Facebook is always a hot topic of conversation and LinkedIn has come to occupy increased attention among business and human resources departments this past year. Despite being one of the most influential of all social networks Twitter is often over looked as a valuable tool for human resources departments.

Top social networks globally (in millions)

Technically Twitter has over 500 million users but about 40% of those accounts are dormant so we talk about 255 million active users. In Canada over 19 million Canadians have a Facebook account, over 7 million have a LinkedIn account and 5.6 million Twitter accounts or 20.8% market penetration. It turns out that Canada is a Twitter hot spot and the number of Twitter users in Canada continues to grow, by 28% over 2013 (which grew 30% over 2012). Among the many reasons that Twitter is growing in usage and usefulness among Canadians is the rapid adoption of Smartphones in Canada. The ease of use of Twitter and the immediacy of engagement and the breadth of content make Twitter a very useful tool.

Interesting Twitter Data

•  9,100 Tweets per second
• 2.1 billion Twitter search inquiries per day
• 58 million Tweets in an average day
  

What Can You Do With Twitter?

Twitter delivers a breadth of content on topics relevant to human resources. By using a # (Hashtag) a Twitter user is able to tap into a conversation on a specific topic quickly such as tools and trends in business and human resources. Not only can job candidates demonstrate their interest in an organization by engaging with then on Twitter but HR can also posts jobs and engage with potential candidates.

HR Hashtags to check out

• #HR
• #HRTECH
• #Tchat
• #SHRM
• #SHRM14
• #HRTrends
• #HRhappyhour
• #HRTECHCONF
• #Recruiting
• #HRBLOGS
  

Based on Twitter data we have created a Word Cloud with the hot HR Twitter topics

Twitter Chats

If you have not attended a Tweetchat you are missing out on many interesting conversations. A Tweetchat enables users to discuss a topic or theme in a group with others who are also interested in the topic. To understand them better we have list a few below that you can take a quick look into.

(all time Eastern)

#TCHAT (Wednesday 7-8pm )
#HFChat (Friday at 12pm)
#Leadershipchat (Tuesday 8pm)
#HRTechchat (Friday 2-3pm)
#LinkedInChat (Tuesday 8-9pm)
#InternPro (Monday 9pm)
#Jobhuntchat (Monday 10-11pm)

Twitter Tools

Hootsuite and Tweetdeck are aggregators you can use to manage Twitter and other social media networking accounts from a centralized location. Most Smartphones have the Twitter and Twitter aggregator applications.

Practical Twitter Tips

Twitter works like Tim Hortons. You can run through the drive through quickly and grab a quick snack or head inside for a lunch, people watch, listen in on conversations or a chat with friends.

• Consider your identity before you begin. You can create a personal and a corporate Twitter account or both, depending on your needs and interest. Identity includes the name and image you use, the description you craft and how you engage
• Listen for awhile and then find content to share and comment on
• Use hashtags with key words to find information and people to follow. Once you find 100 relevant people or organizations finding more becomes even easier
• Share, thank and reciprocate other people’s content. Sharing your own ideas in response to others not only in isolation
• Manage your time well. Once you are engaged on Twitter there is no end to the information you can find.
  

Twitter can be a fun tool and a great way to stay informed and current, check out the competition and even find a great new hire.

Resources

Statista.com Global Social Networks Ranked By Number of Users