In running a Immersive Real Estate Company our hiring process is a bit different then the typical bricks and mortar firm in that in some cases there may be agents who when they join we haven't met in person.  This can prove tricky since we are having to make a judgement of how these agents will represent our brand by evaluating their marketing, their past experience, feedback from agents in the field to ultimately deciding that an agent may be a good fit for our company.

Recently we started the process and friended up a prospective agent on Facebook about the same time that the agent was wanting to join our company.  In reviewing all of the above we ended up passing on the agent because of their Social Media profile.  During the process we determined that one's Social Media profile is just as much an indication of the professional nature of a prospective agent as a face to face meeting and in some cases it may even be a better indication since it really shows who the prospective agent is in real life.

I mention this because as I'm sure others have blogged in the past and I assume there are even research studies showing the value of Social Media Profiles in the hiring process.  It has now landed front and center in our hiring process and we are now putting it has high if not higher then the value of the first impression of a face to face meeting.

Comments, Question and/or Debate is encouraged.