From the blue-ribbon panel of recruiting bloggers Heather Hamilton (Microsoft), Dennis Smith (T-Mobile) and Joe Grimm (Detroit Free Press), hosted by Jim Durbin of Durbin Media:

Smith: “I’m searching for candidates today, and I’m searching for candidates five years from now.”

Hamilton: “You’re not going to change your corporate culture. If your culture is not tolerant of blogging, don’t do it.”

Durbin, on Heather Hamilton: “If she was ever fired, she could find a job in half an hour. There’s a point when [it’s OK to take risks].”

Smith: “It’s a great way to share your opinion of the world and brand yourself as an expert. … the problem is, it is a threat, because blogs tend to level hierarchies.”

Grimm, on companies that are reluctant to have blogs: “Try to think of a name [other than a “blog”] that is less scary to your bosses … it doesn’t matter what you call it …”

Hamilton: “I knew my blog was going to be successful when the Wall Street Journal called me … I’m not a big fan of … metrics … I didn’t go into blogging with a budget … where’s my name getting out, who’s calling me, being invited to speak on panels, anecdotal emails, things like that … for me it has never been about the numbers.”

Smith: “I spend very little time … it’s really not very much time every day … if you get involved with the community, if you participate, you’re going to see some kind of return, I think … I don’t have to look too far today to see the return. If you’re a recruiter and don’t like exposure, don’t blog. If you don’t want people to find out who you are, don’t blog.”

Smith: “I want you to walk away [from my blog] feeling like you know me.”

Grimm: “I want you to be reading stuff that I’ve written about journalism careers every day so that when the day comes that you’re looking for a job you say, ‘I think I’m going to email Joe.’”

Hamilton: “You want to think about that person who might have been doing research about your company and is ready to apply for a job now … one thing I do is promise to acknowledge every resume I receive [and pass it along].”

Grimm, on social interaction: “I can’t write an answer until I get a question. … I don’t think a blog should be a one way thing at all.”

Durbin: “Blogs are great for search engines.”

Grimm, on people sometimes being more comfortable asking questions through a blog than in person: “Someone I work with sent a question to the blog. … I emailed her back, [saying], ‘you’re serious, right?’ The next week, someone said, ‘I have to ask you a question, but is that OK, or should I email it in? … If I didn’t have the blog, she might not have thought of asking the question.”

Hamilton: “I’m not saying on the blog, ‘hey, send me your resume’ — people will do that if they want.”