Social Learning via WhatsApp!! Possible?

Whatsappsocialrecruiting

WhatsApp for Social Recruiting ” itself is a new concept and now you want us to explore it for Social Leaning? Hmmm… Social Learning on Twitter Possible? 10 out of 10 would have said a big Yes. Social Learning via WhatsApp? 1 out of 10 would say a Big Yes. So now you must be looking for the 1 person who said YES :) Well, that one person is the one who is writing this post. We have been trained to use WhatsApp to be connected with our near and dear ones. My Mom and relatives too are super active on WhatsApp just like all of you out there. So how does it make WhatsApp a platform for Social Leaning? You might be thinking where is the connection, right? Well, enough of running around the bush, lets come to the point.

WhatsApp Groups is the answer. LinkedIn Groups, Twitter Lists, Tweet Chats are considered great place to connect, learn and engage with Influencer’s. But off-lately have been part of some interesting Groups on WhatsApp. The best thing about this was that it was real time, instant, quick and spontaneous conversations on WhatsApp Group. But one would say that its not easy to search chats and conversations unlike Twitter. But Hey, thats not what WhatsApp is known for. WhatsApp is not Twitter, and Twitter is not WhatsApp. PS: You can email those  WhatsApp Groups conversations too.

I know many of you have loads of issues being part of any new Group on WhatsApp. Following are some of the things that I have heard and some solutions to make such groups more meaningful for Social Leaning :
– Have heard many say, yet another group invite. Oh HR Group, Oh Recruiters Group.
– Oh no, there are so many forwards being shared in this group and so on.
– I have received 200 messages, come on let’s mute this group
– Thank God WhatsApp has a restriction of having 50 members as part of a group and not 100.   PS: It was  introduced with 15 members, and then they increased it to 50 😉
– XYX  left the group :)
Well, its natural, this is bound to happen in disruptive conversations. LinkedIn to is going through this phase with their Publishing platform. OK, so all you need to do is set some ground rules when you are part of such groups. Encourage members to avoid sharing Pics or Forwards. Set a calender sort of thing, example – Monday we will discuss this topic, Tuesday this, and so on. Learning in any form is always good. And what better platform than WhatApp, where we are always online, its easy to use too. I have come across many HR’s and Recruiters saying Twitter is complicated. I have an Twitter account, but I am not comfortable, and so on. But now there is not excuse to avoid Social Learning. WhatsApp is a not a new medium, not complicated too.
Some are still worried about some serious issues like Battery is draining too fast 😉 and getting 100+ messages on WhatsApp groups. But Hey, its up to you to either learn via this amazing medium or just avoid such groups. It also depends a lot on the Group Admin, how they manage and keep quality conversations going on.
Looking forward to your views on this interesting development on WhatsApp.
KunalKunjal Kamdar has been involved in hiring for the last eight years, having worked in both recruitment and sourcing capacities. Currently, he works with WNS Global Services in India as a Group Manager – Social Recruiting. Kunjal enjoys sourcing and using Social Media to expand and innovate new channels in the recruitment process. Blogging is his real passion, and he in turn loves sharing his passion for sourcing and social media with others in the recruiting community. Check out his blog at Rambling Recruiter’s Blog. Connect with him on LinkedIn and on twitter @kunjal23.

 

10 Comments

  1. Meetu says:

    A very interesting post Kunjal :)

  2. Kunjal, I have been hearing learning on whatsapp for past 7-8 months there is a HRShapers grp on WhatsApp, NLP grp on Whatsapp is soon going to happen.

    So, yes you can count me also in those people who say yes to learning on whatsapp.

  3. shankar says:

    interesting post. How about hiring through whatsapp?

  4. dear sir please add my number in this group

    My self Siva Ram Prasad, working as a HR in Harsha Toyota

  5. Naveen Taalanki says:

    Kunjal,

    please add me – Naveen Taalanki – 9036855220

  6. jitendra says:

    pls add me jitendra zala
    9687654225

  7. Dnyaneshwar says:

    Please add me
    9175600752

Leave a Reply to Dnyaneshwar Cancel reply