Today, I started a new trend: it’s called #HireFriday. It’s a simple concept. It started like this. I created the #hastag #HireFriday. Then, I’d tweet their name, the type of work they were looking for, citing the industry they were in, and the location they wanted to live. It all started like this:

@HRMargo: I’ve started a New trend #HireFriday on twitter. If you have a friend who’s looking for a job, tweet on their behalf to your network!

Have a heart and do something like this for your friend in transition:

#HireFriday @Arleen14 She’s dedicated to making teams, businesses, and executives shine! She’s looking for a position in Ovido, Florida

I dedicated the entire tweet day tweeting for my friends, and friends of friends who were in actively seeking a new position.

I’m sick of #followfriday with it’s meaningless stacks of names with no recommendations. What has meaning? Recommending a friend who does something particularly well, and in this case recommending a friend in transition to your followers. Cite something they do better than anyone else you know, or at the very least, ask your followers to help them find a connection that just might lead to an interview.

It was perhaps the most rewarding day I spent on twitter to date. Just think, if each of us thought of one, or more friends in transition, and took the time to connect them to someone in our network who could offer advice, referrals, and support, we could make a difference in their lives. We might even make a dent in the unemployment rate. I’m a compassionate dreamer, and if it were up to me, I would have waved my magic wand, and given a job to every unemployed American a job in 2009. But alas, I am not the job fairy. But, this I can do, I can introduce an unemployed friend to my contact network, and believe me that is no small thing. Something beautiful happened, lots of my followers followed suit and started tweeting #HireFriday shouts on behalf of their friends and loved ones. It was incredible, people that had nothing to do with HR and Recruiting started connecting people with other people.

Many of us with recruiting backgrounds know how challenging it is to find the best candidate for a client’s position. The same holds true if you are an employer who relies on an unwieldy applicant tracking system to feed you your resumes. The best hire is a warm hire, someone who’s been referred from someone you trust in your own network. Employers spend a lot of money with recruiters to help them find that perfect candidate.

But just for one moment, imagine if you could help a friend get hired with just one tweet? Just imagine if passive candidates started flowing your way because of someone out of our industry referred them to you.

Networks are an interesting animal. Most professionals spend years growing, nurturing and giving back to their networks. The happiest networkers are those who give. Networkers who are on the take lose their credibility quickly. That’s rule number 1 when you are job seeking, be helpful, be courteous, and stay in touch with your network as you go about your search. Leave your networking contact with something of value. I made it a point to give a contact an article, a helpful suggestion, or a referral. Even if you are unemployed, you have something to give. Never lose sight of that fact.

Sometimes recruiters get hard-bitten and cynical over the years. That can happen when they get burned out. Then, there are recruiters who care about their client’s best interest, and the best interest of the candidate, The best recruiters I’ve ever worked with offer helpful suggestions to the candidate, even if that person is not a fit for the position they are trying to fill. Those recruiters are my heroes. I can of many recruiters in my contact network who are compassionate, kind, and respectful.

#HireFriday is my personal vision. It is my quest to help as many people get hired as possible, whether or not a I get a commission. Recruiting is not always about the end game. Yes, I know what you are thinking, “begin with the end in mind," as Stephen Covey says. Every now and then, we have to begin with the beginning in mind, and value the journey. You never know where the path will lead.

The Character, Don Quixote said, “To dream the impossible dream.” I dream of #HireFriday as a tool for help unemployed people to make contact with recruiters and hiring managers who can help them. Wouldn’t the world be a better place if each of us offered a random act of kindness to someone in need? #HireFriday is just that. It’s a way for people who aren’t in the recruiting industry to give a shout out to on behalf of their friends, or loved ones. It’s also a way for recruiters to give a shout out about a job they are trying to fill.

Every day could be Friday. Why limit it to just one day? Why not create a culture on facebook and twitter that helps people in the midst of a career transition? Many people are doing it now. I want to take it a step further. I want to make #HireFriday a trending topic each and every Friday.

John Lennon put it like this.

“You might say, I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope one day you’ll join us, and the world will live as one.”

You might say, HRMargo, you’re a dreamer. Everyone needs a mission, this is mine. Compassionate HR is not just a blogtalkradio program. It’s not just a post in my blog. It’s my passion piece. So, if you are like me, and you want to make a difference, give #HireFriday a shot.

I’m not not knocking #FollowFriday entirely. It has it’s place. It helps like minded people find one another. That has value. At it’s best, it’s a form of recognition. At it’s worst, it’s a meaningless, vapid payback system, and a form of self-promotion.

I grew weary of #FollowFriday, so I launched the coveted @HRMargo awards program where I gave one person props for something they do extraordinarily well. It’s my way of expressing love to the people, the companies and recruiters I admire.

With #HireFriday, I’m taking it one step further. I’m inviting you to give a buddy a hand. Introduce them to your contacts, and maybe your contacts will put that person with their contacts.

Pay it forward. Give back to your network. Show some love for the people who need your help. It will not just make a difference in their lives. It might just make a difference in yours.

Compassionate HR, and Love,

@HRMargo