Second Life, the virtual community created and maintained by California-based Linden Labs, is quickly becoming a hotbed of real world financial opportunity. In addition to millions of private users - or residents - companies like Cisco, IBM, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz and Dell have all created virtual campuses in Second Life. These spaces are learning-centers, conference rooms, and showcases, and it’s increasingly common to see corporate recruiting centers. As players in the talent war adopt more and more Web 2.0 technology, it seems prudent for recruiters to begin paying attention. However, will a technology as new as Second Life pay off for real-world recruiters?

Recruiting firms like Semper International and TMP Worldwide are mounting hiring efforts in Second Life. TMP announced this year that they would be opening up a permanent environment in the virtual world. In a press release, TMP’s national creative director Russell Miyaki said:

“To reach a new generation of employees, successful recruiters will need to employ sophisticated, innovative technologies that extend their reach and demonstrate that they are smart and tech-savvy. TMP Island on Second Life is a great solution” (from Business Communicators of Second Life).

TMP will be holding a 3-day job fair in Second Life soon, and they’re charging the 8 participant corporations between $15,000 and $25,000 each, not including advertising (from blogger Chad Sowash).

However, as Sowash suggests in his post, he’s against this kind of virtual recruiting. He suggests that “innovative” doesn’t necessarily means “effective,” and his sentiments are echoed by this comment on Recruiting.com. Similarly, blogger David Manaster at Hire Calling points out several reasons why, while innovative, programs like TMP’s in Second Life are not necessarily effective. He argues that Second Life’s active population at any given time (and therefore at an event like TMP’s job fair) is far lower than the total number of “residents” given out by Linden Labs. Furthermore, residents are not necessarily there to be recruited, nor are they necessarily even aware of the event due to the tightly-controlled nature of advertising in the virtual space.

While Second Life may not be an environment every recruiter should leap into, it is indicative of the rush to adopt Web 2.0 technology. Some are signing its praises while others advise patience and caution until the technology has proven itself. We want to hear your take on it, so leave us a comment about recruiting in a Web 2.0 world.

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