Strong-Tie and Weak-Tie Connections

By Ted Chaloner, CEO, Chaloner Associates

Malcolm Gladwell has written articles and books that are wonderfully relevant to recruiting and job search. The Tipping Point, Blink and Outliers all had elements useful for managing careers. In an article in the October 4th issue of The New Yorker, Gladwell discusses the impact of social media on social change and draws a conclusion that I wasn't expecting: "The revolution will not be tweeted." He claims that if you believe that the world needs significant change, it will take more than reaching out to your Facebook friends. He calls social media links "weak ties" and in-person connections "strong ties" and says the latter is what's needed for real progress.

He does say that social media is amazing and useful and that there is strength in weak ties. We can keep in touch with many more people than we have real friends. We can find old friends and classmates. We can share information. We can buy and sell stuff. We can look for jobs. We can get introduced to new people. We can find dates and partners. We can organize parties and events. We can send cards and remember birthdays. We can organize our lives.
Gladwell uses the civil rights movement as an example of strong tie connections. The Greensboro Lunch Counter Sit-in, the Mississippi Freedom Summer Project, the Montgomery Bus Strike, and the Birmingham March were highly organized by hierarchical organizations like SNCC, the NAACP and CORE. There were meetings in churches. The sit-in was started by four friends attending North Carolina A & T. In other words, people showed up in person. They discussed issues and plans, argued and agreed. They had strong ties.

I think parallels can be made to recruiting and job search. Useful weak tie connections have exploded on the scene in the form of job boards, networking sites, internet training, and advice pages. Facebook, Monster, LinkedIn, Twitter, MySpace and many, many more are available to everyone looking for a job or considering a career change. However it is the strong tie connections that matter most. The people you know and who know you are the most important connections by far. These are your coworkers, your bosses, your employees and even the headhunters you've met. These will be your best sources of information. These will be your references.

Recruiters get in touch with people on-line, on the phone and in person. We find out the most about candidates for our clients in face-to-face meetings. The recruiting process now most often starts with on -line postings and email applications. But it's the in-person interview and references that get applicants the job. 30 years ago, people typed their resumes and sent them by US Mail in response to classified advertisements. Now we reply to postings by email. Although faster and more prolific, it is very much the same today.

You can't do without social media these days. They are extremely useful tools, but they're still tools. It's evolutionary not revolutionary. To get that promotion or find that next fabulous job, strong tie connections are what you really need. So join PRSA or IABC or MITX or The Urban Girl Squad. Get involved and go to meetings and events and meet people. Get on the phone and call your connections. Have lunch. You'll be glad you did.

About Chaloner Associates, Inc.

CELEBRATING OUR 30TH YEAR IN EXECUTIVE SEARCH - Chaloner Associates is a national, executive search firm specializing in communications, marketing, advertising, and interactive recruitment. With offices in Boston and New York, we work with corporate, agency, consulting and non-profit clients in all industries across the US and Canada. Our knowledgeable recruiters, team-based approach, and long-term client and candidate relationships distinguish Chaloner Associates as a leader in talent acquisition since 1979.