Social Networking

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jose Ruiz on July 26, 2009 at 10:33am

I am glad that someone (other than me) is also beginning to wonder why aren't more hospitality organisations jumping already on the online networking wagon. Particularly as evidence is pilling up showing the benefits on offer to organisations that know how to use online networking to their advantage.

This is a topic that we discussed here and here.

Of course, the media is keen on giving editorial space to those stories about employees behaving badly (online). These make attention grabbing headlines. However, there is a mountain of evidence that indicates that the benefits of professional online networking far outweighs its risks.

I will not deny that putting your organisation up for general scrutiny carries an inherent risk, but isn’t the life cycle of any organisation paved with risks? It is how you manage those that will put you ahead of your competitors.

When we launched hotcatUK, back in August 2007, we set out to create a professional network that, among other things, would provide hospitality people with a forum to express their ideas and discuss matters affecting the industry as a whole. We like to think that we are succeeding and, whilst a percentage of members are still shying away from expressing their opinion online, our traffic stats (over 26,000 visits a month) indicate that there is hunger among the hospitality community to hear other professional’s views and opinions.

It is only a matter of time before online networking technologies become as widely used as the internet or e-mail and only those pioneer organisations that adopt them as part of their overall communication, marketing and recruitment strategies will gain a competitive advantage.

Can your organisation afford to be left behind?

Thanks Tom for bringing up this topic once more.

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Permalink Reply by Peter McGunnigle on July 27, 2009 at 7:30am

I have been helping a small number of firms in hospitlaity and tourism recruit via Facebook for about 18 months. We have advertisied event jobs, exclusive ski sales exec and cruise industry posts qwuite successfully via this medium.

If there is someone who has a lot of contacts ( and I have about 600+ alumni or soon-to-graduate students on my Facebook list) it can be a very quick way to access the labour market for specific jobs. Gewtting the contact list together though for some companies may be a challenge.

The easiest way is to set up a Facebook group with the job and contact details on and then invite contacts to join.

In my experience the under 25s are much more likely to check Facebook moree regualrly than their email accounts.

Jose Ruiz said:

I am glad that someone (other than me) is also beginning to wonder why aren't more hospitality organisations jumping already on the online networking wagon. Particularly as evidence is pilling up showing the benefits on offer to organisations that know how to use online networking to their advantage.

This is a topic that we discussed here and here.

Of course, the media is keen on giving editorial space to those stories about employees behaving badly (online). These make attention grabbing headlines. However, there is a mountain of evidence that indicates that the benefits of professional online networking far outweighs its risks.

I will not deny that putting your organisation up for general scrutiny carries an inherent risk, but isn’t the life cycle of any organisation paved with risks? It is how you manage those that will put you ahead of your competitors.

When we launched hotcatUK, back in August 2007, we set out to create a professional network that, among other things, would provide hospitality people with a forum to express their ideas and discuss matters affecting the industry as a whole. We like to think that we are succeeding and, whilst a percentage of members are still shying away from expressing their opinion online, our traffic stats (over 26,000 visits a month) indicate that there is hunger among the hospitality community to hear other professional’s views and opinions.

It is only a matter of time before online networking technologies become as widely used as the internet or e-mail and only those pioneer organisations that adopt them as part of their overall communication, marketing and recruitment strategies will gain a competitive advantage.

Can your organisation afford to be left behind?

Thanks Tom for bringing up this topic once more.

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Permalink Reply by Richard Zermansky on July 27, 2009 at 9:14am

Social networking / networking sites within the recruitment market are becoming more and more vital in developing our day to day networks and relationship. Networking sites can work in several ways within the recruitment business; they can be used for free advertising, client relationship building on a more informal level, candidate attraction and even lead generation. It is however a time consuming part of the business and I personally tend to check these site in the evening and weekends and not when I’m busy at work. I’d be interested to know statistics on when people mostly log into Face book etc?

