Did you know that 79% of job seekers use social media in their job search?  But why is the use of social media on the rise for job seekers?

Long gone are the traditional ways of newspaper advertisements. Think back, when was the last time you actually picked up a paper and looked and the classified section. Social media has quickly become a part of our daily lives whilst we slowly push away the old media. In January 2017 it was reported that globally there was an average of 2.789 billion social media users. These are still steadily increasing on a daily basis.

Here is a breakdown of the top social media sites ( June 2017, Via DreamGrow)

rise

So there’s your first answer, a large number of the population use social media, predominately Millennials which makes it a prime target demographic for businesses marketing efforts. Therefore, jobs seekers will migrate towards social media since many companies use it as a channel for their hiring strategy.

A whopping 95% millennial expect a brand to have a Facebook profile. With social media being an extension of a brand website, it is taken as a factor when candidates are deciding whether to apply for a role or not for a particular company. The main reason job seekers are using social media is to discover a companies culture, values and perks and if they match up to what they have stated in their job description. They want to see the fun side of the company and the benefits. They also want to know if there is a chance of career progression.

If they come across a companies page that is unused or dull it reflects badly on the company as a whole. They may deter a candidate from applying for a role.

So, maybe it is time to really evaluate your companies social media presence and the impact it is having on your recruitment.