1 2 05 Executive Summary 07 Job Seekers 08 The Use of Social Media for Job Search Purposes 12 The Effectiveness of Social Media in the Matching of Job Seekers with Open Positions in the Labor Market 16 Web Reputation and its Impacts on Job Search 19 The Social Capital of Individual Job Seekers 23 Job Seekers’ Profiles 25 Statistical Appendix 35 Recruiters 36 The Use of Social Media for Professional Purposes 45 The Effectiveness of Social Media in the Matching of Job Seekers with Open Positions in the Labor Market 49 The Relevance of Web Reputation and its Impact on Recruiting 52 Training Undertaken for the Professional Use of Social Media 54 Statistical Appendix 63 Authors and Contact Info 3 4 Social media is and will increasingly become the new job marketplace in the future. The impact and best practices however, are not always clear to all of the players involved, the job seekers and the recruiters. 5 out of 10 job seekers use social media for job search purposes and 7 out of 10 recruiters use social media for their daily HR activities. Adecco, the global leader in HR solutions, has published the most comprehensive global study ever compiled on the use of social media in recruiting and job search, providing expert’s advice to successfully log onto the job market. When it comes to profile scouting and checking the accuracy of CV information, social media is used more often than traditional search engines. 29% of job seekers have been contacted through social media by a recruiter at least once, and 9% received a job offer. We have gathered the answers of over 17,000 job seekers and more than 1,500 recruiters from 24 countries and developed the study in partnership with the Catholic University of Milan, Italy. Surprisingly, the majority of profiles searched for via social media are nonmanagerial ones, showing that social recruiting is broader than normally expected. The study mainly covers: the use of social media for professional purposes, the effectiveness of social media in the matching of job seekers with open positions in the job market, and the relevance of web reputation and its impact on recruiting. On the other hand, the factor that most affects the attitudes towards the use of social media for job search is the educational qualification, with graduates significantly more active than nongraduates. Gender also emerges as a marker of difference, with women reported to be the most active. In 2013, more than half of all recruitment activity involved the Internet (53%), with the percentage for 2014 forecasted to continue to grow (61%). Social media is the digital tool which is expected to experience the greatest increase in usage rates in 2014 by the recruitment sector. Recruiters largely use social media to assess a candidate’s reputation: The use of LinkedIn remains predominant (68%), but Facebook is also relevant (52%), although this is generally regarded as a more personal social networking site. On the other hand, the research shows that the vast majority of job seekers is 5 not aware of the professional relevance of their personal social networks, and assumes their profile is only viewed and accessed by their friends. Recruiters believe that the most attractive element in a potential candidate’s profile is the previous professional experience, followed by professional prizes or awards, often overlooked by the candidates. Personality insights that emerge from the profile come third, while no interest is shown for the candidates’ number of contacts. Recruiters seem to distrust the number of contacts as a sort of “noisy” information that does not provide trustworthy elements for professional assessment. Approximately one third of recruiters admit that they have rejected a potential candidate as a consequence of the information, the pictures, or the content posted on the candidate’s profile. Among the various elements which negatively influence the assessment of the web reputation of a candidate, recruiters pay particular attention to the comments posted, particularly when they point to participation in activities which may violate University or workplace policies. Job Seekers largely state that they do not post sensitive comments or pictures, showing that they are often not aware of the impact of their communication choices on the Web. Job seekers claim they use Facebook more as a personal channel dedicated to friends than as a channel aimed at creating and maintaining professional relationships. The relationships a candidate has have a direct impact in the recruiting process: those who have a richer online network are not only more likely to use social media for their job search but most importantly they get better results in terms of contacts with recruiters and hirings. Social media profiles of companies are largely perceived to be informative “dashboards” more than a relationship forming channel. Candidates consider that the most attractive elements in a company’s profile are the presence of jobs ads, followed by information about the company, and finally by the content posted by the company. In both audiences, the relationship dimension of social media and the related opportunities are widely underestimated. Among HR professionals who use social media for recruitment purposes, approximately 30% have attended training courses organized by their company (61% of HR respondents either did not receive guidelines for the use of social media or were unaware that these guidelines existed). 6 Job Seekers Recruiting is increasingly social. To understand how job seekers search for jobs on social media, which tools they use and how they present themselves online, Adecco conducted an in-depth study. Between March 18th and June 2nd 2014, the survey gathered responses from 17,272 candidates (8,992 complete responses and 8,280 partial responses1) from 24 countries. We also interviewed 1,501 recruiters to discover how companies use social media in the recruitment process. The sample presents a substantially balanced distribution with a majority of males (52%), born after 1981 (46%), and mostly graduates (43%). Those who are employed mostly hold nonmanagerial positions (59%). This report, which has been compiled in partnership with the Catholic University in Milan, covers four areas: the use of social media for job search purposes, the effectiveness of social media in matching job seekers with open positions, web reputation and its impact on job search, and the social capital of individual job seekers. It is interesting to analyse this data, keeping an eye on the Recruiters’ responses to understand how they explore Web 2.0 when looking for a candidate. In addition to the global data, the report compares the five areas taken into consideration2: APAC, Eastern Europe and MENA, Western Europe, Southern Europe and the US. The report also includes a statistical appendix, which offers further detail on the responses provided by the participants. 1 The total numbers reported in the tables and figures also include the partial responses, which lack information on their socio-demographic profiles. 2 APAC includes Australia and Singapore. Eastern Europe and MENA include: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Morocco, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Turkey, Tunisia, Arab Emirates, and Ukraine. Western Europe includes: the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Southern Europe includes: Spain, France, and Italy. And finally the USA. 7 The data shows that 55% of Job Seekers use social media for job search purposes (among Recruiters, the percentage of use for HR professional purposes was around 73%). In this regard, LinkedIn is largely the most used social networking site (35%) followed by Facebook (17%) (fig. 1). Fig. 1 – Social Media Used in General and for Job Search. % Value. Total Survey, 2014. Notes: (1) General use also includes job search usage. (2) Total Social Media is the percentage of respondents using at least one of the considered social media platforms. 8 The differences that emerge among the various geographic areas are quite significant. A peak use of social media platforms for job search can be found in Western Europe (63%), whilst APAC and Eastern Europe/MENA report lower rates of use (fig. 2). Fig. 2 – Social Media Used in General and For Job Search Purposes by Region. % Value. Total Survey, 2014. 