Be a Groupie
By now you’re probably familiar with online Groups… you’re probably a member of one or more yourself. Here are a few tips on how to get the best recruiting results out of Groups:
1. The two biggest online Group repositories are at Yahoo and Google. Both Group sources began their lives elsewhere before they were acquired by their current owners, so both are very well established. Yahoo is bigger with more variety.
2. Your Group participation can be either via email or reading messages on the website. I recommend email because it allows you to store a copy of relevant stuff easily.
3. The biggest no-no that you can do is try to find open Groups and start spamming your jobs to the email address. This is a major etiquette breach and will only upset or annoy the recipients and the Group moderator.
4. Try to find Groups that require registration for participation. This implies a more active and interested audience.
5. Hang out on the Group for at least a week before you saying ANYTHING. Learn the Group’s unspoken rules, the tone of the posts, the style of the posts, the tolerance level of the Group.
6. Try to keep your first few posts NON CONTROVERSIAL. Let the Group get to know you, get to hear your voice, get to accept you.
7. Once you are comfortable, submit your job opening to the Group. Don’t just say “I’m recruiting… can you help?” Instead spend a paragraph explaining why you think this particular group will be especially interested in this particular job. Show that you know, understand, and respect the Group.
By truly joining first before you ask for any favors, the Group will be much more likely to help you. Not only that, but it’s highly likely you’ll make a few long-term connections at the same time.