The use of social media to recruit new talent is increasing according to new research commissioned by Acas. The research, carried out by the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) for Acas, looked at how and why HR professionals and employers use social media when recruiting staff and the implications for the workplace, including the benefits and risks. The research, ‘The use of social media in the recruitment process’ included a poll of 400 HR decision makers, a literature review and three case studies. It found that:
- forty-five per cent of HR decision makers said they were already using social media tools in recruitment and 16 per cent said they were planning to in future;
- around 40 per cent said they would make greater use of them in the future;
- social media tools are often used as well as traditional recruitment strategies;
- there are a range of ways in which social media is used in the recruitment process including searching for potential candidates online and 'screening' candidates by viewing their social media profiles.
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