/workforce development/employers/educators)

• Those wanting to learn/explore other industries• Those looking for people with skills they need to fill

in for their project/staff

Advantages to being the “odd ball”

• Experts are willing to “teach you”• You bring new eyes to their old problems• You realize you know more than you thought you

did• You make connections that put you way ahead

of others in your industry• You learn new methods that can be applied in

your industry

EXAMPLE: Collaborating with Economic Development Folks

• Planning basics are the same• Forces WD to think about other considerations

(infrastructure, transportation, housing)• WD is more more about partnering • ED WANTS input from WD• WD is the number one issue for ED!

Who else is using Social networking?

86% of Americans aged 18-34, and 62% of those aged 35 to 54 are using social networking

Did you know that of all job candidates in 2010 (last full year reported)…*18.4 Million Americans say Facebook got them their current job. 10.2 Million Americans got their jobs from LinkedInand 8 Million Americans got their jobs from Twitter!• 16% of them got a job referral on Facebook• 9% on LinkedIn• 6% on Twitter

How Many Online Social Media Opportunities Can You Name?

• Social Networking Add friends, comment on profiles, join groups and have discussions

• Social Bookmarking Tag websites, search websites bookmarked by other people

• Social News Vote and comment on articles• Social Photo and Video Sharing Share photos/videos.

Comment on user submissions• Blogs Write and respond to articles

Social Networking

Interact by adding friends, commenting on profiles, joining groups and having discussions.Facebook (750,000,000)

Twitter (250,000,000)

LinkedIn (110,000,000)

My Space (70,500,000)

Google + (65,000,000)

Social Bookmarking

Interact by tagging websites and searching through websites bookmarked by other people Twitter (250, 000,000)

StumbleUpon (17,500,000)

Pinterest (15,500,000)

Social News

Interact by voting for articles and commenting on them.Digg (25,100,000)

Reddit (16,000,000)

Delicious (5,500,000)

Social Photo and Video Sharing

Interact by sharing photos or videos and commenting on user submissions.You Tube (450,000,000)

Flickr (90,000,000)

Photobucket (75.500.000)

Pinterest (15,500.000)

Vimeo (16,950,000)

BlogsInteract by writing articles and responding to articlesWordpress (150,000,000) Blogger (75,000,000) Tumblr (60,000,000) Ehow (55,000,000) Type pad (35.000.000) Hub Pages (28,500.000)

*Twitter also called “microblogging”Bit.ly for reducing url

Other online interaction (2.0) websites:

• Ask – ask questions, public answers (125,000,000)

• Wikipedia – add articles/edit existing articles (350,000,000)

• Meetup – create in person meetings - (7,500,000)

• Craigslist - want ads (160,000,000)

• Yelp - reviews (40,000,000)

Where to start?

1. Facebook (personal)2. LinkedIn (professional)

(join and start groups, complete resume, do research)

3. Facebook (create organization’s fanpage)4. Twitter (personal/professional)

(NAWB Twitter classroom - http://bit.ly/xjoDh3 )3. Bit.ly (to shorten code)

Some Successes…

• Found a web developer• Radio DJ job• From worker bee to thought leader

Cycle of growing online dialogue

Content You Create

Conversation

Community

Conversion

Collective Contribution

START HERE

Curious InquiryConsistent Communication

You are responsible for keeping the conversation interesting and alive.

Now that you understand the power of online dialogue….

• Consider adding a community feature to your website!

• Who would you invite to your community? • How would this change the dynamics of your

organization?

What social media is not

• It is not a bully pulpit or bullhorn…

• It is not static, one way information

Do’s and Don’ts of engaging online

• 5%

• 95%• Think of it as a cocktail party online….