100,0 90,0 80,0 93.0 86.3 85.8 87.7 84.3 85.3 70,0 60,0 62.6 57.2 50,0 40,0 47.0 51.9 47.7 55.0 30,0 20,0 10,0 ,0 APAC Eastern Europe and MENA Western Europe General Use Southern Europe US Total Use for job search 9 The element that seems to most affect the attitudes towards the use of social media for job search is the educational qualification, with graduates being significantly more active than non-graduates. Gender also emerges as a marker of difference, with women reported to be more active. Age hardly seems to be relevant, although it should be noted that it is a factor that has more of an effect on whether the candidate has access to social media (tab.1). Tab. 1 - Social Media Used in General and for Job Search by Socio-demographic Profile. % Value. Total Survey, 2014. Notes: (1) Total number also includes cases that have not provided information about their socio-demographic profile. (2) The analysis of respondents born before 1946 (over 68 years old) has been omitted due to the limited sample size (28 respondents). General Use Use for job search Female 91.7 62.0 Male Year of birth 87.8 59.4 1946-1964 1965-1980 After 1981 Level of education completed Less than High School High School College Master or Doctoral Degree 86.4 88.3 92.0 59.2 61.2 60.6 89.6 86.8 91.1 92.9 58.9 57.1 63.1 63.4 Total 85.3 55.0 Gender Based upon employment status, the use of social media for job search appears to be significantly higher among those who are searching for their first job (74%), as well as among those who are temporarily redundant (67%) (tab. 2). Tab. 2 – Use of Social Media for Job Search by Employment Status. % Value. Total Survey, 2014. Note: Total value also includes cases that have not provided information about their employment status. Employment status Use for job search Employed 60.9 Unemployed and looking for work 63.6 Temporarily redundant 67.2 Looking for my first job 74.0 Total 55.0 10 Among Job Seekers, the most frequent activities when searching for jobs online appear to be the most “traditional” ones, for instance, searching through job ads (63%) or for potential hirers (55%) (tab. 3). Women also do less personal branding than men, but seem to pay more attention to what others say about a potential employer. Younger workers seem to be more active with the more “relational” search practices, as reported in the “importance of personal branding”, “professional networking”, and “reputation analysis of potential hirers” sections of the analysis. Those who are already employed are generally more active online than people out of work, especially in the most innovative practices. The only activity that is performed less is submitting applications, a result which can be attributed to the fear of being exposed by their current employer, coupled with the minor urgency of finding new employment. Tab. 3 - Use of Social Media for Specific Job Search Activities. % Value. Total Survey, 2014. Notes: (1) The analysis of seekers born before 1946 (over 68 years old) has been omitted due to the limited sample size (28 respondents). (2) Multiple choice question. Check what other say about potential employers Personal branding Distributing my CV Professional networking Searching for jobs Submitting applications Researching potential employers' pages Female 41.4 51.3 57.7 68.5 51.1 60.7 51.8 Male Year of birth 44.4 52.5 57.0 64.1 51.9 56.5 47.7 1946-1964 37.8 55.4 52.9 66.5 54.1 56.0 43.6 1965-1980 43.1 53.3 56.0 65.9 52.3 57.4 47.1 After 1981 Level of education completed 44.6 49.7 59.9 66.5 50.1 60.3 53.7 Less than High School 36.8 52.0 37.4 65.7 55.0 44.4 39.0 High School 36.1 45.2 44.0 62.2 48.1 48.3 42.3 College 47.4 55.2 66.0 67.8 52.5 64.7 53.6 Master or Doctoral Degree 52.5 62.4 80.5 74.6 57.0 78.4 67.1 Employed Unemployed and looking for work 46.8 53.7 65.1 68.0 50.6 64.1 54.3 40.8 53.7 51.4 67.7 54.2 54.6 46.0 Total 40.0 49.0 53.1 63.3 49.4 55.2 47.1 Gender Principal employment status 11 A reported 49% of job seekers use social media to distribute their CV online. 29% of job seekers were contacted through social media by a recruiter at least once, and 9% received a job offer. The geographic area where candidates and recruiters are more active across social media and where the best results can be seen in terms of matching is Western Europe (fig. 3). Fig. 3 - Steps Taken To Get a Job by Region. % Value. Total Survey, 2014. 70,0 64.4 60,0 60.9 49.0 50,0 49.7 40,0 45.5 44.7 40.8 38.4 37.2 30,0 29.0 30.8 20,0 22.2 17.1 10,0 8.7 13.4 9.7 6.2 8.9 ,0 Distributing CV APAC Contacted by a recruiter Eastern Europe and MENA Western Europe Get the job Southern Europe US Total 12 No significant differences emerge in terms of gender, except for a slightly higher rate of men who have been contacted by a recruiter. The use of social media to distribute CVs is more frequently seen among those aged 50 and over and among those with a postgraduate degree (who are also those contacted most often). However, the younger candidates who are contacted by recruiters have the highest chances of being offered a job. People who already have a job present the same proactive attitude in terms of online job search activity when compared to people currently out of work, but generally obtain better results (tab. 4). Tab. 4 – Steps Taken to Get a Job by Socio-demographic Characteristics. % Value. Total Survey, 2014. Note: The analysis of job seekers born before 1946 (over 68 years old) has been omitted due to the limited sample size (28 respondents). Distributing CV Contacted by a recruiter Get the job Female 51.3 26.3 7.9 Male 52.5 32.2 9.7 1946-1964 55.4 29.0 8.0 1965-1980 53.3 30.7 8.2 After 1981 49.7 27.7 9.5 Less than High School 52.0 19.0 6.8 High School 45.2 18.3 5.5 College 55.2 34.2 10.2 Master or Doctoral Degree 62.4 54.1 15.8 Employed 53.7 38.2 11.9 Unemployed and looking for work 53.7 22.2 5.9 Total 49.0 29.0 8.7 Gender Year of birth Highest level of education completed Principal employment status 13 LinkedIn is considered without a doubt to be the most effective social networking site in terms of matching Job Seekers with open positions. The effectiveness index of LinkedIn is 0.13 (the index assumes values between -1, lowest effectiveness, and 1, highest effectiveness). Among the others, Facebook rates at -0.29 and therefore, is considered to be a “less ineffective” social networking site (fig. 4). These rates are considerably lower than those gathered among recruiters, where LinkedIn is rated at 0.60 and Facebook is positively assessed (0.05). Fig. 4 - Effectiveness Index of Social Media for Recruitment Purposes. Total Survey, 2014. Note: Index value from -1 (max ineffectiveness) to 1 (max effectiveness), value 0 if neutral position. 1,00 ,800 ,600 ,400 ,200 ,00 0.13 -,200 -0.29 -0.43 -,800 -0.51 -0.63 -0.64 -0.64 Instagram -0.42 -0.56 Pinterest -,600 Tumblr -,400 -0.60 Xing Viadeo Blog Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Facebook -1,00 The countries where LinkedIn is perceived to be less effective are also those where candidates are less active (Southern Europe). This is significantly different from the trends shown in the Recruiters’ report, where LinkedIn is reported to be less effective in Western Europe. (fig. 5). Fig. 5 - Effectiveness Index of LinkedIn for Recruitment Purposes by Region. Total Survey, 2014. Note: Index value from -1 (max ineffectiveness) to 1 (max effectiveness), value 0 if neutral position. 1,00 ,800 ,600 ,400 ,200 ,00 0.24 0.26 0.31 0.19 0.05 -,200 0.13 -,400 -,600 -,800 -1,00 APAC Eastern Europe and MENA Western Europe Southern Europe US Total 14 In terms of demographics, the Job Seekers who use LinkedIn most often are women and young professionals. (fig. 6) 1946-1964 0.15 0.18 0.13 Total 0.05 1965-1980 0.13 Male 0.19 Female 1,00 ,800 ,600 ,400 ,200 ,00 -,200 -,400 -,600 -,800 -1,00 After 1981 Fig. 6 - Effectiveness Index of LinkedIn for Recruiting Purposes by Gender and by Year of Birth. Total Survey, 2014. Notes: (1) Index value from -1 (max ineffectiveness) to 1 (max effectiveness), value 0 if neutral position. (2) The analysis of job seekers born before 1946 (over 68 years old) has been omitted due to the limited sample size (28 respondents). The relationship between social media use and Job Seekers’ educational qualifications seems to be quite evident. The increase in the perceived utility of social media is directly proportional to the increase in the level of education. The effectiveness index for postgraduates generates a rate of 0.47. Those in employment consider these tools to be more effective (0.32) when compared to those out of work (0.02), who are more inclined to be distrustful of LinkedIn’s effectiveness (fig. 7). Fig. 7 - Effectiveness Index of LinkedIn for Recruitment Purposes by Highest Level of Education Completed and by Principal Employment Status. Total Survey, 2014. Note: Index value from -1 (max ineffectiveness) to 1 (max effectiveness), value 0 if neutral position. 