In part 1 of this article (posted last Monday) we talked about seven of the 13 ways that HR is using social media. As I write part deux, there’s one thing going through my mind: I really hope the sequel doesn’t stink. Well, now that that’s out of the way, let’s dive into this week’s lesson.

Use Social Media as a Public Relations Tool

8. Company News: Now that many of us have moved away from RSS feeds, companies can use their social accounts to continue to push their messages. As HR pros, I would encourage you to make friends with your PR department. Know what’s going at your organization and weave relevant content into your HR social/editorial calendar.

9. Corporate Blogs: I have career blog envy, though I am sort of surprised that the Target Pulse blog hasn’t posted any content yet in 2014. I love the clean design, engaging content and great visuals. In general, blogs are a great platforms for sharing your stories, particularly if the content is consistent, interesting and re-purposed via your social accounts.  (And, if anyone from Target is reading this, please start posting again.)

Homework: Share your favorite corporate career blog links below in the comments section.

10. Reputation Management: Social media gives organizations a quick way to release important information to the masses. It also allows for customers and candidates to instantly have a visible connection to your company. Knowing that perception is reality, you have a real opportunity to do things right (or terribly wrong) via social media.

Homework: What are the ways that you can manage your employment brand and reputation via social media? Are you living up to your excpectations?

Recruit & Hire the Right People

11. Sourcing Candidates: The most cited study that I have seen is Jobvite’s, stating that 73% of employers have made successful hires from social media. Whether it’s using Facebook Graph, engaging via Twitter or sending an inMail via LinkedIn, online communities serve as viable pools to fish in.

12. Employee Referrals: There are a number of HR tech vendors in the marketplace that can help companies socialize their employee referral programs through gamification. Some even extend their programs to non-employees and reward anyone who refers a successful hire. While I certainly believe in the power of WOM, organizations with smaller budgets may want to simply send an email encouraging employees to post job openings via their networks.

13. Background Checks: Have you ever stumbled upon less than positive posts or pictures about candidates … and then made decisions not consider them? Incorporating social media into the background check process is a pretty hot topic. Some organizations choose to, while others abstain.

Homework: Re-read your company’s social media policy and discuss your background check procedure with hiring managers. This will ensure everyone is working from the same playbook.

 Quick Recap of How HR Uses Social

Between last week and today, we’ve covered 13 different ways that HR can utilize social media to support its goals. They include: employment branding, job visibility, brand ambassadors, event announcements, company news, ratings and reviews, the candidate experience, talent communities, blogging, reputation management, sourcing, employee referrals and background checks.

I guess it’s safe to say that human resources, in more ways than one, relies on the power of social media. It’s here to stay.

Check out the Prezi that I presented to a group of college students. It’s very high level, but I hope these two recent articles can help fill in the gaps.

How are you leveraging HR?