 

NERETA Currently Linked In groups: Linkd.in/nereta.org Linkd.in/workforcesurvivalEnvisioned to be an online social media site Increase collaboration, share info on issues and legislation,

promote public image of public workforce system and

support entrepreneurship

Spring conference being planned with NEDA

 

For economic and workforce development professionals in the

north east

Some of the conversations you are missing!Should there be a national DOL job bank? Why did DOL close America’s Job Bank? (22 comments)

Should volunteer opportunities be offered to those on unemployment as a way to gain new skills? (21 comments)

How do we engage more employers to talk with us so that the system trains to fit their exact needs? (27 comments)

Should entrepreneurship be taught to people on unemployment as a marketable skill? (23 comments)

Should/will community colleges be the new One Stop Career Centers? (23 comments)

If you were King for the day” what is the one thing you would mandate as a change to improve the public workforce system? (27 comments)

My favorite comment so far…Ken Biddick • I love this group, and Colleen and big thank you for it's creation. One of the best things any of us can do is be persistent with our ideas in moving workforce sustainability forward. I can only speak to my experience over the last fifteen or so years chairing two WIB committees that until recently I did not think much would ever be accomplished. This group provides something that gives me and I hope others the realization that we can make a difference by sharing ideas and promoting a basic theme in all of our respective WIBs.

My current committee consists of all the respective folks, agencies, public and private training/education organizations, and union reps mentioned in this discussion. I have been able to bring to this group much of what this LinkedIn group discusses so we can continue to create value throughout the workforce sustainability chain. My committees main theme is to connect the dots for businesses and our citizens to thrive. It took some time to get everyone to recognize that the WIB is basically a concierge service, we connect needs to providers that can fulfill that request. We also have learned that the chain doesn't start at the one-stop, which was the old way of thinking. Sustainability has two basic paths, the current needs of those who require economic assistance (this means businesses seeking workers and workers seeking a means to generate income) and the longterm view of developing our citizens to be self sustaining. This longterm path begins before middle school and requires the kind of collaboration discussed here. It is a long road to travel but had I started this fifteen years ago I think we would have the beginnings of a working system.

BTW, I also believe that the WIB is, as Kevin Kline said in the movie Dave, a temp job, since our ultimate goal is to build the longterm model that in one to two generations should eliminate the current short term needs.

This LinkedIn group has provided ideas and information to help move the process along much faster than I imagined it would. I firmly believe as we debate here we can develop what could be the national model of what WIBs do and how we connect economic activity to education and the development of our citizens as innovators of sustained economic activity.

Why you need social networking

• Puts your ear to the ground. • Makes you a thought leader• Gives you an advance on internal and external

public relations strategies• Allows you to “soft-market:”

Establishing an Organizational Social Media Policy

Heldrich Report - http://bit.ly/zHS2AU Social Media Today -100 social media policy examples:

http://bit.ly/wQj3ZN 1. Employees have no right to privacy with respect to social

networking. “Employers reserve the right to monitor employee use of social media at work or on personal time at home”

2. Employees “should be made aware that company policies on anti-harassment, ethics and company loyalty extend to all forms of communication.

What jobseekers should know• Word clouds (www.wordle.net)• Look for work (signal, research companies/employees) • Use Glassdoor.com to research companies• Be found (300 views to get one offer)• Making connections (3000 lifetime invitations) – use

your group connections to add connections• Online resume…different than print (4 word key phrase)• Where to show contact information• The power is in the GROUPS! Starting a group is

important!

Examples of recruiters using social media

• Linked In as a recruiting tool• Linked In SIGNAL to find out what companies

are looking for.• Twitter as a listening device

(search.twitter.net, #, socialoomph)

• Facebook to look for behavior

When all else fails –Helping people create a Job

• Too few jobs are leaving some people lost

• Internet and social media is making it easier to start new enterprises

• Crowdfunding as a way to raise capital:

"JOBS" (Jumpstart our business start-ups).Some crowdfunding sites they may want to visit are www.kickstarter.com, www.indigogo.com, and www.fundly.com

Online Gigs…

O Desk

Elance

Freelancer

Sologig

Virtual assistant

Petsitusa

Care

Linked In

Facebook

Online meetings

Cloud technology

Blogging and micro-blogging

2.0 Listening and creating dialogue

Organizing social media strategy

How recruiters and employers are using social networking

You tube

Online job hunt

Basics that staff should know about online technologies

ContactColleen LaRose

Founder

North East Regional Employment and Training Association

Email: Colleen@nereta.org

Phone (908) 995-7718

Cell (908) 239 6030

Website: www.nereta.org

Twitter: @neretaorg

Linked In group: http://linkd.in/neretaorg