HR professionals now routinely use social media not only to stay up-to-date and network with peers but also to build up their personal brand.
 

These are the findings of a poll undertaken among 925 HR executives from across the world this January by online knowledge sharing communities platform, Toolbox.com, and advertising and marketing agency, PJA.
 
The study revealed that a huge 78% of HR staff employed social networking sites to stay current and access the experience-based expertise of peers using channels such as blogs.
 
In fact such offerings now account for 43% of their total media consumption, to which they devote 3.8 hours per week. Another 32% of the time was spent reading editorial content (the equivalent of 2.8 hours per week), while the remaining 25% went on reading vendor material (2.1 hours).
 
George Krautzel, co-founder and president of Toolbox.com, said: “HR professionals are using social media to expand their pool of knowledge beyond their office walls. In doing so, they leverage the experience of professionals like them to make more informed decisions and avoid costly pitfalls.”
 
But a further 71% of respondents also used social media to interact with peers, with almost half saying that they had built up a personal knowledge network by establishing such connections.
 
Nearly 50% likewise believed that a social media presence enhanced their employment potential, while about the same number saw it as an important means of developing their personal brand. The biggest single benefit in a career context, however, related to boosting expertise in their current role.

• Are you using social networking? You can follow us on Twitter @HRzone – and take part in the first ever HR focused tweet up, happening this month, on Monday 29 March in London. It’s free to attend, just click here to sign up.