Independent Thinking Blog

Is Location-based Recruiting Creepy?

The Wall Street Journal’s At Work blog has an interesting post on recruiters who use location-based apps to find prospects. The author points to a recruiter who drives around New York in a cab looking for Highlight users, and she asks:

What’s your take on location-based recruiting? Creepy or cool?

 

 

 

My take: if you’re going to broadcast your location, then you are fair game. That said, it’s a red herring.

Using a digital yardstick to screen for job candidates is like looking for low-hanging fruit. 

In the early 21st century, knowing how to tweet, post to Facebook, or use a location-based app to keep track of your friends and look for a lunch date is pretty much a given. It’s a low bar. It’s akin to requiring a working knowledge of Microsoft Office. Or, once upon a time, asking job candidates how many words per minute they could type.

Companies could learn a lot from Cupcake Wars.

I was watching an episode of the show that featured four fan favorites. All of them could make a good cupcake. One baker didn’t stop there; she transformed a cupcake into a jalapeno popover–complete with an edible wrapping.

I’m sure the team that created the Oreo’s “dunk in the dark” ad knew how to tweet.

What skills do you look for in employees and partners?

Photo by Tim Parkinson (Flickr).

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