0.47 0.32 0.29 0.02 -0.10 0.13 Total Unemployed and looking for work Employed Master or Doctoral Degree College High School -0.25 Less than High School 1,00 ,800 ,600 ,400 ,200 ,00 -,200 -,400 -,600 -,800 -1,00 15 Job Seekers seem to consider the presence of job ads to be the most attractive elements on the companies’ social media profiles (attractiveness index of 0.50), followed by the presence of general information about the company (0.41), and finally by the content posted by the company (0.32). Social media profiles run by companies are largely perceived to be informational “dashboards” more than a relationship forming channel (tab. 5). Tab. 5 – Attractiveness Index of the Company’s Social Media Page. Total Survey, 2014. Note: Index value from -1 (min attractiveness) to 1 (max attractiveness). Rank Elements on company's Social Media profile Index 1° Job Postings (and ability to search for jobs) 0.50 2° General company information (e.g. about, contact...) 0.41 3° Content posted by the company 0.32 4° Company's interaction with users 0.24 5° Recommendation on this company by relatives or contacts 0.22 6° Comments posted by other users 0.21 7° Firm popularity (likes, reviews...) 0.17 8° Pictures 0.15 9° Number of followers (e.g. fans, group members...) 0.06 16 Job seekers claim they use Facebook more as a personal channel dedicated to friends than as a channel aimed at creating and maintaining professional relationships (tab. 6). Tab. 6 - Index of Agreement with Specific Statements Regarding a Candidate’s Private and Professional Image on Facebook. Total Survey, 2014. Note: Index value from -1 (max disagreement) to 1 (max agreement), value 0 if neutral position. Rank Statements about privacy Index 1° I assume my profile is only viewed by my friends 0.31 2° My profile can only be accessed by my friends 0.27 3° It is important to maintain a professional image online 0.20 4° My online image is important to my future 0.10 5° I work hard to maintain a professional image on my profile 0.01 The element most often present in the Job Seekers’ web profiles is the information related to their previous professional experiences (index of attendance of 0.33). This is also the type of information that recruiters pay most attention to. Personal information is also present (0.30), whilst reputational information is significantly less present, along with references and comments posted by others (-0.13). It is interesting to note that professional awards and prizes, which recruiters place considerable importance on, are largely overlooked by Job Seekers (tab. 7). Tab. 7 – Career Related Information Contained in Social Media Profile: Index of Attendance. Total Survey, 2014. Note: Index value from -1 (fully absent element) to 1 (very attendant element). Rank Elements on Social Media profile Index 1° 2° 3° 4° 5° 6° 7° 8° 9° 0.33 0.30 0.16 0.10 0.04 0.02 0.01 -0.03 -0.13 Professional experience Personal information (marital status, gender...) Personality emerging from profile Number of contacts Hobbies and personal interests Pictures Content posted Professional prizes and awards References and comments posted by others 17 Concerning the elements which may negatively affect the web reputation of a Job Seeker, it can be observed that these all have a relatively low index of attendance (largely below 0). In particular, those elements that recruiters seem to pay particular attention to, such as comments related to the participation in activities that may be in violation of University or workplace policies, are hardly present (- 0.77), such as “selfies” or pictures containing sensitive or controversial content (-0.76). It is worth underlining that younger Job Seekers show a greater tendency to post “sensitive” content (tab. 8). Tab. 8 - Elements Posted on Social Media Profiles: Index of Attendance by Socio-demographic Characteristics. Total Survey, 2014. Notes: (1) Index value from -1 (very unlikely) to 1 (very likely). (2) The analysis of job seekers born before 1946 (over 68 years old) has been omitted due to the limited sample size (28 respondents). (3) Multiple choice question. Informal selfie or tagged photo (e.g. wearing a swimsuit) Comments on Controversial Comments on participation in selfie / tagged controversial activities which are photo (e.g. topics (e.g. in violation of drinking alcohol) illegal drugs) university or workplace policy Gender Female Male Year of birth -0.54 -0.54 -0.77 -0.74 -0.61 -0.55 -0.80 -0.74 1946-1964 1965-1980 After 1981 Level of education completed Less than High School High School College Master or Doctoral Degree Principal employment status -0.77 -0.65 -0.37 -0.92 -0.84 -0.63 -0.68 -0.59 -0.54 -0.87 -0.81 -0.71 -0.62 -0.60 -0.50 -0.42 -0.82 -0.83 -0.72 -0.61 -0.59 -0.56 -0.58 -0.66 -0.76 -0.79 -0.77 -0.71 Employed Unemployed and looking for work -0.48 -0.59 -0.70 -0.81 -0.60 -0.57 -0.77 -0.78 Total -0.54 -0.76 -0.58 -0.77 18 A number of research works have demonstrated how the most effective channel for the matching of Job Seekers with open positions is word-of-mouth. Therefore, it is important not only to study the configuration of the personal social networks of Job Seekers, but also the role played by social media to enforce or diversify these relationships and to facilitate access to new information. To do so, we have used the “position generator”, one of the tools that is widely advocated throughout these studies, that makes it possible to estimate the “wealth” of the social capital of an individual. This is done by first assessing professional figures that belong to their social network. A proportional weight relating to the “prestige status” of the occupation, as it is commonly classified by professional class structure, is then attributed to each of the professions. This makes it possible to rate social networks based upon their “wealth” in social capital, namely weak (low social capital), medium, or rich (high social capital). To refine the analysis, we have adopted also a slight variation, asking whether contact was more often based on offline, online, or multiple (both) interactions. From this question, we have been able to reconstruct the wealth created by the offline and online social capital of the individuals involved, and the most frequent relationship-based channels they use. The candidates’ social networks appear to be made-up of a strong integration between both offline and online networks. The contacts entertained across both channels are prevalent (52% vs 37% only offline and 26% only online). Also, if we take into consideration only the contacts who fall into the category of high-status professionals, the proportion of offline to online contacts remains relatively unaltered (43% both online and offline vs 23% offline and 18% online) (fig. 8). Fig. 8 - Percentage of Seekers with Online, Offline, and/or both Network Contacts (in general or high status). % Value. Total Survey, 2014. Note: 4 (out of 12) professions are considered to be high status: policy maker, lawyer, director of a company, or engineer. 60,0 50,0 52.4 40,0 42.7 37.2 30,0 20,0 10,0 25.9 17.9 22.6 ,0 Online network Offline network Both online and offline network % of cases with almost one profession in network % of cases with almost one high status profession in network 1 To differentiate between concepts, we talk about social media to refer to social platforms (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter etc.) and social networks to refer to the relationships (online and offline) of the job seekers. 