Although I have been on face book for a few years now; I have only recently started using it daily. I also use a professional networking site called Linked In but I tend to find that this is more useful for senior executive positions and developing relationships with CEO’s and GM’s. Twitter is also developing but I’m unsure how this site would benefit our business

I’m pretty confident that social networking sites will stay as “social” and that the communication between business’s will not revert from email but I firmly agree that social networking works much better than the more formal networking. I find that it creates bonds between employers and business’s. Businesses are more relaxed in discussing business with recruitment agencies if they have spoken/met on a social level. Most networking is based on building relationship either warm or cold. Warm meaning that you already have a formal relationship with a client and Cold meaning you have never contacted before

I can understand why any business type may use these websites to reduce the cost of junior/line staff recruitment but for more senior role people are still a little ‘web-shy’ to initiate to employment prospects unless they are 100% convinced that it will be strictly confidential

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Permalink Reply by Jane Corbett on July 28, 2009 at 11:56am

I have found via this site and others that it is easy to think that you are the only person having these things happen to you, reading the stories written and with such humour only re instates the fact that the rest of us working in hospitality have the same issues and the same sort of day's most of the time.

I have also noted that it is true that the youngest of us are using the sites more than us older ones as we still rely on the old network of knowing so many in the job, and experience counts.
I am now learning all about Facebook , but because of my age I am more aware of the pit falls of people surfing the net and discovering more about you ( especially if you are attending interviews ) they learn more about you in the short time of visiting your profile and discussions that at any other time !!!!

It is a fantastic way of meeting people from your walk of life and, different ones, but not without it's pitfalls.

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Permalink Reply by Will on August 3, 2009 at 5:51pm

As a young person, social networking entered my life at the height of msn messenger. You would leave school, just to dash home and be on msn. I think back on it now, why was I spending my time on the computer talking to people I had spent my day with about irrelevant and mundane things?. The answer is as a young person if you have'nt got anything constructive to do you do just that. Also as a young person i've found that some people rely on the social security it gives you. " Oh you've got many contacts on msn!" Contacts oh no there all my friends. You will find a wide majority of people on social networking sites such as facebook and myspace has a vast amount of friends online. But then such a small circle in reality. I am fortunate enough to actually be able to define the word friend. I dont add poeple on facebook as soon as ive met them unless I have the intention of getting to know them. I left secondary school a year ago and I have 130 school friends. I could honestly say i keep in contact with about 10. But then again it is just about networking.....but i network with a purpose. That purpose is to further my career but until young people realise that it will just be about how many friends I can get.

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Permalink Reply by Claudia on August 19, 2009 at 8:09am

I definitely agree. Since these social networks have been spreading out, the future employer has often the possibility to inform himself before the actual interview on the internet about the prospective candidate. The younger people tend to be much more unaware of the negative aspects for your career. I heard of several examples in podcasts where people inhibit their own career moves by exposing too much of themselves in the internet. The problem is that just about everybody can look it up and they have to be careful just to let know other people what they would also tell to a future boss.

Jane Corbett said:

I have found via this site and others that it is easy to think that you are the only person having these things happen to you, reading the stories written and with such humour only re instates the fact that the rest of us working in hospitality have the same issues and the same sort of day's most of the time.

I have also noted that it is true that the youngest of us are using the sites more than us older ones as we still rely on the old network of knowing so many in the job, and experience counts.
I am now learning all about Facebook , but because of my age I am more aware of the pit falls of people surfing the net and discovering more about you ( especially if you are attending interviews ) they learn more about you in the short time of visiting your profile and discussions that at any other time !!!!

It is a fantastic way of meeting people from your walk of life and, different ones, but not without it's pitfalls.

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Permalink Reply by Katie Konstanz on October 19, 2009 at 11:51am

I'm not sure if social networking sites will help or hinder me when I look for a job! Being a student I have lots of photo's and they're not what I would want a future employer to see! Nothing bad, just drunken photo's mostly! Do employers look into Facebook etc when looking at a potential employee? As my surname is unusual it means that I am the only Katie-Jane Konstanz on facebook which means there is no hiding!

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Permalink Reply by Peter McGunnigle on October 19, 2009 at 6:43pm

People should always protect their facebook or other social networking information so it can be seen by people you choose to be friends with only.

Employers would not be able to see, for example, anything on a Facebook profile other than the one profile picture you publish.

What is useful is the Facebook groups that are formed to advertise jobs and circulate information on opportunities available among a specific population. For example I am able to set up groups for employers with job opportuntiies and circulate this to all people on certain groups I am an administrator for such as ourr own Alumni facebook group and any former studens who are on my frinds list. It has been very effective for comapnies and very attractive to potential employees. I beleive there is nothing to fear in this new technol;ogy of pople use it sensibly and I think many compaanies are missing out if they are not connected.

