Fundamental Shift or Flash in the Pan; the Use of Social Networking Sites in Recruitment

There is no constant, but change, as the saying goes. Executives Online has conducted a survey of 1,264 executives, wearing both the candidate and hiring manager hat, to find out what they really think of Social Media and its impact on recruitment. The resulting report, titled: Fundamental Shift or Flash in the Pan; the Use of Social Networking Sites in Recruitment, can be downloaded for free here.

Not surprisingly, LinkedIn was the site most offen cited as the professional network that both recruiters and candidates turned to, with FaceBook and Twitter much less utilised today The gap, though, appears in the results table: 7% of candidates say they have found a role using social networks while only 4% of employers reported success.

Anne Beitel, Managing Director of Executives Online, stated in our interview (which can be heard in full below by clicking on Anne's photo): "Nobody has solved the screening problem yet. Despite the increased reach that social networks provide, companies need recruiters with intelligence and business acumen to identify the best candidates, no matter what the source."

Perhaps that is why 35% of the respondents said that social networking sites and technologies would be fine for junior jobseekers and roles, and 15% said that social networking was a 'flash in the pan' and will be forgotten tomorrow.

Anne's Background

Anne brings more than 10 years' experience marketing in high-growth environments to her role as Managing Director for Executives Online. With an MBA from Harvard and a top-flight track record in product and services marketing 'both sides of the pond', Anne developed her marketing and management expertise in previous roles as Director of New Product Marketing for ON Technology Corporation, Vice President of Marketing for Dr Solomon's Software Inc., and European Marketing Director of specialist staffing company Aquent. Anne also has considerable experience as a freelance marketing executive, successfully completing a range of interim and project assignments for technology and professional services companies in both the UK and US.

Last update : 23-06-2010 10:08

Keywords : Social Networking - A Flash in the Pan? Executives Online, Anne Beitel, recruitment, social media

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