Is Social Networking Important for Job Seekers?

Is social networking important for Jobseekers? Last year a survey done by Jobvite says yes it is!

The dominant social network is still Linkedin with Facebook and Twitter not far behind

• Last year the survey showed that LinkedIn was used by 93% of respondents (compared to 87% in 2011 and 78% in 2010). 89% of respondents hired from LinkedIn.
• 2/3 of companies recruit through Facebook. Facebook saw the biggest gain in usage, jumping 11 points from 2011 to 66% in 2012. Of those surveyed, 25% hired through Facebook.
• More than half (54%) use Twitter to find new talent; 15% hired through Twitter.

So are employers checking your social profiles? Yes, they are!

The survey says that almost 75% of employers check your social network profile; LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter and about 48% check even when the candidate does not provide them with a link. Wow!

Jobvite also found that employers scrutinize social media activity, more than 50% of the hiring side (employers, HR agents, Scouters) have a negative reaction to seeing a spelling or grammar mistake in a social profile. The consensus is they like to see a professional look and frown on posts of drunkenness, foul language, and bad grammar.

Yes, employers are checking your online profiles!

So what do employers want to see (or not see)? These are some of the results the survey uncovered:

• 80% of respondents reacted positively to seeing memberships to professional organizations, while 2/3 like to see volunteer work or donating to a nonprofit.
• Content that recruiters especially frown on includes references to using illegal drugs (78% negative) and posts of a sexual nature (67% negative).
• Profanity in posts and tweets garnered a 61% negative reaction, and almost half (47%) reacted negatively to posts about alcohol consumption.
• Worse than drinking, grammar or spelling mistakes on social profiles saw a 54% negative reaction.
• However, recruiters and hiring managers tend to be neutral in their reactions to political opinions (62% neutral) and religious posts (53% neutral).

Social Recruiting At its All-Time High

We agree with the survey at Jobvite and recognize the importance of “social recruiting”. It has moved from just a trend to a necessity. Employers are using your social networks more and more to hire and find suitable candidates so it is advisable to put some thought and effort into what you display on the internet. No longer exclusive to LinkedIn, all social networks are now fair recruiting game.” Interestingly, the survey notes, “71% of HR and recruiting professionals consider themselves moderate to exceptional social recruiters.”

So we at Europe Language Jobs will be doing a survey soon to determine more of what is important for Job seekers, especially multilingual Job seekers. Keep an eye out for our poll.