It’s not a secret that employers use social media to find and research job candidates, but did you know that 9 out of 10 employers are using social recruiting? The numbers are higher than most people probably think according to the 2012 Social Recruiting Survey from Jobvite. Thanks to social recruiting, the 1,000+ human resources and recruiting professionals who responded to the Jobvite survey claimed they’re finding more candidates as well as better qualified candidates.
Some of the highlights from the study are below. Whether you’re looking for a job now or in the future, your social media profiles and activities could help you get (or lose) an opportunity.
- 92% of respondents use or plan to use social networks and social media for recruiting in 2012.
- 93% use or plan to use LinkedIn for recruiting.
- 66% use or plan to use Facebook for recruiting.
- 54% use or plan to use Twitter for recruiting.
- 49% saw an increase in quantity of candidates after implementing social recruiting.
- 43% saw an increase in quality of candidates after implementing social recruiting.
- 20% claimed it took less time to hire candidates after implementing social recruiting.
- 31% saw an increase in employee referrals after implementing social recruiting.
- 73% have hired a candidate who was identified or introduced through a social network or social media.
- 89% have hired someone through LinkedIn.
- 26% have hired someone through Facebook.
- 15% have hired someone through Twitter.
- 86% of recruiters are likely to look at job candidates’ social profiles. 48% always look.
What are recruiters looking for when they view a job candidate’s social profiles (aside from the expected experience, education, and so on)? Here are some of those details from the Jobvite study:
Items Discovered in Social Profiles that Recruiters React Negatively Towards
- References to doing illegal drugs = 78%
- Posts/tweets of a sexual nature = 66%
- Profanity in posts/tweets = 61%
- Spelling/grammar errors in posts/tweets = 54%
- Pictures of consumption of alcohol = 47%
Items Discovered in Social Profiles that Recruiters React Positively Towards
- Memberships in professional organizations = 80%
- Volunteering/donations to charity = 66%
Finally, recruiting passive candidates via social networks and social media is the most popular tactic in competitive recruiting according to respondents to this study. In other words, you never know if a recruiter might be looking at your social profiles and might reach out to you with a great opportunity. Make sure your social profiles help you put your best foot forward and reflect your personal brand at all times.
Susan Gunelius
Susan Gunelius is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Women on Business. She is a 30-year veteran of the marketing field and has authored a dozen books about marketing, branding, and social media, including the highly popular Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing, 30-Minute Social Media Marketing, Content Marketing for Dummies, Blogging All-in-One for Dummies and Kick-ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps. Susan’s marketing-related content can be found on Entrepreneur.com, Forbes.com, MSNBC.com, BusinessWeek.com, and more. Susan is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications company. She has worked in corporate marketing roles and through client relationships with AT&T, HSBC, Citibank, Intuit, The New York Times, Cox Communications, and many more large and small companies around the world. Susan also speaks about marketing, branding and social media at events around the world and is frequently interviewed by television, online, radio, and print media organizations about these topics. She holds an MBA in Management and Strategy and a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and is a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC).
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