Up Front: I have been a Klout member since 2009. And I regularly sign-up for and receive Klout Perks. Sometimes I even blog about the Perks I receive (with full citations). 
Klout is an awesome network. I love it. It’s great to see who influences me and who I, in turn, influence. Sometimes the results are shocking.
Their near real-time metrics are fun to examine. For example: my score dipped this weekend, as I went tech-free for nearly two days. Now I’ll try to overcompensate to get it back up a bit. See, harmless fun!
Their Perks have added somewhat of a gaming layer to the social sphere, as people can try to up their influence in a specific topic in order to get relevant freebies.
But there can be a dark side to it. As TechCrunch’s Drew Olanoff reported, companies are using Klout Scores in the hiring process for social media positions, putting a minimum score as a job requirement.
While Olanoff takes aim at the company for encouraging these efforts, I actually have no problem with Klout’s response. I mean, if a company wanted to use a metric or system I created in the recruiting process, I’d be happy, too! (Here is how Klout Scores are created.)
My issue is with the companies for using the metric in the first place. (And remember, I love Klout.)
Klout scores measure social influence – as determined by Klout. They do not measure whether or not you can perform the task the company needs.
Case in point: Justin Bieber has TONS of social influence — but I doubt he’s interested in your gig.
Case in point #2: I know I’m going anecdotal here, but some of the best, most talented social media marketers and community managers I’ve worked with shy away from building their “personal brand” online. It’s just not their thing, and that’s OK. Should these otherwise highly-qualified individuals not make the interview cut because they value their privacy?
Case in point #3: I know many people with huge scores and networks that can market one thing and one thing only: themselves. They don’t have a solid understanding of branding, marketing or communications.
Klout Score can definitely give you a piece of information about a job applicant, but weigh it lightly and try to get a more holistic view of their work.
(Mar…
Thanks for making this point Mike! My days are spent working with clients as a very active (freelance) digital marketing strategist, which includes social media (of course), so the last thing I want to do with my free time is build and maintain my own online footprint. However, one of the first requests I get from potential clients is for a link to my profile sites. Ummm...my personal pages are filled with my (not always professional) opinions and communication with friends...not necessarily the first impression I want to give to a prospective client. And certainly not marketed and maintained with my Klout score in mind. Why not just let my experience and skills speak for themselves. After all, I don't demand to see my mechanic's car before I'll let him work on mine. Or should I?
@Amy Nathan Thanks for chiming in, Amy! The car/mechanic analogy is absolutely brilliant! The old saying about the cobbler's kids not having shoes can come into play here, too. Social media has blurred the personal/professional lines completely. We are in a position to present a 360-degree image to our professional contacts, who may have gotten, say, 45-degrees before. While this does have tremendous value, it's a fundamental change in privacy. Now, instead of respecting your private life, someone wonders what you are hiding.