I am in San Jose, California taking advantage of the minds that have assembled at Google in Mountain View and surrounding areas to discuss and explore Social Media and its impact on Recruiting. The last day has been an incredible lesson in understanding what has brought the industry and its revolutionary leaders to this point.



A recap of the day is in order. A drive in to Mountain View to the Google Campus where individuals gathered to share a shuttle ride to building 43, where ERE.net had assembled social media leaders to share information and direct interested individuals as to the driving reasons why Twitter does or doesn't work as a recruiting tool. Additionally, a tour of the campus was in order, though security guards lined each path and kept all attendees on the straight and narrow google path, by the way, the path was cobbled.

First, Reid Hoffman of LinkedIn shared the delights of LinkedIn Recruiter and what makes it special. The word on the street, "It's totally worth the price." Given the demonstration we received, I would concur. Next, came the opportunity to find the session of your choosing. The quote of the day, "People don't lie in public as often (as they do in private.)" Which is why you can trust LinkedIn profiles...

Laurie Ruettimann (@lruettimann) shared highlights of why "going your own way" works and why PunkRock HR is not only a statement but a way of life. Laurie touched on some different social networks available and advantages of each. Twitter was a running theme throughout the day.

Lunch was served outdoors where a spitting of ran dampened few spirits and made others wonder, "This is June in California?"

The afternoon was filled with more discussions and extensive conversations of what recruiters and HR departments are doing to embrace social media and how it can best serve the industry. Tweets abounded from sessions touched on the virtues of Twitter, LinkedIn, Community, and so much more. Check Twitter #socialrecruiting to get the gist of the incredible conversations taking place.

Believe it or not, business cards were still exchanged, not quite as outdated as you might think, and "hope" filled the room.

Recession is just a dirty word and has no place where optimism dwells.