19 In 69% of cases, contacts have maintained the same relationship strength across both channels (tab. 9). Tab. 9 - Strength of the Job Seeker's Online and Offline Networks. Total Survey, 2014. Note: the network was calculated by attributing the weight ISEI (International Classification for Professional Prestige) to each professional figure acknowledged by a job seeker and then dividing the distribution of the networks into weak, medium, and rich categories using the tertile observed for each respondent at an international level. Weak Online network Offline network Medium Rich 5.5 4.7 Weak 25.0 Total 35.3 Medium 5.1 24.3 9.2 38.7 Rich Total 3.4 3.3 19.3 26.1 33.5 33.2 33.3 100.0 Those currently employed are generally Job Seekers with richer social networks and the difference is even greater when we factor in the online networks (tab. 10). Tab. 10 - Employment Status by Level of Offline and Online Networks. % Value. Total Survey, 2014. Employment status Weak Online network Medium Rich Offline network Weak Medium Rich Total Employed 37.2 41.6 46.0 39.5 38.0 46.1 41.2 Unemployed and looking for work 53.0 47.8 44.8 50.5 50.7 45.4 48.8 Other 9.7 10.7 9.3 10.0 11.3 8.6 9.9 Also, the Job Seekers who possess a richer social network, especially online, present a higher skill level in the use of social media when compared to those with medium or weak social networks (tab. 11). Tab. 11 - Index of Expertise on Social Media by Level of Offline and Online Networks. % Value. Total Survey, 2014. Note: Index value from -1 (not at all confident) to 1 (very confident), value 0 if neutral position. Task about expertise on Social Media I can be very effective at using social media I can have a positive impact on the lives of others through social media I can offer other people important and interesting information by posting on social media I can find important and interesting information by reading other people's content on social media I can use social media as an effective way of connecting with others I can communicate very effectively using social media Online network Offline network Total Weak Medium Rich Weak Medium Rich -0.12 0.13 0.25 -0.05 0.10 0.17 0.07 -0.18 0.10 0.25 -0.13 0.07 0.18 0.04 -0.09 0.22 0.34 -0.03 0.20 0.27 0.14 -0.03 0.29 0.37 0.03 0.26 0.30 0.20 -0.03 0.29 0.36 0.06 0.25 0.28 0.20 -0.12 0.15 0.26 -0.02 0.10 0.17 0.08 20 Having a rich network seems to have direct implications on the effectiveness of the job search. The use of social media for job search and the possibility of being contacted by a recruiter are more common across such networks. The success in gaining employment seems to be higher for those who possess a rich online social network (tab. 12). Tab. 12 - Indicators Regarding the Use of Social Media by Level of Offline and Online Networks. % Value. Total Survey, 2014. Online network Indicators about use of Social Media Offline network Total Weak 45.1 Medium 69.5 Rich 74.3 Weak 45.7 Medium 67.3 Rich 73.6 38.1 59.7 64.1 41.1 57.4 61.1 49.0 Contacted by a recruiter 17.2 31.6 39.7 21.9 29.5 34.6 29.0 Get the job 5.0 8.4 12.7 6.6 7.8 10.6 8.7 Use of Social Media for job searching Distributing CV 55.0 If we look beyond the overall wealth of the social networks, and directly observe the capacity to reach people of higher status, the data shows a very interesting trend. Furthermore, if we isolate online relationships from offline relationships we can see geographical differences. In APAC and Southern European countries, contacts who solely maintained offline relationships may reach higher status positions, whilst in Eastern Europe, Western Europe, and the US, online contacts appeared to be more effective (fig. 9). Fig. 9 - Percentage of Job Seekers with High Status of Offline and Online Networks by Region. % Value. Total Survey, 2014. 60,0 50,0 51.9 47.3 40,0 43.2 42.7 39.6 30,0 28,692 20,0 22.7 17.0 10,0 26.8 23.3 20.2 19.6 22.6 21.3 16.5 12.8 15.2 17.9 ,0 APAC Eastern Europe and MENA Online Western Europe Offline Southern Europe US Total Online and offline 21 Those who can access a “high social networking status” via online interactions are more inclined to use social media channels for their job search, are more frequently contacted by recruiters, and more often obtain better results in terms of employment offers (fig. 10). Fig. 10 - Indicators Regarding the Use of Social Media in Job Seekers with High Offline and Online Network Statuses. % Value. Total Survey, 2014. 70,0 60,0 50,0 64.7 61.8 54.9 49.0 40,0 37.2 36.9 30,0 27.7 29.0 20,0 10,0 10.8 8.2 10.7 2.5 ,0 Distribuiting CV Contacted by a recruiter High status online network High status online and offline network Get the job High status offline network Total seekers 22 From this analysis a number of clusters can be formed (tab. 14): 1. A primary profile, which may be labelled as “the non-integrated cluster” pertains to most of the Job Seekers (71%) and presents educational qualifications, occupational levels, and professional statuses, which are comparatively lower than the other profiles. This combines with a lower average use of social media, particularly for professional purposes, and also fewer skills in their use. A hesitant attitude to post information about one’s professional experience on social media and a greater attention to the publication of information which may affect or compromise a personal reputation is also apparent. Lastly, there seems to be a higher occupational status on the offline social networks. They receive the worst results in terms of online job search. 2. A second, intermediate profile, which may be called “the semi-integrated cluster”, includes about 27% of Job Seekers who are on average younger, graduates with intermediate-level occupation and professional status, an intermediate use of social media, and an online network which is, on average, made of higher status professionals. They receive medium results in terms of online job search. 3. Finally, a small cluster (only 2% of Job Seekers), which may be called “the highly-integrated cluster”, is comprised of “excellent”, profiles with considerably higher skill levels and educational qualifications (largely postgraduates) with higher occupational levels and statuses, and a broader use of social media, especially for professional purposes. They possess greater skills in their use of social media and a positive attitude towards the online publication of professional experiences. When compared to other profiles they also hesitate to release information which may affect their web reputation. Lastly, a greater interrelationship exists between their offline and online networks, which are generally composed of higher status contacts. They achieve the best results in terms of online job search. 23 Tab. 13 – Job Seekers' Profile: Value of Indicators About Social Media or About Socio-demographic Characteristics by Cluster. % Value. Total Survey, 2014. The nonintegrated cluster 71% The semiintegrated cluster 27% The integrated cluster 2% % of female 49.3 50.5 56.8 % of Young (< 33 years) 44.4 54.5 43.2 % with College Degree or more 40.6 70.4 73.0 % with Master or Doctoral Degree 5.0 24.5 40.5 % of employed 41.2 52.8 70.3 % of unemployed and looking for work 48.6 38.8 21.6 % of middle manager or more (only for employed) 24.6 44.3 46.2 % that uses social media 88.4 95.1 97.3 % that uses LinkedIn for job search Index of expertise on Social Media about answer "I can be very effective at using social media" % that has distributed CV % of contacted by a recruiter through profile on a social media platform 8.6 53.1 14.3 0.04 0.33 0.55 49.80 59.23 64.86 24.3 47.0 62.2 6.5 14.5 21.6 % with high status online network 17.0 27.7 27.0 % with high offline network 26.3 17.8 10.8 % with high status online and offline network 48.4 46.6 51.4 0.27 0.44 0.59 -0.80 -0.60 -0.49 34.4 55.1 70.3 % of cases Socio-demographic characteristics Indicators about use of Social Media % who got the job Indicators about network Indicators about characteristic of profile on social media Index of attendance of professional experience information in social media profile Index of attendance Controversial selfie or tagged photo (e.g. drinking alcohol) on Facebook profile Indicators about opinion on recruiting using social media % that thinks that companies use social media to recruit Note (1): Index of expertise on Social Media value from -1 (not at all confident) to 1 (very confident), value 0 if neutral position. (2) Indices of attendance value from -1 (fully absent element) to 1 (very attendant element). 