4 Ways Social Media has Changed the Job Market Forever

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The average person has five social media accounts, checks their phone 150 times a day, and spends an hour and forty minutes every day scrolling down their various newsfeeds.

Almost every aspect of our lives has been changed irreversibly by social media, and the job market is no exception. Jobseekers and recruiters alike have had to adapt to the changes brought about by these platforms, and those who have done so successfully have reaped the benefits.

Here are just a few of the ways that the job market has been transformed by social media over the last ten years.

Social media vetting

It is probably fair to say that most people would rather keep their working lives and their social media presence separate. This line, however, has become increasingly blurred over the last decade or so. The majority of recruiters (up to 60% by some estimates) now vet candidates’ social media profiles during the application process, and, according to a recent survey by Career Builder, 51% of those have found content that has directly led them to withdraw a candidate from the process.

This contrasts with only 23% who said they found content which directly led them to hire a candidate, suggesting that it is primarily used as a screening tool. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the most common reason given for withdrawing a candidate was that they had posted inappropriate or provocative content, with 46% citing that as a reason, whilst 36% had been put off a candidate after seeing derogatory comments about a previous employer.

Alternative job boards

Whilst online job boards like Reed, Monster and Indeed are still hugely prevalent, and unlikely to go into decline any time soon, the rise of social media platforms has offered jobseekers an alternative when searching for new career opportunities online.

A report published last year by Aberdeen Group claims that 73% of 18-34 year olds found their last job through social media. LinkedIn has long been a powerful tool for jobseekers, but Twitter has also become an excellent platform for both active and passive candidates looking to survey their options.

For jobseekers in creative and techie industries, particularly marketing and web development, networks such as Facebook, Instagram and GitHub can also serve as alternative job boards, with many companies listing their vacancies on there.

Developments in candidate sourcing

Clearly, if jobseekers are actively looking for opportunities on social media, the smart recruiters will be on there too. Many recruitment agencies now run targeted campaigns through platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to advertise their vacancies, and the benefits are clear if it is done correctly. Facebook advertising in particular allows marketers to use highly sophisticated targeting, meaning recruiters can filter potential applicants by location, job title, interests and any other information that may be relevant to the position, ensuring they attract only the most appropriate candidates.

Promoting employer brand to potential talent

Social media has long been regarded as a highly effective branding tool by digital marketers, but a lesser-known aspect of this is the role that these platforms can have in recruitment strategy. Through their social media accounts, companies can engage with potential talent, presenting an idea of what it’s like to work there and showing the culture and values of the organisation. Brands like Innocent Drinks and Netflix have used this strategy to great effect, showing their fun side on networks like Facebook and Instagram in the knowledge that, as well as potential future customers, they are also engaging effectively with potential future employees.