Social media…social media….social media…….

The debate continues for recruiters on just how effective social media can be in the development of one’s desk. But regardless of which side of the fence you are on- you are using social media. It is OK to admit it. Most recruiters today are tweeting, posting to walls, or blogging. Some of you are doing all of the above. So the question I have for you is where do you find the time?

Most recruiters list time management as one of the most important areas to get under control in order to run a successful desk. In the past Recruiting Daily has offered all kinds of tips in regards to time management. Instapaper and Email scheduling as two examples. Time management becomes increasingly important when you discuss social media engagement. I have personally seen recruiters lose hours of time day in and day out on social media activites that are not really contributing to deals being put on the board. In fact a recent survey of more than 500 employees in U.S. businesses found these kinds of digital distractions can waste more than $10 million each year.

So with a loss of time, money, and productivity- how can recruiters still effectively harness the power of social media without it taking over your desk? The simple answer is to have a plan.

Personally I work my social media activities into my daily/weekly planning. As I block out time for cold calling, interview preps and training sessions, I also block out time for emails and social media. It can be argued that by blocking out times to tweet and post, one might be missing the spontaneity of social exchanges, but there are now numerous tools available to users to insure that is not the case. Here is a quick list of a few tips to prevent recruiters from losing valuable time with unproductive social media engagement.

– Block out and adhere to times within the day set aside for social media usage

– Scheduling Tweets might be considered a real ‘no no’, but taking advantage of tools to tweet and FB post your most recent blog entries is simple. It is also smart and prevents duplication of effort. A couple of tools that can help in this area are whentotweet and Crowdbooster. They insure you are maximizing your time to get your message in front of a large audience.

– No need to lose time on posting on multiple social media avenues when there are tools to help you reach across all your channels. I personally use Ping.fm and Bullhorn’s great recruiter tool- Reach. These tools allow users to get their message out to all social media platforms with a simple click.

– Lastly, have a goal in mind why you are using social media. I try my best to tie my dedicated blocks to a specific task I am looking to accomplish. This allows me to not get as easily distracted into side conversations and/or lose valuable minutes by just fishing around.

Here are a few other helpful links on the subject of social media and productivity;

15 Tools to Save You Time with Social Media
4 Ways Social Media Can Save You Time And Money
Managing Your Time And Improving Your Productivity On Social Media Sites

Most Recruiters will agree that time kills all deals, and social media can be very demanding on one’s time. The key is to be smart and have a plan. This will allow you to assume control of your social media efforts instead of finding yourself buried underneath.

Have a tip or suggestion on how recruiters can use social media and still remain productive? We would love to hear it! Take a moment (as along as it is within your scheduled time) to share with our readers in the comment section below.