24 Tab 1.A - Generally speaking, which social networks do you use? Do you use them for job search? Total Survey, 2014. No Yes Yes, for job search Total Facebook YouTube 34.2 48.7 17.1 100.0 44.5 52.8 2.7 100.0 LinkedIn 53.3 11.2 35.4 100.0 Twitter 74.1 19.6 6.2 100.0 Google+ 47.1 29.2 23.7 100.0 Blog 85.0 9.8 5.2 100.0 Tumblr 94.5 4.7 0.8 100.0 Pinterest 91.7 7.4 0.9 100.0 Instagram 81.7 17.3 1.1 100.0 Viadeo 91.4 3.9 4.8 100.0 Xing 95.7 2.1 2.2 100.0 Tab 2.A - How often do you look for jobs on social media? Total Survey, 2014. % Value Every day Several times per week 50.1 At least once a week 13.4 At least once a month 9.8 26.7 Total 100.0 Tab 3.A - Use of social networks for job search, activities? Total Survey, 2014. No Yes Personal branding Distributing my CV 60.0 40.0 Total 100.0 51.0 49.0 100.0 Professional networking 46.9 53.1 100.0 Searching for jobs 36.7 63.3 100.0 Submitting applications 50.6 49.4 100.0 Researching potential employers' pages 44.8 55.2 100.0 Check what other say about potential employers 52.9 47.1 100.0 25 Tab 4.A - From 1 to 5, how effective are these social networks for job search? Total Survey, 2014. 1 (very ineffective) 27.3 2 3 4 5 (very effective) I don't know Total 11.9 23.8 9.5 5.9 21.6 100.0 37.6 10.8 16.3 3.0 2.3 29.9 100.0 LinkedIn 15.6 5.8 15.7 18.4 18.9 25.6 100.0 Twitter 27.2 8.7 17.6 5.4 2.9 38.1 100.0 Google+ 21.5 7.7 18.5 9.5 11.3 31.4 100.0 Blog 25.0 7.2 15.1 4.8 2.6 45.2 100.0 Tumblr 29.0 6.0 12.0 0.9 0.7 51.4 100.0 Pinterest 29.9 5.9 12.1 1.1 0.7 50.3 100.0 Instagram 32.9 6.8 12.2 1.5 1.0 45.6 100.0 Viadeo 27.3 5.4 12.0 3.4 2.5 49.4 100.0 Xing 27.7 5.2 11.8 1.6 1.1 52.5 100.0 Facebook YouTube Tab 5.A - From 1 to 5, what career-related information does your social media profile contain? Total Survey, 2014. 5.9 3 (neutral) 20.5 22.8 5 (a lot) 35.9 100.0 15.8 7.5 28.9 23.9 23.9 100.0 Pictures 23.4 Professional experience 15.2 10.4 26.2 18.8 21.2 100.0 5.5 16.6 23.9 38.9 100.0 Number of contacts 19.0 9.2 28.5 19.7 23.5 100.0 Hobbies and personal interests 19.9 11.3 29.1 20.3 19.4 100.0 Professional prizes and awards 25.2 10.3 28.3 17.0 19.3 100.0 References and comments posted by others 30.4 11.6 27.5 14.4 16.1 100.0 Content posted 23.2 9.4 29.3 17.6 20.5 100.0 Personal information (e.g. marital status, gender...) Personality emerging from profile 1 (not at all) 14.8 2 4 Total Tab 6.A - From 1 to 5, how likely are you to post the following items on your Facebook profile? Total Survey, 2014. Informal selfie or tagged photo (e.g. wearing a swimsuit) Controversial selfie / tagged photo (e.g. drinking alcohol) Comments on controversial topics (e.g. illegal drugs) Comments on participation in activities which are in violation of university or workplace policy 1 (very unlikely) 54.9 75.2 58.5 77.0 2 17.3 10.1 14.7 8.6 3 (neutral) 14.4 8.3 14.7 8.4 4 7.9 3.5 8.5 3.5 5 (very likely) 5.4 2.9 3.6 2.4 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 Total 26 Tab 7.A - From 1 to 5, indicate to which extent you agree with the following statements in regards to your Facebook profile. Total Survey, 2014. My profile can only be accessed by my friends I assume my profile is only viewed by my friends It is important to maintain a professional image online I work hard to maintain a professional image on my profile My online image is important to my future 1 (I strongly disagree) 2 19.3 16.9 16.6 21.9 20.5 6.7 6.6 6.6 10.9 8.5 3(neutral) 18.2 18.7 27.0 30.3 26.7 4 12.1 14.0 18.7 16.9 18.1 5 (I strongly agree) 43.7 43.9 31.0 20.1 26.1 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 Tab 8.A - Have you ever been contacted by a recruiter through your profile on a social media platform? Total Survey, 2014. % Value No Yes 71.0 Total 100.0 29.0 Tab 9.A - Did you get the job? Total Survey, 2014. Note: Statistic calculated only for "Yes" answers of Tab. 8.A. % Value No Yes 70.0 Total 100.0 30.0 Tab 10.A - Do you think companies use social media to recruit? Total Survey, 2014. % Value No Yes 25.5 I don't know 39.1 Total 100.0 35.4 27 Tab 11.A - From 1 to 5, how much do the following attract your attention on a company’s social media page? Total Survey, 2014. General company information (e.g. about, contact...) Pictures Number of followers (e.g. fans, group members...) Firm popularity (likes, reviews...) 1 (not at all) 2 3 (neutral) 4 5 (a lot) Total 9.7 3.9 19.7 28.3 38.4 100.0 12.7 8.2 34.5 26.3 18.3 100.0 15.6 10.3 35.9 23.4 14.7 100.0 13.3 7.9 30.6 27.5 20.7 100.0 Company's interaction with users 12.1 6.2 27.7 29.1 24.9 100.0 Content posted by the company 10.1 5.1 24.1 31.9 28.8 100.0 Comments posted by other users Job Postings (and ability to search for jobs) Recommendation on this company by relatives or contacts 11.7 7.5 29.5 29.2 22.1 100.0 8.2 3.5 15.7 26.1 46.5 100.0 12.9 6.9 29.2 25.3 25.7 100.0 Tab 12.A - From 1 to 7, please indicate how certain you are that you can perform each of the following tasks. Total Survey, 2014. I can be very effective at using social media I can offer other I can find important I can have a people I can use social and interesting positive impact important and media as an information by on the lives of interesting effective way of reading other others through information by connecting with people's content on social media posting on social others social media media I can communicate very effectively using social media 1 (not at all confident) 2 13.4 14.9 12.3 10.6 10.9 13.4 6.8 7.1 5.8 5.1 5.3 6.5 3 8.1 9.4 7.9 7.0 6.8 7.1 4 (neutral) 27.7 27.8 23.9 22.2 22.6 27.4 5 17.7 17.2 19.7 19.5 17.7 16.3 6 12.6 12.2 15.4 18.0 17.3 13.8 7 (very confident) 13.6 11.4 15.0 17.5 19.4 15.5 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 28 Tab 13.A - Does your online or offline network include the following professions? Total Survey, 2014. Insurance agent Nurse Lawyer Book-keeper or accountant Construction worker Policy maker Police officer Unskilled labourer Director of a company Engineer Cleaner Estate or Real-estate agent Online Offline 7.8 6.8 7.3 8.2 6.5 9.5 5.8 6.9 10.5 9.6 5.2 7.4 15.5 16.1 15.4 13.4 16.4 7.6 12.8 13.6 11.7 10.9 14.9 11.3 Both online and offline 18.7 22.6 26.4 26.6 20.9 17.4 17.0 30.5 28.7 36.3 18.4 21.6 No 42.9 41.4 38.4 37.4 40.6 50.2 49.0 33.6 34.1 30.0 43.9 42.4 Don't know or don't remember 15.1 13.2 12.5 14.4 15.5 15.4 15.5 15.4 15.1 13.2 17.6 17.3 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 Tab 14.A - Gender. Total Survey, 2014. % Value Female 48.2 Male 51.8 Total 100.0 Tab 15.A - Year of birth. Total Survey, 2014. % Value Before 1946 0.3 1946-1964 14.3 1965-1980 39.7 After 1981 45.7 Total 100.0 Tab 16.A - What is the highest level of education you have completed? Total Survey, 2014. % Value 8.5 Less than High School High School 34.0 Some College 14.9 2 or 3 year College Degree 4 or 5 year College Degree 19.4 Master or Doctoral Degree 8.6 Total 14.6 100.0 29 Tab 17.A - Field of study. Total Survey, 2014. % Value Education 9.5 Art and humanities 9.2 Social sciences, journalism and information 6.9 Business, administration and law 29.0 Natural sciences, mathematics and statistic 4.7 Information and Communication Technologies 10.0 Engineering, manufacturing and construction 17.5 Agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary 1.5 Health and welfare Services 3.7 8.0 Total 100.0 Tab 18.A - How many years’ work experience do you have? Total Survey, 2014. % Value 1 year or less 13.7 2 years 7.7 3-5 years 16.3 6-10 years 19.1 11-20 years 22.5 More than 20 years 20.6 Total 100.0 Tab 19.A - Employment status. Total Survey, 2014. % Value Employed Unemployed and looking for work Unemployed but not seeking work 41.2 48.8 1.7 Temporarily redundant Looking for my first job I have never worked and I'm not looking for a job 3.6 4.1 0.5 Total 100.0 30 Tab 20.A - Business area. Total Survey, 2014. Note: Statistic calculated only for "employed" answers of Tab. 19.A. Oil & Gas Chemicals Basic Resources Construction & Materials Industrial Goods & Services Automobiles & Parts Food & Beverage Personal & Household Goods Health Care Retail Media Travel & Leisure Telecommunications Utilities Banks Insurance Real