It seems that Facebook, Twitter and other social networking profiles are fair game in the 21st century recruitment process. According to a survey by recruiter Robert Walters, 64% of employers who responded said they had used professional social media to influence appointment decisions.
Unsurprisingly, most job seekers thought it was unacceptable for companies to view social media profiles as part of their candidate vetting process. They stated that their social media pages were not an accurate reflection of their abilities and skills but they have more or less admitted defeat. Job hunters know that companies will view their social network profiles and are increasingly deleting or changing their content accordingly.
The report stated that social media is only used as one strand within business recruitment strategies. Both employers and job hunters will turn more often to recruitment agencies than to social media or professional online networks to find a good match. However, candidates seem to be more often using social media to gain knowledge of organisations, including general career opportunities, culture, and branding.
This latter point is obviously a more positive slant on social media and recruitment than the thought of prospective employers snooping on candidates’ private lives. It will be interesting to see if the popularity of social media creates more avenues for small businesses to attract talent in the coming years.
