Some 72pc of HR managers have not hired anyone through social networking, a survey of 375 Irish HR managers by Morgan McKinley suggests.
Of the employers who have not recruited people through social networking, 41pc showed some interest in doing so. Twelve per cent looked for job seekers on social networking sites and 29pc said they would hire this way in future.
Twenty-nine per cent of survey respondents said they have undertaken background checks on people using social networks.
The most popular social media site for finding information on potential hires was LinkedIn, with 77pc of survey respondents saying the business social networking site would be the first place they’d look. Just 8pc would use Facebook for the same purposes.
Fifty-five per cent of hiring managers restricted the use of social networking in the workplace.
Of the 70pc of respondents who have never used social media to find extra information on candidates, 20pc said social networking is not something they would use at all.
Forty-nine per cent have used social networking to pursue their own career opportunities, though 30pc said they would not use it for these purposes.
“Our survey reflects that social networking is a relatively low priority for employers, compounded by the fact that 55pc of respondents are restricted in some way by their company’s social media policies,” said Trefor Murphy, operations director at Morgan McKinley Ireland.
