Two companies different uses of social media

     As technology and more specifically social media continue to impact every facet of our lives companies both big and small are using social media in a variety of ways to try to connect with consumers.  Two such companies are Samsung and the San Francisco 49ers, who are in different industries and thus user social media differently but both do so very effectively.

   

     Samsung is a global company that most people are familiar with as they make a wide range of electronic devices.  The Samsung mobile social media accounts specifically feature their mobile phone and computing departments. Samsung uses these social accounts to interact with their customers by not only offering insights into new products but also deals and tips on existing products.  They do a very effective job of soliciting interaction from consumers and actually engaging them.  This keeps consumers interested and entices them to check in regularly for new content.  By giving the consumer an incentive to interact through discounts and tips to using their products Samsung has been able to garner a very large active following on their accounts.

     The San Francisco 49ers are a professional football team in the National Football League.  While they do not offer a traditional tangible product, they still use social media to interact with their fans to garner interest in their team.  The 49ers social media accounts use a different strategy to interact with their customers as they do not directly sell products, but rather entertainment.  While they do sell different memorabilia, they do so by garnering support and interest in their team.  The 49ers offer a variety of information about the team, including exclusive content unique to their social media accounts to offer an incentive to their fans to interact and follow them.  Along with exclusive content, the 49ers garner interaction with their site by enaging their fans in conversations about the team and its history as well as offering giveaways to their fans.

     While the two companies profiled are in very different industries they both use social media to engage and interact with consumers.  Both organizations strive to have meaningful interaction with their followers in order to keep them engaged.  Rather than focusing on advertising in the traditional sense and overwhelming consumers with product information, they offer content that will interest and encourage the consumers to continue to follow them.

Resume's in Today's Job Market

     In today's job market technology has expanded the talent pool from the limited local area of the past to now include individuals from around the globe.  No longer are jobs posted in your local paper, but, instead are posted online for the whole world to see.  As a result of this broadened reach HR departments are being overloaded with applicants.  Much in the same way search engines allow you to search through world wide web to find what you are looking for, many companies now use software to scan through the numerous applications they recieve for candidates that possess the skills and traits they are looking for.

     Most of us have a general idea of how your favorite search engine works, but how does resume scanning software work?  

     "In general, the software will scan information and download it into a database. It looks through for certain keywords or phrases set by the employer—things like years of experience in a field or particular skills. Then, it grades, ranks or screens the resumes, so recruiters only spend time on the best fits. The more advanced the tracking system, the better it can parse what you’ve written."(http://www.wnyc.org/story/241076-resume-scan/)

    Depending on the software being used, your resume will be scanned for the desired skills, traits, education, and relevant work experience the company desires in the ideal candidate.  The software will then give your resume a score and based on that score you will either proceed to the next phase of the application process or eliminated as a candidate.

     Given the gloabl reach of today's job market resume screening has become an essential part of the hiring process for many companies. The advantage to the  screening of resumes is that it allows companies to process far more applications in a very short amount of time.  Unfortunately there are some downsides to the screening process as well.  In the same way you may have to attempt several search engine searches to find the specific site you are looking for, resume screening may screen out the perfect candidate before anyone at the company has any interaction with the individual.  While candidates will try to optimize their resumes in the same way webmasters attempt to optimize sites for search engines, candidates have the disadvantage of not knowing exactly what keywords or phrases being used to screen their resume.  

"Many candidates are unaware of the powerful impact of keywords – some applicants have become key word experts. As a result, their resumes score higher when assessed by the ATS system, even though their skills and experience are identical to other applicants"(http://www.ere.net/2012/07/16/what%E2%80%99s-wrong-with-using-resumes-for-hiring-pretty-much-everything/).

    Given the ever increasing talent pool companies have turned to resume screening which has its advantages and disadvantages, but is this practive fair to the applicants?  I believe that it is.  While some may feel that an ideal candidate may be incorrectly screened from the application process, in the end the company loses in that scenario.  Companies are free to use any method they chose and hire whomever they wish when filling a position.  There is no equity when it comes to this process as it is an entirely subjective decision.  As the company assumes the risk of selecting a candidate, they are free to make that selection using whatever criteria they like.