The flip side of Google’s state of perpetual beta is that for crazies who imagine they can use a disparate array of products and services for vertical applications–as in cloud recruiting for example–Google’s interminable  incubation can be especially maddening.

The headaches are no less excruciating when one attempts to integrate Google’s core applications to replace basic pay-to-play recruiting tools and services. Seems simple enough, no? Well, as it turns out, maybe not.

After the predictable failure of Google Wave I realized that my decision to ignore Google’s 2009 app de jour–at least until some recruiting-related application became apparent–was not such a bad idea after all. As it turned out I saved a lot of time and effort that ultimately would have contributed nothing to the G-Recruiting project.

Shortly after Google Wave’s evaporation, some of Google’s more durable offerings like Google Notebook, Google Base, Google Toolbar, Google Directory, and Google Desktop–all having specific, proven recruiting-related uses–started to systematically vaporize too. Other favorites like Google Labs and Sidewiki, similarly swept away, gave me pause for concern. Trying to keep up with Google’s comings and goings was, if not exhausting, producing a diminishing return.

With the launch of Google+ my decision to back-off was not based on its uncertain future or potential for recruiting–as was the case with Google Wave or Google Buzz but  the ways in which Google+ appeared to be remarkably different from previous Google roll-outs. If nothing else, any attempt to unify a previously loosely knit suite of applications into a cohesive product set, where the whole is measurably greater than the sum of its otherwise questionable parts, suggested a paradigm shift of Google-sized proportions. Most significantly:

• Failure is not an option with Google+, let alone something to be celebrated. I don’t know that corporate self-image can be so easily transformed with the introduction of a new product but the effort should be applauded, even if the entity is, paradoxically, too big to fail.
• Historically, Google’s apparent lack of product strategy has befuddled pundits. They fail to realize that Google’s monolithic brand is the product, synonymous with search for sure, but representing something more ethereal. Google+ is unambiguous both as an articulation of Google’s brand and it’s product strategy moving forward.
• It remains to be seen if Google+ is a really the game changer some claim it will be. In the meantime, there can be no mistake that the goal posts have been moved. For example, co-opting the “+” sign as part of its naming convention not only makes the “+” sign’s use as a search operator redundant, it symbolizes–quite literally–a transition from Search to Google+ as a the flagship product.
• Google’s social search algorithm, while supposedly making the experience more nicey-nice-nice for well-connected users, fundamentally changes the bias from one of objectivity [think: PageRank] to one of subjectivity [think: social validation]. This not only affects search engine optimization and marketing but a host of other things which we now have to figure out how to game if we want eyeballs, clicks and pluses. As if obscuring contextually relevant results with content from LinkedIn one-night-stands wasn’t bad enough…

Google has a long ways to go before what I imagine can be done with its platform will transpire for recruiters like me. Our G-Recruiter workarounds aside–part of the fun I might add–coming up with a better integration of notes, contacts and tasks would be a start. And while the horizontal everyman may find more to sing and dance about with Google+ than the vertically inclined business user, there is more to be excited about for G-Recruiters today than not.

Stay posted…there is more to come.

No doubt in the coming weeks we will have to recalibrate a few things. In the meantime, the iGoogle set-up files for anyone who wants a recruiter-specific template have been updated too.

A number of new custom search engines have been added under the Sourcing tab and some new finds have been added to the Lookups tab. The Video tab has been expanded to include a lot more tutorials from favorites like Ryan Leary [BooleanBar.com], Chris Hoyt [RecruiterGuy], Jim Stroud, Bill Radin and others.

Tying things up

[Can't see the video? Watch it on YouTube]

iSEEK is included in the G-Recruiters’ Dashboard collection of search engines found in the Search Bar, filed under Deep Web.

This playlist runs through some of the basic features but, to see it applied in recruiting scenarios, check out the Become a Search Whiz series of webinars and recordings over on our sister site BROWN BAG RECRUITER. Better still, try it yourself.

[Can't see the playlist? View it on YouTube]

If you want to learn more visit iSEEK’s website here »

• G-Recruiters Profile Finder A useful way to search for people, by skill sets and job titles etc. with results coming back from resume databases social networks, personal homepages, blogs and so on.
• G-Recruiters Gurus’ String Finder A fun tool for people who want to see how the best practitioners put search syntax together plus excellent tips and tutorials for the masters.
• G-Recruiters Microblog Search A search engine for finding people and topics from Twitteresque sites from around the globe.
• Vertical Intelligence is a series of “blog-enabled” search engines. This site links to different types of example and includes a video tutorial that will walk you through the steps of creating your own.

And to round things off…search on the fly!




[No video? See it on YouTube]

One of the disadvantages, at least for people habituated to Microsoft, is having to figure out how to do stuff that is second nature in a new system like Google. Not that it is that hard, Google has addressed that and more with Google Cloud for Microsoft Office.

If this idea floats your boat, check these options out too:

• OffiSync “supercharges” Microsoft Office, enabling users to significantly improve the way they create, collaborate and share their documents.
• DocList Uploader is a utility that lets you drag and drop items from your desktop directly into your Google Docs account.
• Google Docs: Download is installed as a Grease Monkey script. Once installed you access your Google Docs from a control panel.
• OggSync is a sync tool that can be used to connect all your devices to your Google Apps account as well as enable access to your MS Exchange information and have it available on your Google Account.
• GMail Drive Shell Extension creates a virtual file system on your machine which connects directly to your Gmail account. Useful for quickly updating your Gmail database with raw resume uploads.
• Google Apps Sync for Microsoft Outlook is what it says it is.

You can download these and other tools here »

[Watch on YouTube] [HD streaming video]

Here is a link to the tutorial for FEBE, the add-on mentioned in the video »

[Watch on Youtube]

Source: Lifehacker

Google is partnering with Sprint to bring a seamless Google Voice integration to Sprint customers. Sprint customers can take advantage of the full set of Google Voice features without changing or porting their number, or opt to use their existing Google Voice number when making and receiving calls, without the need for an app.

Learn more on the Google Voice blog.

Google just published this reference, 20 Things I Learned about Browsers and the Web. I like it very much. I think you will too.

I’ll be adding this online guide to the resources that support my workshops where browsing and browser options are agenda items.

[Click on the image to launch the book]