Estate Financial Services Technology Total % Value 2.8 4.1 2.8 5.6 15.2 4.2 5.6 2.5 5.0 5.1 6.2 3.2 5.6 6.5 2.4 2.0 1.6 6.1 13.3 100.0 Tab 21.A - What is your position? Total Survey, 2014. Note: Statistic calculated only for "employed" answers of Tab. 19.A. Non manager Middle manager Manager Senior manager and above Total % Value 59.1 16.9 13.3 10.7 100.0 31 Tab 22.A - Which department do you work in? Total Survey, 2014. Note: Statistic calculated only for "employed" answers of Tab. 19.A. Controlling, Accounting & Finance Purchasing Manufacturing Research & Development Information Technology Logistics Sales Marketing Corporate Communication & PR Human Resources Quality Management Total % Value 12.3 2.6 15.0 5.6 10.7 6.4 17.7 6.2 4.2 12.3 7.0 100.0 32 33 Recruiters Recruiting is increasingly social. To understand how companies operate on social media, which tools they use, and what they look for in the recruiting process, Adecco conducted an in-depth study. Between March 18th and June 2nd 2014, 1,501 recruiters from 24 countries took part in the online survey, resulting in 873 complete responses and 628 partial responses1. We also collected responses from more than 17,000 jobseekers to discover how they use social media for their job search. The sample is mostly composed of females (66%), professionals born after 1981 (46%), graduates (76%) equally distributed between those with more and less than five years’ experience, in a managerial position (37%), in companies with more than 250 employees (56%), and mostly recruiting agencies (51%). This report, which has been compiled in partnership with the Catholic University of Milan, Italy, covers four areas: the use of social media for professional purposes, the effectiveness of social media in the matching of job seekers with open positions in the job market, the relevance of web reputation and its impact on recruiting, and the training provided for the professional use of social media. It is interesting to analyse this data, keeping an eye on the candidates’ responses in order to understand how they explore Web 2.0 when looking for a job. In addition to the global data, the report compares the three geographic areas taken into consideration: Eastern Europe and MENA , Western Europe and Southern Europe2. The USA and APAC, although considered in the overall figures, have not been analysed as individual areas due to the low number of responses (19 and 13 respectively). The report also includes a statistical appendix, which offers further detail on the responses provided by the participants. 1 The total numbers reported in the tables and figures also include the partial responses which lack information about the companies’ sector or size. 2 Eastern Europe and MENA include: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Morocco, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Turkey, Tunisia, Arab Emirates, and Ukraine. Western Europe includes: the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Southern Europe includes: Spain, France, and Italy. 34 73% of respondents use at least one social networking site for professional purposes, meaning that they use their personal accounts for recruitment purposes. The most used platform is LinkedIn (58% of respondents), whilst the professional use of Facebook follows some way behind (28%). More than half of the companies where the respondents are currently employed have at least one active account on a social networking site, with an equal presence on LinkedIn and Facebook (53%). Relevant figures also emerge in relation to other social media platforms: Twitter (31%) and YouTube (18%) (fig. 1). Fig. 1 - Accounts on Social Media for Professional Use and Active Company Presence on Social Media. % Value. Total Survey, 2014. Note: Total Social Media is the percentage proportion of respondents using at least one of the considered social media platforms. 35 Southern Europe emerges as the region experiencing the greatest delay in the use of social networking sites in the recruitment processes, particularly in relation to the individual recruiter (34% vs. a global average of 73%) (fig. 2). Fig. 2 - Accounts on Social Media for Professional Use and Active Company Presence on Social Media by Region. % Value. Total Survey, 2014. 80 70 74.3 73.0 72.9 72.6 66.1 60 61.4 57.1 50 40 30 34.1 20 10 0 Eastern Europe and MENA Western Europe Professional use by the recruiter Southern Europe Total Company's account Most of the companies active on social media are large sized companies (82% have at least 250 employees and a profile on at least one social networking site), followed by small-sized companies (between 10 and 50 employees, 69%) (fig. 3). Fig. 3 - Active Company Presence on Social Media by Company Size. % Value. Total Survey, 2014. 90 80 70 66.1 82.0 60 50 65.3 53.4 69.3 Micro: < 10 people Small: < 50 40 30 20 10 0 % by company size Medium: < 250 Large: over 250 % in total companies 36 The companies most present on social media, grouped by the sector in which they operate, are Recruiting Agencies, Telecommunications, Chemicals, Technology, and Media. (tab. 1). Tab. 1 - Active Company Presence on Social Media by Industry. % Value. Total Survey, 2014. Rank Industry 1° Recruiting 91.7 2° Telecommunications 77.3 3° Chemicals 72.7 4° Technology 72.6 5° Media 71.4 6° Health Care 65.2 7° Travel & Leisure 63.6 8° Utilities 62.5 9° Financial Services 61.9 10° Food & Beverage 58.3 11° Insurance 57.1 12° Basic Resources 54.5 13° Automobiles & Parts 46.7 14° Retail 45.8 15° Construction & Materials 44.1 16° Industrial Goods & Services 43.2 17° Oil & Gas / Real Estate 40.0 18° Personal & Household Goods / Banks 37.5 Total % Value 66.1 37 In the majority of cases, the use of social media by recruiters is more often either voluntary (58%) or strongly recommended (37%), and only in rare cases is it mandatory (6%). The use of social media is more often mandatory in Eastern Europe and MENA (8%). Fig. 4 – Directives Regarding Recruiters’ Use of Social Media by Region. % Value. Total Survey, 2014. 100% 3.2 2.9 5.7 33.2 34.0 36.6 63.6 63.0 57.7 Western Europe Southern Europe Total 7.7 80% 39.9 60% 40% 52.4 20% 0% Eastern Europe and MENA Voluntary Highly recommended Mandatory The use of social media by recruiters is most often recommended or mandatory in large-sized companies. It is interesting to note, however, that if we limit the analysis to solely mandatory use, the companies where this occurs are mostly small-sized (11%) and medium-sized companies (8%) (fig. 5). Fig. 5 – Directives Regarding Recruiters’ Use of Social Media by Company Size. % Value. Total Survey, 2014. 100% 3.4 90% 80% 7.5 10.7 29.3 30.1 32.7 70% 4.1 47.2 5.7 36.6 60% 50% 40% 30% 67.2 62.4 56.7 48.7 20% 57.7 10% 0% Micro: < 10 people Small: < 50 Voluntary Medium: < 250 Highly recommended Large: over 250 Total Mandatory 38 The recruiters’ use of social media is more often either strongly recommended or mandatory in the Recruiting sector (63% of cases), followed by the Telecommunications industry (55%) (tab. 2). Tab. 2 – Directives Regarding Recruiters’ Use of Social Media by Industry: % of "Highly Recommended or Mandatory". % Value. Total Survey, 2014. Rank Business Area 1° Recruiting 62.7 2° Telecommunications 54.5 3° Health Care 43.5 4° Technology 41.9 5° Oil & Gas / Real Estate 40.0 6° Basic Resources 36.4 7° Media 35.7 8° Insurance 28.6 9° Travel & Leisure 27.3 10° Utilities / Food & Beverage 25.0 11° Financial Services 23.8 12° Retail 20.8 13° Industrial Goods & Services 18.9 14° Chemicals 18.2 15° Construction & Materials 17.6 16° Automobiles & Parts 13.3 17° Personal & Household Goods / Banks 12.5 Total % Value 42.3 More in depth, the most recurrent activities that are pursued through social media are job advertising (65%), followed by the active sourcing of passive candidates (60%), and checking the accuracy of CV information (53%) (tab. 3). Tab 3 - Use of Social Media for Specific Recruitment Activities. % Value. Total Survey, 2014. Note: multiple choice question. Rank Recruiting activities: % Value 1° Advertising jobs 65.0 2° Sourcing passive candidates 59.7 3° Checking the accuracy of an applicant's CV 52.7 4° Receiving job applications 52.4 5° Checking an applicant's network 51.3 6° Employer branding 51.1 7° Checking content posted by an applicant 45.2 8° Checking references of an applicant 42.9 39 Additionally, a surprising result emerged concerning the profiles of those professional figures that recruiters most often search for via social media. It can be said that these profiles are mostly non-managerial profiles. This clearly demonstrates that social recruiting is broader and encompasses different profiles from those normally expected and that for the most qualified profiles, recruiters tend to prefer traditional channels of information and face-to-face networking. The only exception appears to be Eastern Europe and MENA, where managerial professions are the most searched for profiles in the digital sphere (fig. 6). Fig. 6 - Typology of Candidate Profiles Searched For, Using Social Media by Region. % Value. Total Survey, 2014. Note: multiple choice question. 