25+ Eye-Opening Social Media Recruitment Statistics

It's no secret that social media has become a game-changer for both employers and job seekers in today's job market. In the early 2000s, we looked to LinkedIn and Facebook for hiring employees. Twitter came into the ball game a decade later. Now we use a whole mix of social media platforms for hiring, from the originals like LinkedIn to the newer ones such as Instagram, TikTok and even Snapchat.

For recruiters, it's critical to understand how employers and job seekers play the social media game so that they can improve their recruitment and grab the top-notch candidates in the market.

To understand this, let's get into the statistics of social media recruitment to help draw a mental picture of the social media field from the aspect of recruitment.

Through extensive research, we have rounded up some of the most important recruitment trends through social media. Let's get started!

Some key statistics that stand out:

• 91% of employers currently use social media as part of their hiring process.
• 86% of job seekers use social media in their job search.
• Over 75% of people who recently changed jobs used LinkedIn to inform their career decision.
• Instagram has experienced a dramatic increase in usage by 28% since 2017, driven mostly by recruiters under 50.
• Two-thirds (66%) of recruiters use social media for advertising job vacancies.
• 45% of recruiters feel that spelling or grammar mistakes in posts or tweets by candidates are the biggest recruiter turn-off when it comes to social media.
• 54% of employers have eliminated a candidate based on their social media posts.

Employer perspective

• 91% of employers currently use social media as part of their hiring process.
• More than half of recruiters (51%) will prioritize investing in social media for recruitment purposes in the next 12 months, an increase from 41% in 2018.
• UK companies fill a quarter of their roles through social media recruitment.
• Two-thirds (66%) of recruiters use social media for advertising job vacancies.
• A survey showed that 82% of organizations currently use social media in order to successfully recruit passive job candidates.

Key takeaway: The use of social media by employers for recruitment and employer branding continues to increase, with a significant portion of employers having made successful hires through social media.

Job seeker perspective

• 86% of job seekers use social media in their job search.
• 37% of job seekers want employers and hiring managers to abandon or focus less on candidate’s social media.

• 70% of the global workforce is made up of passive talent who aren’t actively searching for a job, and the remaining 30% are active job seekers.
• Only 22% of job seekers are open to receiving recruiter messages on LinkedIn as part of their outreach strategy.
• 73% of job seekers between the ages of 18 and 34 found their last job on social media.

Key takeaway: Social media has become an essential tool for job seekers and recruiters, but it is important for employers to be mindful of job seeker preferences and privacy concerns.

LinkedIn usage

• Over 75% of people who recently changed jobs used LinkedIn to inform their career decision.
• Since 2019, the share of recruiter searches on LinkedIn that include a skills filter has grown by 25% — and today, recruiters are 50% more likely to search by skills than they are to search by years of experience.
• 20% of U.S. job posts on LinkedIn don’t require a four-year degree.
• New employees sourced through LinkedIn are 40% less likely to leave the company within the first 6 months.
• More than half of recruiters (53%) believe that LinkedIn provides the highest quality candidates among all social media platforms.

Key takeaway: LinkedIn is a highly effective platform for both job seekers and recruiters, offering diverse job opportunities, effective skills-based searches, high-quality candidates, and lower employee turnover rates.

Other social media channels

• Instagram has experienced a dramatic increase in usage by 28% since 2017, driven mostly by recruiters under 50.
• Nearly 20% of recruiters feel that participating in viral challenges or dances would negatively impact their decision to move forward with a candidate.
• Snapchat usage is on the rise, with 20% of recruiters using it—an increase of 15 percentage points since 2017.
• TikTok usage surges among recruiters, with 16% of recruiters using the platform for recruiting efforts–more than doubling results from the previous year (2020).
• Younger recruiters, ages 25-34, incorporate TikTok into recruiting strategies more than recruiters over the age of 35.

Key takeaway: Recruiters are increasingly using social media platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok to find and evaluate candidates, but they should be cautious about certain activities or behaviors that could negatively impact a candidate's chances.

On a final note

Social media recruitment statistics highlight the growing importance of social media in the hiring process for employers, employees, and job seekers alike. By harnessing the power of social media effectively, employers can enhance their recruitment strategies, improve candidate quality, and connect with a diverse pool of talent. At the same time, job seekers can make informed decisions and find their ideal job opportunities.

It's clear that social media has become an indispensable tool in the modern recruitment landscape. Staying ahead of the trends and leveraging its potential can greatly benefit organizations in their talent acquisition efforts.

References

• JobVite - Job Seeker Nation Report 2022
• JobVite - 2021 Recruiter Nation Report
• StandoutCV - Social Media Recruitment Statistics
• PostBeyond - Social Recruiting
• LinkedIn - Ultimate List of Hiring Stats
• LinkedIn - Top 100 Hiring Statistics 2022
• Adaface - HR Statistics
• Inc - Do your profiles tell the right story?
• BND - How Social Media Could Affect Your Job Search