Katie Konstanz said:

I'm not sure if social networking sites will help or hinder me when I look for a job! Being a student I have lots of photo's and they're not what I would want a future employer to see! Nothing bad, just drunken photo's mostly! Do employers look into Facebook etc when looking at a potential employee? As my surname is unusual it means that I am the only Katie-Jane Konstanz on facebook which means there is no hiding!

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Permalink Reply by Jose Ruiz on October 19, 2009 at 7:33pm

Here at hotcatUK, we have been (for over 2 years now) banging on about the benefits of networking sites. That is, after all, why I created hotcatUK!

I personally do not use facebook (that much) other than to, every so often, keep in touch with friends and I would never use it to vet employees/candidates or for professional purposes. I do appreciate its potential value but I also understand that most people join facebook for social reasons.

On the other hand, networks like hotcatUK are specifically created as a professional tool and our members are encouraged to use it as such. It does work and our 1,300 members and hotcatUK LIve events are testament to its usefulness.

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Permalink Reply by Marcus Weedon on October 24, 2009 at 7:45am

Hi Katie

Very interesting to hear that about searching on likes of social networking websites, as this was something that i used to do

I used to be a consultant for an agency and would have to think outside the box when trying to till vacancies for clients

All is required is to type in the job title not name of person and all people relevant to the search will appear, such as Restaurant Manager, i would have then had exposure to goodness knows how many people that were a Restaurant Manager. I must admit this was something that i did not do on a regular occasion, but to make you aware that it is not the name of the person but the job title, hotel, restaurant that would be searched, so by not having your details private means that people that are looking for someone so specific means that you could possibly come up in their searches.

I think it would be wise to keep info to minimum when doing profiles on Facebook as this is open to millions, unless you would want people to see this.

Hope this answers your question

Marcus

Peter McGunnigle said:

People should always protect their facebook or other social networking information so it can be seen by people you choose to be friends with only.

Employers would not be able to see, for example, anything on a Facebook profile other than the one profile picture you publish.

What is useful is the Facebook groups that are formed to advertise jobs and circulate information on opportunities available among a specific population. For example I am able to set up groups for employers with job opportuntiies and circulate this to all people on certain groups I am an administrator for such as ourr own Alumni facebook group and any former studens who are on my frinds list. It has been very effective for comapnies and very attractive to potential employees. I beleive there is nothing to fear in this new technol;ogy of pople use it sensibly and I think many compaanies are missing out if they are not connected.

Katie Konstanz said:

I'm not sure if social networking sites will help or hinder me when I look for a job! Being a student I have lots of photo's and they're not what I would want a future employer to see! Nothing bad, just drunken photo's mostly! Do employers look into Facebook etc when looking at a potential employee? As my surname is unusual it means that I am the only Katie-Jane Konstanz on facebook which means there is no hiding!

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Permalink Reply by Jose Ruiz on October 24, 2009 at 12:34pm

Interesting articles (again) both in Hospitality and People Management magazines this month singing the praises of the benefit of online networking for organizations.

We are fast moving away from the "be scared" attitude and into a "you are missing out" one as more and more organisations realise that the benefits of online networking far outweight the risks; and they start to look at how to manage this tool to gain competitive advantage.

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Permalink Reply by Marcus Weedon on February 7, 2010 at 11:12am

Hey Tom,

Was just going back through the archives and came across this article that you had previously written RE social networking.

Hotcat is now 6 months older and has staged further networking events which i know you have attended, as well as your colleagues and i was very interested to see how this has benefitted you as well as others

I have got to meet alot of people that i have known for many years and have also been introduced to alot of new people that are currently working in the industry. All the events have been amazing and i look forward to each event and meet new catering professionals every month.

The event at Hotel du Vin in Oxford was brilliant, nice to get out of London as well, also the last event at Park Plaza was amazing as well, as there were more members there than before and i hope that this will be a continuing trend as new members join.

Cant wait for the next one at Jolly St Ermins and look forward to some more SOCIAL NETWORKING, it certainly is the way forward!!

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