I'm not in today, but my Twitter followers can help you

As the popularity of Twitter grows by leaps and bounds, and as folks increasingly turn to their Twitter networks for information, perspective, advice, and great ideas, I wonder if there will come a time when the standard 'Out of the Office' message - 'Hi, I'm not in, leave a message and I'll get back to you on Thursday', will be replaced by 'I'm not in today, but my Twitter followers can help you, just send me a Tweet with your question'.

Think about it, many folks who have spent the time networking and connecting on Twitter have developed robust, rich networks of hundreds if not thousands of 'followers', many of whom are more than willing to offer assistance, resources, and expert information on almost any question you are likely to throw at them.

A few nights ago I was preparing material for my HR Tech class on the use of Web 2.0 and related technologies in recruiting, and I tweeted a question to my network about what technologies aside from LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter were important to mention. Within five minutes I received a wide range of responses from five or six professional, successful recruiters.  The responses were insightful, helpful, innovative, and I incorporated some of the suggestions in class the next night.  My 'work product' was directly influenced and improved by the use of my network.

So, what's the big deal you ask? Hasn't leveraging your professional network always been a hallmark of successful employees?  In the past the most valuable employees often boasted the largest rolodex.Flickr - rutibegga

All true, but today's social sites like Twitter and Facebook enable more 'super-charged' networking, that is more accessible to every employee.  But unlike the old-timer's rolodexes, these networks are sometimes viewed as 'time-wasters', 'distractions', and even banned or blocked by some short-sighted organizations.

Would any organization force a new employee to erase all the numbers in their contact list? Then why would they try and block Twitter?

Follow me on Twitter - I promise I won't block you!

Comments

[HR Maven]

My husband's employer blocks all of the sites, and more. I wonder if/how/when employers can see the business case for unblocking these sites - for resources, for recruiting and for an online presence!

Wonderful post! Thanks.

[Steve]

I agree Maven, once employers impose a ban or blocking mechanisms, then it is difficult to get that removed. As these networks continue to grow in popularity, and when the current recession eases, it does seem likely that organizations that don't embrace, or at least tolerate the use of these tools, will be at a competitive disadvantage in both the external marketplace, and in the quest to hire and retain the best talent. Thanks for your support and comments.