Whilst browsing Twitter recently, we came across a great infographic detailing how recruiters are using social media in their candidate search. The illustration, courtesy of Reppler, can be found here. But for those who want a short summary, the survey of more than 300 hiring professionals found that:
- 91% of respondents claim to screen candidates via social media.
- Facebook comes out on top with 76% of those surveyed citing this as the main source to look up job seekers.
- 47% look at social media profiles as soon as they receive an application.
- 69% admitted to rejecting an individual based on what they found on a social media profile.
- 68% claimed that details of a candidate sourced on the web resulted in a candidate being hired.
These figures speak for themselves; social media really is playing an increasing role in the recruitment activities of businesses. It is perhaps more important than ever then for job seekers to not only utilise social media, but also to ensure that what can be found online won’t have a detrimental effect on their career.
So how can you, as a candidate, use social media to your advantage? First and foremost, make sure your privacy settings on Facebook are tight. An inappropriate photo, comment, or video could deter a perspective employer – even if it was some time ago.
The infographic suggests that hiring managers are also finding positive sources of information on social media. So make sure your LinkedIn profile is up-to-date and shows off your achievements and experiences. But also take advantage of the ‘recommendations’ option. These can act as a reference before you even get the job! Ask past colleagues, managers and clients to recommend you highlighting what your skills and experience are and what it is like working with you. This could very well sway a decision to hire you.
Another great way to highlight your skills is by participating in online discussions. This might be via LinkedIn in an industry related group, or on Twitter. By joining in conversation and commenting on trends, you will not only expand your contacts, you will also become known within the online community as a respected industry commentator.
The influence of social media in the hiring process is certainly here to stay – so embrace it! Make sure that what a business finds about you will positively influence its decision to hire you, and not the other way round. Good luck!
Tags: CV, employers, employment, Facebook, LinkedIn, Recruitment, Social Media, Twitter
I feel that this use of Social Media, allows potential candidates to showcase their talents, as sometimes you cannot express yourself in a CV alone.
Those statistics are rather scary… I am sure that we’ve all been Facebook tagged in a few photographs that we hope employers never mind prospective employers would never see.
Whilst as a marketing coordinator I see the importance of social media, statistic number four worries me the most. Yes it’s important for a prospective employer to research the candidates (after all, we research them!), but should places like Facebook and Twitter if not being used in a work related capacity be safe havens away from work? If that’s not the case, then a throwaway and trivial tweet that is unrelated to the position could somehow mean that they’re not suitable regardless of skills and experience… that seems slightly unreasonable to me.
Either way, social media is here to stay. And it’s time for us candidates to use it to enforce how great we are in the workplace.
Thanks for your comments. Given the statistics, it really does show how careful candidates have to be. If you don’t want a prospective employer looking at your Facebook, it is wise tighten your security settings. You can also lock your Twitter content so only people you have approved can see what you have written.
If you decide to keep it public then you must appreciate that you could get judged on your content. It may not necessarily offend an employer directly but the employer may consider how this would reflect their business in light of their clients.
I agree Social Media is here to stay; I tend to have two Twitter accounts, one for following companies and updating my professional presence, and another for personal information. I think on the whole if used properly Social Media can be a benefit to a candidate, allowing them to show their personality to an employer, but on the other hand it can become a deal breaker if used incorrectly. I think it’s important to remember how the Channel 4 video interview, that you blogged about a few months ago, gave a candidate an opportunity to show Channel 4 his talents, this was an effective use of Social Media to enhance the candidates profile. But when you view some online Vlogs the experience is quite different.