This document provides an overview of how to use Twitter for HR purposes. It begins with statistics about Twitter and explains what Twitter is. It then discusses how to set up an account and profile, cover etiquette and best practices, and explores ways to use Twitter to enhance one's HR career such as networking, staying updated on the industry, and recruiting. Specific HR uses like monitoring vendors and providing company updates are also reviewed. The document aims to demonstrate how Twitter can benefit both individuals and companies in the HR field.

1. November 2014

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3. 3
Getting Started
Understanding the Lingo
Etiquette, Engagement and Best Practices
Using Twitter to Enhance Your HR Career
Using Twitter on the Job

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5. “Embracing Social Media isn’t just a bit
of fun, it’s a vital way to communicate,
keep your ear to the ground and improve
your business.”
~ Sir Richard Branson
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6. Twitter Stats You Should Know
 About 1 billion users – 10th highest world population
 500 million “tweets” per day
 2.1 billion search queries per day
 Fastest growing demographic: 54 – 65
 76% of active Twitter uses access via mobile device
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8. So What Is Twitter?
 Community and Conversation
 A “micro-blogging” platform
 Limited to 140 characters
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“What we have to do is
deliver to people the best
and freshest most relevant
information possible. We
think of Twitter not as a
social network, but it's an
information network. It
tells people what they care
about as it is happening in
the world.”
~ Evan Williams, Co-
Founder

9. Setting Up Your Account
 Step 1:
 Point your browser to www.twitter.com
 Download the Twitter App on your
phone
 Step 2: Click on “Sign Up”
 Step 3: Complete the four questions:
 “Full Name”: This is your real name and it is
searchable and visible.
 “Email”: Is private but can also be searchable
 “User Name”: This is the name people will use
to follow you. Keep it short.
 “Password”: Private and of your choosing.
 Step 4: Click on “Sign Up”
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10. Your Profile
 Photo:
 Upload a professional looking headshot
or avatar
 Logo for business owners
 Header:
 Similar to your Facebook header
(background)
 Upload your own photo
 Websites with sized photos:
 Twitrcovers.com
 Twitterbackgroundsgallery.com
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11. Your Profile
 Name:
 The “full name” you entered upon
registration
 Can be anything you’d like it to be
 Location:
 Helps to build a sense of localization
and community
 Web:
 The primary non-Twitter destination
of your choice
 Often includes websites, blogs,
LinkedIn profiles, etc.
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12. Your Profile
 Bio:
 You have 160 characters to include anything you’d like.
 Think of this as your Twitter resume
 Protect Your Tweets:
 Not recommended
 No one can follow you without your approval and can’t read your tweets
without following you
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14. Remember – It’s About Community, Conversation and
Relationships
 Be Authentic
 There is only one you so let yourself shine
 Attempt to achieve a balance between the personal and professional
 Like email, tweets can be misinterpreted without context
 If you wouldn’t say it to someone’s face, don’t say it on Twitter
 Minimize automation – automatic DMs and too much scheduling
 Followers
 Follow back is nice but not required
 Set a balance of following to follower ratio
 Don’t be afraid to “unfollow”
 If someone follows you AND you follow them back – thank them through
Reply or DM.
 They will see everything you tweet (so keep that in mind)
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15. Common Etiquette
 Retweets
 If one of your tweets is “RTed”, try and thank those people
publicly
 Feel free to add color commentary to the RT
 Without comment this is your implied endorsement of that user
and their thoughts or content
 Try and lift one another up to the benefit of the community
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16. Common Etiquette
 Add Value
 Think about your audience
 Tweet more than just headlines, quotes and links
 Don’t overuse #hashtags
 Take It Offline
 Remember your tweets are visible
 Use Direct Messages when it becomes a lengthy
conversation
 Reach out to just one person a week and request a chat
 Locate fellow HR pros in your area
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Best Practices

18. Best Practices – Time Management
 Focus Your Followers
 Favorites
 Use to mark tweets you want to go
back to
 Lists
 Organize Followers by Criteria
 If clicked on, only shows the
tweets for those users
 You can follow the lists of
others – others can follow yours
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20. Using Twitter to Enhance Your HR Career
 Grow your network – follow HR Experts, Thought
Leaders, Analysts and Trendsetters
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Leadtail Research - HR Executives on Twitter Q1 - 2013

22. Using Twitter to Enhance Your HR Career
 Gain Credibility and Build
Your HR Brand
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23. Using Twitter to Enhance Your HR Career
 Land Your Next HR Job
 Post messages about your search
 Search key words such as your title, profession, industry
 Follow/Engage with Companies you want to work for; follow
their job tweets
 Use Twitter job boards
 Gather Information About Your New Company or Those You
Want to Work For
 Twitter Search
 Culture, Products, Jobs
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24. Using Twitter to Enhance Your HR Career
 Land Your Next HR Job Cont.
 As with LinkedIn, be a thought leader: post articles, “Favorite”
tweets, RT (Return Tweet), RT with or just comment on the
twitter discussion/post.
 Link your Twitter Profile to Your LinkedIn Page for automatic
tweets whenever you post on LinkedIn.
 Follow Hiring Managers and other KEY Staff at companies you
want to work for and/or are applying to. Engage with them.
 Job Search Twitter Tips
 These are many of the same tactics used in traditional job
searches only adapted for Social Media.
 Think of and utilize Twitter as you do LinkedIn.
 Be sure to Thank those who help via “DM” (Direct Message)
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25. Using Twitter to Enhance Your HR Career
 Reinforce Your Professional HR Image
 Create a focused, targeted profile
 Claim your twitter handle
 Upload a professional head shot & create a custom header
 Link your personal website or LinkedIn profile
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26. Using Twitter to Enhance Your HR Career
 Stay Updated on HR Conferences
 Organizations like SHRM use twitter to provide updates
 If you can’t attend – use the conference #hashtag to follow
the Live Tweeting:
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28. Recruiting
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29. Recruiting
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30. Branding – Build and Monitor
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31. Stay Current on Government & Legislative Changes
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32. 2.1 Billion Searches Per Day
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33. Communities of Interest - Twitter Chats/Twitter Feeds
 #HireFriday
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34. Communities of Interest - Twitter Chats/Twitter Feeds
 Your Own Company
Chat/Twitter Feed
 Training Program
Reinforcement
 Benefit
Announcements
 Emergency
notifications
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Monitor Vendors and Consultants

36. Additional Uses of Twitter on the Job
 Seek Peer Advice and Review
 Identify Local, National and Virtual Events
 Access Surveys, Research and Benchmarks
 Promote Corporate Social Responsibility/Philanthropy
 Enjoy Free [Everything]!
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Janet A. Hoffmann
President, HR Aligned Design
917-756-9560
janet@hraligneddesign.com
@hraligneddesign
www.hraligneddesign.com
Stuart Friedman
HR Director, CW Publishing
917-208.4537
stuartmfriedman@gmail.com
@HR_STU