80 70 74.2 66.4 60 50 54.5 54.6 40 30 49.0 45.0 37.1 38.4 42.1 28.4 20 40.6 37.4 35.3 27.1 24.2 16.4 10 0 Eastern Europe and MENA Non manager Western Europe Middle manager Southern Europe Manager Total Senior manager and above 40 Managerial profiles are generally searched for using social media platforms by medium and large-sized companies (fig. 7). Fig. 7 - Typology of Candidate Profiles Searched For, Using Social Media by Company Size. % Value. Total Survey, 2014. Note: multiple choice question. 80 70 60 69.3 66.7 65.1 63.4 57.6 50 50.3 51.7 30 31.6 54.5 54.6 43.2 39.5 38.3 35.1 58.3 48.3 40 36.8 66.4 61.2 40.6 20 10 0 Micro: < 10 people Small: < 50 Non manager Medium: < 250 Middle manager Manager Large: over 250 Total Senior manager and above In 2013, more than half of all recruitment activity involved the Internet (web in general, not solely social media) (53%), with the percentage for 2014 expected to continue to grow (61%). However, Southern Europe remains the area where the adoption of digital resources occurs much later, and despite their intention to use them, it can reasonably be said that this gap will remain throughout 2014 (fig. 8). Fig. 8 - Percentage of Total Recruitment Activity Involving the Internet by Region. % Value. Total Survey, 2014. 80 60.8 52.6 60 40 55.3 62.1 20 52.5 62.1 43.8 53.1 0 Eastern Europe and MENA Western Europe Southern Europe % by region (2013) % by region (2014 forecast) % in total companies (2013) % in total companies (2014 forecast) 41 Microbusinesses are less inclined to use digital resources as a personnel search method (45% of total recruiting activity), whilst these figures are highest among firms with 50+ employees (fig. 9). Fig. 9 - Percentage of Total Recruitment Activity Involving the Internet by Company Size. % Value. Total Survey, 2014. 70 60.8 60 52.6 50 40 54.9 52.1 Small: < 50 Medium: < 250 53.0 45.1 30 20 10 0 Micro: < 10 people % by company size Large: over 250 % in total companies (2013) % in total companies (2014 forecast) 42 By looking at the various sectors analysed, it emerges that companies operating in the Technology sector, have used the Internet more often as a recruitment tool (60% of the total recruiting activity), immediately followed by the Recruitment sector (fig. 10). Fig. 10 - Percentage of Total Recruitment Activity Involving the Internet by Business Area (first 4). % Value. Total Survey, 2014. Social media is the digital tool which is expected to experience the greatest increase in usage in 2014 by the Recruitment sector. Fig. 11 - Change in the Importance of Digital Tools by the Recruitment Sector in the Next Year. Total Survey, 2014. 43 The social media platforms that are regarded as the most efficient in the recruitment process are LinkedIn and Facebook. The former is most often used with an “effectiveness index” of 0.60, whilst the latter remains at 0.05. The index indicates a value between -1, the lowest effectiveness, and 1, the highest effectiveness (fig. 12). These are significantly high figures when compared to those reported by Job Seekers, where the effectiveness index of LinkedIn is rated at a value of only 0.13. Fig. 12 - Effectiveness Index of Social Media for Recruitment Purposes. Total Survey, 2014. Note: Index value from -1 (max ineffectiveness) to 1 (max effectiveness), value 0 if neutral position. 0.60 0.05 -0.20 -0.55 -0.55 -0.48 Pinterest Instagram Viadeo -0.38 Xing -0.55 Tumblr Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Blog -0.41 -0.48 Facebook 1,00 ,800 ,600 ,400 ,200 ,00 -,200 -,400 -,600 -,800 -1,00 44 Focusing solely on LinkedIn, it emerges that the more often it is used, the more its perceived effectiveness increases, showing an increasing appreciation for the platform as a result of direct usage (fig. 13). Fig. 13 - Effectiveness Index of LinkedIn for Recruitment Purposes by Use. Total Survey, 2014. Note: Index value from -1 (max ineffectiveness) to 1 (max effectiveness), value 0 if neutral position. 1,00 ,900 ,800 ,700 ,600 0.68 0.60 ,500 ,400 0.45 ,300 ,200 ,100 0.26 Neutral ,00 No Yes, for personal Yes, also for use only professional use Total This insight is confirmed by the fact that the perceived effectiveness of LinkedIn grows as the size of the business grows (fig.14) and LinkedIn appears to be appreciated most by those companies which use it most frequently (recruiting agencies) (tab. 4). Fig. 14 - Effectiveness Index of LinkedIn for Recruitment Purposes by Company Size. Total Survey, 2014. Note: Index value from -1 (max ineffectiveness) to 1 (max effectiveness), value 0 if neutral position. 1,00 ,900 ,800 ,700 ,600 0.67 ,500 0.53 ,400 ,300 0.60 0.57 0.35 ,200 ,100 Neutral ,00 Micro: < 10 people Small: < 50 Medium: < 250 Large: over 250 Total 45 Tab. 4 - Effectiveness Index of LinkedIn for Recruitment Purposes by Industry (first 4). Total Survey, 2014. Note: Index value from -1 (max ineffectiveness) to 1 (max effectiveness), value 0 if neutral position. Industry Index Recruiting 0.73 Industrial Goods & Services 0.50 Technology 0.62 Food & Beverage 0.43 Total 0.60 There is, however, an interesting exception. In Western Europe, where the use of social media is greater than in Southern Europe, effectiveness is reported to be lower. Fig. 15 - Effectiveness Index of LinkedIn for Recruitment Purposes by Region. Total Survey, 2014. Note: Index value from -1 (max ineffectiveness) to 1 (max effectiveness), value 0 if neutral position. 1,00 ,900 ,800 ,700 ,600 0.66 0.61 ,500 0.60 0.50 ,400 ,300 ,200 ,100 Neutral ,00 Eastern Europe and MENA Western Europe Southern Europe Total 46 The effectiveness of social media use is reported to be positive overall, with figures that are generally above the “positive threshold” of value 0, though without experiencing high peaks of “extremely positive” rates (the entry in point, ”using social media increases my productivity” is reported at 0.18). However, there are many recruiters who intend to use these tools in the next 12 months. Also, there still seems to be a widespread need for training, since the entry “it is easy for me to master social media” is reported at 0.25. Tab. 5 - Index of Agreement with Specific Statements Regarding the Use of Social Media for Recruitment. Total Survey, 2014. Note: Index value from -1 (max disagreement) to 1 (max agreement), value 0 if neutral position. Rank 1° 2° 3° 4° 5° 6° 7° 8° 9° Statements I intend to use social media in the next 12 months I find social media useful in my job I have the knowledge necessary to use social media I have the resources necessary to use social media It is easy for me to master social media In general, my company supports the use of social media Using social media increases my productivity People who are important to me think I should use social media A specific person (or group) is available for assistance with social media difficulties Index 0.48 0.37 0.33 0.32 0.25 0.19 0.18 0.09 0.02 47 The use of LinkedIn remains predominant when recruiters assess the web reputation of a candidate (68%). The use of Facebook is also relevant (52%), especially if we consider that Facebook is generally regarded as a more personal social networking site. Interestingly, social media is used more often than traditional search engines (tab. 6). Tab. 6 - Social Networks and Online Tools Used to Check a Candidate's Online Reputation. Total Survey, 2014. Note: multiple choice question. Rank Social Media % Value 1° LinkedIn 67.7 2° 3° 4° Facebook Google