It always amazes me how people can get jobs by purporting themselves to know things, rather than having actual abilities.  I know I have made hiring mistakes with people like this…have you?  When hiring, it is imperative that you make sure someone knows how to DO the work. What if it was their manager or editor or coworker?  What if their portfolio has been heavily edited by someone else or is full of pieces by the “department” but not by the individual? 

Always get multiple references from reliable sources and unless you have first hand knowledge of their abilities, give them a test.  Check them out on LinkedIn…who do you know that they know?  Do they have a lot of referrals?  What do their personal social media profiles look like?  Why did they leave their last job?  Don’t just rely on that person’s answer, dig deeper into who this person is by asking mutual contacts for details.  The best case scenario is that everyone says the person is awesome.  Worst case scenario is that you save yourself time, money, and liability by not hiring a dud.

Perhaps the candidate wowed you in their interview by using all the right words.  They said things like “SEO” and “target audiences” and “integrated strategies.” Sometimes the biggest duds can give the best first impressions.  Unless you are hiring for a bullshitter, then by all means, just go on first impressions. Otherwise, test your candidates!  Can they spell?  Can they make good strategic decisions?  Would you trust them with your dog, let alone your company Facebook page?Design your test based not in a live environment, but based on a situation they may encounter.

Sample scenario: Our company is launching a new Facebook game. It’s targeted to this demographic.  Take two hours to research and present me with: a social media launch plan, a web advertising plan, and include sample tweets, Facebook posts, web ad copy, and keywords to target.

Then sit them in a cube outside your office and tell them to get to work.  If they know what they are doing, they should at least have an idea of where to start.  If they panic, run for the hills, or give you a cut and paste document with paragraphs from Wikipedia…well then you may have a problem.

Making a bad hiring decision costs you money and time…two things that are so precious when it comes to promoting a company, engaging customers, and maintaining a positive online reputation.  Don’t take your chances and go with your gut…back up your intuition with facts.

What do you think?  Any other advice for hiring in the social media or digital marketing arena?

I heard recently about a local private sector leader who is very skeptical of hiring public sector folks.  Many public sector employees are looking for work right now nationwide due to the recent election and various changes of administration.  This prejudice seems so unfounded to me, as I know many public sector employees who are exactly the kind of people I’d want to hire.  I hope that this person and others like her will reconsider their misconceptions and interview some of these potential candidates.

Here’s five reasons why public sector employees are great hires:

1. Loyalty - Public sector employees are trained to protect their agency or organization.  Especially at the senior staff level, you will find employees who know how to give 100% support to leadership regardless of their personal opinions.
2. Management Skills - Many public sector employees have the opportunity to manage people.  This often means they have extensive experience with hiring and firing, disciplining staff, working with unions, and keeping up on HR rules and laws.  These employees are not scared of managing and generally know how to work with levels above and below them to keep the peace and move things forward.
3. Crisis Control - Whether it’s handling a crisis communications situation or preparing a pandemic flu plan, public sector employees are experienced in preparedness.  These employees can help you navigate through unexpected challenges, keeping your business running smoothly and your reputation intact.  I’ve never met a group of communications professionals who were more adept at handling investigative reporters than those in the public sector.  Any normal business would be astounded by the number of media calls and records requests we receive monthly (hundreds.)
4. Big Picture Perspective - Public sector employees know that they are employed to serve their constituency, whether that means a nation, state, city, etc.  We are constantly reminded of the true purpose of our work.  These employees also have to regularly balance the wants and needs of stakeholders, legislators, and partners in with those of citizens.  Public sector employees will understand that you have multiple reporting lines, a board, stakeholders, lawyers, employees, and customers all in the mix and it won’t faze them.
5. Commitment - Employees in the public sector generally don’t job hop every year.  They look for stable job opportunities where they can do good work and be treated fairly for a competitive wage.  They value good benefits and reasonable work hours.  This is not to say they won’t work more than a 40 hour work week—public sector employees have the same challenges as private sector.  We have outreach events, projects, or crises that keep us late into the evening.  All we generally want is recognition for our commitment and praise for a job well done.  Not so much to ask to gain a stable, loyal, committed employee.

These five reasons are based on my personal experience.  What else would you add?  I know there are even more reasons why public sector employees can be tremendous assets in other sectors.