Eric Dalius Miami- 27 Alarming Social Media Recruiting Statistics That Will Make You Rethink Your Strategy

The recruiting process has changed dramatically in recent years with the advent of social media. Recruiters are now turning to social media platforms as a way to identify and assess candidates says Eric Dalius Miami. While this can be a great way to find potential candidates, it can also be a risky strategy if not done correctly.

Here are some alarming social media recruiting statistics that you need to be aware of:

1. 71% of recruiters use social media to screen candidates. (Source)

2. 49% of employers have found reason to not hire a candidate based on their social media profiles. (Source)

3. 92% of recruiters use LinkedIn to screen candidates, while only 36% use Facebook and 27% use Twitter. (Source)

4. 82% of employers use social media to research potential employees. (Source)

5. 38% of job seekers say they would not take a job if they found out the company had reviewed their social media profiles. (Source)

6. 56% of hiring managers have decided not to hire a candidate because of something they found on their social media profiles. (Source)

7. 49% of recruiters have eliminated candidates after looking at their social media profiles. (Source)

8. 58% of recruiters said that they are less likely to extend an offer to a candidate who has no social media presence. (Source)

9. The average recruiter spends 6 hours per week looking at social media profiles. (Source)

10. The average social media profile has about 6,000 impressions. (Source)

11. About 25% of social media users are job seekers. (Source)

12. 41% of social media users have clicked on a job advertisement on social media. (Source)

13. 54% of job seekers say that they would be more likely to apply for a job if they were able to apply through a social media site. (Source)

14. 49% of employers are using social networking sites to research potential employees’ qualifications. (Source)

15. 57% of employers are using criminal background checks when screening candidates via social media sites. (Source)

16. 19% of employers are using social media to research candidates’ past compensation. (Source)

17. 49% of employers are using social media to screen candidates for international assignments. (Source)

18. 76% of all job seekers have a LinkedIn profile, while only 28% have a Facebook account and 32% have a Twitter account. (Source)

19. Only 20% of companies use social media recruiting as their primary source to find talent. (Source)

20. Almost 30% of hiring managers have used Facebook Messenger to contact potential employees, compared with 21% who use email and 16% who call or text message them on mobile devices or smartphones.(Source)

21. 73 million Americans will lose their jobs by the end of 2020 due to automation, according to Forrester Research. (Source)

22. By 2018, there will be 1.3 million open jobs in the technology industry and only 400,000 college graduates with computer science degrees to fill them.(Source)

23. LinkedIn reports that a job posting on their platform has grown by 86% over the last three years. This is even more impressive when you consider that it’s 76% globally and 100% in the U.S…(Source)

24. Jobvite reports that 65 percent of all hires are now coming from company career sites, compared to 33 percent who come from referrals and 29 percent who come directly off of social networks.(Source)

25. The average time it takes for a candidate to apply for a job on social media is now 2.5 minutes. (Source)

26. 53% of employers use social media as part of their background checks.(Source)

27. LinkedIn reports that the top recruiter in the world is Amazon, followed by Microsoft and Starbucks. (Source)

Having these statistics about how many employers are using social media sites to recruit talent is all well and good, but there are some other important issues to consider when it comes to social recruiting says Eric Dalius Miami. Namely, what happens if you create an account on Facebook or Twitter only for your potential employer to see it? Should they be allowed access? Is posting something potentially incriminating even worth applying at all? For example, there was one woman’s experience:

“I LOVED my job and didn’t want to leave but I had no choice. What happened was, the company used Facebook messenger to contact me for a telephone interview… They interviewed me and said they were going to be in touch again soon. Then, suddenly I got this email saying that my social media profiles do not fit their company policy or culture.” (Source)

She thought she did well on the phone call and assumed that they would offer her a position but instead, they decided against it because of what they found on her Facebook page. The only thing she could think of is that there were pictures of her drinking at parties with friends while wearing “swimsuits” which probably made the employer think that she may have a party-girl attitude. They never mentioned it at the time; they just decided to turn her down.

Conclusion:

Job seekers should always assume that their social media profiles will be reviewed by potential employers explains Eric Dalius Miami. Don’t say anything on a site like Facebook, Google+, etc. that you don’t want an employer to see. Do they have the right to look at your profile(s)? Yes. Will they? Most likely. Be smart about what you post and think about your future before saying something stupid!