Remember when people actually replied to inmails you sent them on LinkedIn? We could be entering a short time period like that with Google+. Gmail has released a new feature enabling users to email members of their Google+ circles directly from their Gmail inbox.
A TechCrunch post on the topic states that the change is “potentially invasive” but points out that the feature can easily be disabled. (For the record, I love invasive new features).
Per TechCrunch:
This feature appears as you begin typing your contact’s name in the “To” field of an email message. Matching contacts display first at the top of the list of suggestions provided by Gmail’s autocomplete, while your Google+ connections appear below.
The Google “social layer” is growing quickly. Google boasts there are 540 million active users who interact with at least one Google product each month. They claim to have 300 million active users in the Google+ stream.
I recommend adding potential recruits to your Google+ circles so you can try this new feature before the general public learns how to opt out. Please research candidates thoroughly, and don’t be spammy. There’s already enough bad press about careless recruiting professionals.
Thanks to Randy Bailey for telling me about this feature!
Happy hunting!