Reaching Candidates Via Social Networking Sites

A few years ago, college students would have been shocked at the idea of potential employers viewing their profiles on social networking sites. But times have changed, says a new study conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). Findings suggest that nearly 83% of students responding to NACE’s 2008 Graduating Student Survey have a profile on a social networking site. And of those responding, 51.1% claim they expect employers to take a look at that profile and 14.7% do not. Despite the expectation, however, only 7.2% report being contacted by an employer through a social networking site. Where then is the “disconnect”, says NACE? Just 17% of employers responding to a separate survey conducted by NACE report plans to use social networking sites as part of their job candidate recruiting efforts, and two-thirds of those say their focus is on advertising on the sites, not viewing profiles. “It appears that many employers have yet to develop an effective presence and a strategy for identifying and connecting with potential employees,” says Marilyn Mackes, NACE executive director. And, employers may be right to proceed with caution, according to Mackes. “Our study shows that nearly half of students don’t expect or are unsure about employers connecting with them on these sites. Consequently, employers are right to be wary about how communication might be perceived among many college students,” notes Mackes. Nor is advertising on the sites likely to be the best answer for employers seeking new college graduates for their work forces: Less than 15% of students taking part in the study say they “click” on employer ads on social networking sites.
Article courtesy of Kennedy Information Recruiting Trends providing leading edge insights and strategies for the recruiting professional

Originally posted by Candice A