According to the latest research from XpertHR, a huge 70% of organisations already use social media for recruitment and a further 17.5% plan to make use of it in the new year,

The research was part of XpertHR’s latest key recruitment metrics survey, which collected responses from over 240 organisations with a combined workforce of more than 410,000 employees. Of those surveyed, seven in ten said that they use platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook to:

• Advertise and market job roles – social media platforms offer a wide reach, particularly with targeting and paid marketing tools on platforms such as Facebook
• Market the company itself – organisations can use social media just like any other brand, to market themselves as an attractive employer to work for
• Headhunt new talent – professional social networking and B2B sites such as LinkedIn allow specialist recruiters to easily find candidates with the right skills and experience. LinkedIn also offers extra features to recruiters and job hunters, such as the ability to see when someone is actively searching for a position and targeted search functions to find the candidates you are looking for. Social sites like this are also good for making valuable connections – so even if the candidate you have your sights on isn’t available, they may know a colleague with the same skill sets who is.
• Screen prospective candidates – in digital industries, candidates are more likely to have online profiles and portfolios which recruiters can make use of in order to pre-screen and sift ahead of interview. Some employers may also use other social media information to informally screen candidates.

Many of those surveyed said that they use social media as part of their recruitment strategy because it is cheaper than other methods, as well as being widely used by the candidates they want to attract. It isn’t the most widely used method of recruitment, as the survey found that a huge 86.8% of organisations search for applicants internally and around 75% make use of online job adverts on their website or through recruitment agencies.

The research also unearthed concerns over skill shortages within organisations – particularly in IT, management, engineering, science and technical roles – and difficulties attracting good quality candidates to fill vacancies.

Commenting on the findings of this latest addition of the annual survey, XpertHR’s HR practice editor Jo Jacobs told Personnel Today:

“Our survey has brought up some challenges, including skills shortages or applicants accepting a job offer then subsequently withdrawing.

“However, the recruitment market remains extremely buoyant and UK unemployment is at 4.8%, its lowest rate since 2005.

“It’s exciting to see many organisations embracing digital recruitment methods – some organisations now let candidates apply for jobs by providing links to online CVs on social media. This shows how the recruitment process is evolving.”

Specialist digital recruiters such as SOLOS Consultants make excellent use of all the tools and technologies at their disposal to uncover the best and brightest talent for your business, including social media. Get in touch to find out more.

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