Nearly a third of all candidates use social networking websites like Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn to gather information about open positions as well as the organisation they wish to work for.
According to a report by ManpowerGroup Solutions, in order to engage prospective talent, employers should focus on the content and functionality of their websites besides maximising their presence on social media.
"Since 9 in 10 candidates (86 per cent) use them as primary sources of information about employers, making them relevant, compelling and user-friendly should be a priority of employers," ManpowerGroup Solutions Vice President Jim McCoy said.
"By maximising their presence on, and engagement with carefully selected social media, employers can attract and engage the right candidates faster and more efficiently," McCoy said.
According to the report, more than 70 per cent of social media users have Facebook accounts and they use them to learn about organisations and available jobs.
Around 43 per cent of social media users have acquired information about jobs and employers through their Google+ and LinkedIn accounts.
Besides, the other top social media platforms used to gather information about employers and open positions include -- Pinterest (22 per cent), Instagram (15 per cent), Twitter (13 per cent) and others (10 per cent).
Though technology and social media can reinforce their brand and enhance their reach, technology cannot replace the impact of human interactions, the report said.
"Even as technology -- and the awareness of new tools -- continues to rapidly advance, the tried, but true methods of in-person and phone interviews and more frequent, personalised interactions with hiring managers or recruiters remain the clear preference of job seekers across generations," McCoy added.
The study results show that the nature and frequency of employer-candidate interactions should be driven by the type of talent employers wish to attract.
The survey added that 52 per cent use search engine results, and 45 per cent use peer recommendations to gather information about prospective employers and positions.
Around 72 per cent prefer traditional, in-person interviews, while 15 per cent choose telephone interviews.
The ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to engaging prospective employees is not going to work and employers must evaluate their talent acquisition strategy and customise job seekers' experiences based on the talent they want to hire, it added.
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