Over the years, a number of recruiters have told me that they factor in how many connections a candidate has on their LinkedIn profile to determine suitability for hire. The rationale was that if someone had a large number of connections, they were a great networker and could use that network to add value to their position.
Well move over LinkedIn, now the social networking gods have given us yet another tool to measure someone’s street cred. Enter Klout score.
Not only does Klout measure how many contacts you have on LinkedIn, but also how many friends you have on Facebook, followers on Twitter and connections on Google+. But just having the contacts isn’t enough. They also look at your blogs and monitor your readership. All in an effort to measure your social influence over this audience. And the best part . . . wait for it. They condense it into one nice a neat score.
HR industry blogger Susan Avello recently wrote about this topic and said, ” I’ve been hearing a lot about social recruiters and companies looking to Klout to determine one’s “influence. Heck, I’ve even heard rumors that financial institutions are using Klout to determine one’s credit worthiness. That takes the cake for me.”
Yowser! So I ask the hiring world, is a candidate’s Klout score fair game?
From a marketing standpoint, I really like Klout. It allows you to monitor and target who has the greatest influence on any given topic. Does I need it to be 100% accurate for this type of use? No. But when you are looking to get your message out to those with the most Klout in the hopes that they will then “Like” or “Retweet” to their followers, it’s money. Some also suggest that a high Klout score can get you all kinds of perks; special treatment at hotels, the best table at that hot new restaurant, discount offers, etc. So far, I haven’t seen any of that (it’s like they know me).
When it comes to using it for hiring purposes, I suppose it’s just one more factor in the equation. However, I’d suggest only using it when it shows relevance to the job (i.e. if social media prowess is a requisite).
By the way, my Klout score is 54. Maybe this will give me that extra push to 60. I’m not sure if it can be used as a verb such as “Google me”, but “Klout me“.
[...] accounts, but also knows how to engage and communicate with others via social networks. Some hiring firms are using a Klout score to screen job applicants. For example, one hiring manager I know will toss out any applicant’s resume if the applicant [...]
Klout is beginning to gain some momentum and I think they’re on the right track. Why shouldn’t Klout be a part of the hiring formula (especially in sales & marketing)? I think we’ll start to see more “Klout Envy” and the people who will be quick to discredit the scoring will be those who don’t like how they stack up. The beauty of Klout is that it’s easy to change. For example, I went on a 4-day media vacation/cleanse. Upon my return, I noticed my Klout score dropped 3-points! A few days after resuming my normal activities and interactions I was back where I left off.
It’s not perfect, but Klout is a solid start. We check reviews, feedback, and ratings before visiting a new restaurant or hiring a company for a project. Why shouldn’t professionals have a standard to measure their online reputation and influence? As the site refines its algorithm I’d love to see a greater emphasis on an individual’s Klout within a particular industry, similar to Angie’s List. Great post!
~DL