or other search engines Twitter 51.6 29.0 18.9 5° YouTube 8.5 6° Xing 7.9 7° Blog 7.5 8° Instagram 6.2 9° Viadeo 3.8 10° Pinterest 3.2 11° Tumblr 2.8 Recruiters believe that the most attractive elements in the profiles of potential candidates for recruitment purposes are the previous work experiences (attractiveness index of 0.63), followed by the presence of professional prizes or awards (0.38) and the personality insights that can be identified from the profile (0.32). Recruiters seem to be largely uninterested in the number of contacts (tab. 7). The seeming lack of interest in the number of contacts shown by recruiters and the preference towards “tangible skills”, may be interpreted as a tendency to assess more favorably those skills that are more difficult to make up (public display of previous work experience), whilst contact requests are often accepted by users without knowing the other person. In this sense, recruiters seem to distrust the number of contacts as a sort of “noisy” information that does not provide trustworthy elements for professional assessment. Tab. 7 - Attractiveness Index of the Applicant’s Social Media Profile. Total Survey, 2014. Note: Index value from -1 (min attractiveness) to 1 (max attractiveness). Rank 1° Elements on Social Media profile Professional experience Index 0.63 2° 3° 4° 5° 6° 7° Professional prizes and awards Personality emerging from profile Content posted by the applicant References and comments posted by others Personal information (e.g. marital status, gender...) Pictures 0.38 0.32 0.27 0.25 0.17 0.13 8° 9° Hobbies and personal interests Number of contacts 0.09 -0.13 48 Approximately one third of recruiters admit that they have rejected a potential candidate as a consequence of the information, the pictures, or the content posted on the candidate’s profile (fig. 16). This may be interpreted in two different ways. On one hand, candidates may be disqualified if they present information that differs substantially from the information provided in their CV; or they may be disqualified if their profiles display “sensitive” information. In this second case, a slight discrepancy emerges with the information provided by Job Seekers who seem to have a general awareness of the kind of information that may affect the Recruiters’ opinion and largely state that they do not post sensitive comments or pictures. However, this tendency to post sensitive material seems to be greater among younger candidates. The rejection of candidates based on the content they posted online should probably be interpreted as a “strategy” perpetrated by the Recruiters to reduce the (often large) number of candidates for a position by searching for material that may not be “sensitive” per se, but sufficiently ambiguous to detrimentally affect one’s reputation. Fig. 16 - Exclusion of a Candidate from the Recruitment Process because of Online Information, Photos, or Content on Their Social Media Profile by Region. Total Survey, 2014. 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 33.5 38.7 Eastern Europe and MENA 29.6 25.1 Western Europe Southern Europe By Region Total 14 12 10 11.6 8 6.3 6 4 2 3.1 1.7 0 Eastern Europe and MENA Western Europe By Region Southern Europe Total 49 Among the different elements which seem to negatively influence the assessment of the web reputation of a candidate, recruiters seem to pay particular attention to the comments posted, especially in relation to the participation of activities which may violate University or workplace policies, followed by comments on sensitive issues, whilst pictures are relatively less important in this regard. The age of the recruiter seems to have an impact on what they perceive to be content that negatively affects a candidate’s web reputation. Younger recruiters appear to be less strict in relation to “sensitive” information (tab. 8). Tab. 8 - Impact Index of Web Reputation on Recruitment by Year of Birth of the Recruiter. Total Survey, 2014. Notes: (1) Index value from -1 (almost never negative evaluation of the recruiter) to 1 (always negative evaluation of the recruiter). (2) The analysis of recruiters born before 1946 (over 68 years old) has been omitted because of a limited sample size (3 respondents) Elements on applicant's Social Media profile Informal selfie or tagged photo (e.g. wearing a swimsuit) Controversial selfie / tagged photo (e.g. drinking alcohol) Comments on controversial topics (e.g. illegal drugs) Comments on participation in activities which are in violation of university or workplace policy 1946-1964 1965-1980 After 1981 Total Index -0.04 -0.29 -0.37 -0.30 0.23 0.05 -0.12 -0.01 0.24 0.26 0.20 0.21 0.42 0.42 0.36 0.36 50 Among those who use social media for recruitment purposes, approximately 30% have attended training courses organized by their company (fig. 17). This percentage decreases further in the Southern European countries (26%) (fig. 18). Fig. 17 - Training Sessions (from company) About How to Recruit Using Social Media by Region. Total Survey, 2014. 35 30.2 30 25 31.5 28.9 25.9 20 15 10 5 0 Eastern Europe and MENA by region Western Europe Southern Europe % in total companies (2014 forecast) 51 Training is more frequent in companies with 250+ employees and decreases with the size of the firm. Interestingly, for those who did not receive training, the expected usefulness of the training increases as the size of the firm grows. For those who did attend training courses, the greater perceived usefulness is reported for microbusinesses. This confirms the fact that small enterprises are less inclined to provide formation, but when this occurs, they experience a greater return, mostly because it represents a strong element of differentiation from their competitors (tab. 9). Tab. 9 - Training Sessions (from company) About How to Recruit Using Social Media and Usefulness Indices About Training by Company Size. Total Survey, 2014. Note: Usefulness indices value from -1 (max usefulness) to 1 (max usefulness). The first is calculated using the responses by recruiters who have had training sessions and the second, by recruiters who have not had them. Micro: < 10 people 17.2 Usefulness index of training session made 0.41 Small: < 50 21.3 0.26 0.24 Medium: < 250 28.7 0.25 0.31 Large: over 250 35.8 0.38 0.44 Total companies 30.2 0.34 0.33 Company size Training sessions Usefulness index of potential training session 0.12 Similarly, throughout the various sectors, the companies that provide recruiters with the most training on social media use for their professional activity are Recruiting Agencies, followed by Technology businesses. It seems, however, that the level of training provided by Recruitment Agencies is relatively low, as the anticipated usefulness of the sessions is higher than the actual usefulness experienced by recruiters. The opposite holds true for the other industries which provide social media training, as the expected usefulness among employees is lower compared to its actual usefulness (tab. 10). Tab. 10 - Training Sessions (from company) About How to Recruit Using Social Media and Usefulness Indices About Training by Industry (first 4). Total Survey, 2014. Note: Usefulness indices value from -1 (max uselessness) to 1 (max usefulness). The first is calculated using the responses by recruiters who have had training sessions and the second, by recruiters who have not had them. Recruiting 42.3 Usefulness index of training session made 0.37 Industrial Goods & Services 11.0 0.39 0.29 Technology 21.0 0.40 0.02 Food & Beverage 19.4 0.53 0.23 Total companies 30.2 0.34 0.33 Industry Training sessions Usefulness index of potential training session 0.57 61% of respondents either did not receive guidelines for the use of social media or were unaware that these guidelines existed. 52 Tab 1.A - Do you have an account on these social networks? If yes, is this for personal or professional use? Total Survey, 2014. Facebook 23.6 Yes, for personal use only 48.0 YouTube 61.2 30.5 8.3 100.0 LinkedIn 23.7 18.0 58.3 100.0 Twitter 64.8 19.1 16.2 100.0 Google+ 58.8 26.4 14.8 100.0 Blog 90.7 4.8 4.5 100.0 Tumblr 95.7 3.4 0.9 100.0 Pinterest 87.5 10.3 2.2 100.0 Instagram 74.4 21.8 3.9 100.0 Viadeo 93.5 2.9 3.5 100.0 Xing 86.1 4.5 9.3 100.0 No Yes, also for professional use 28.3 100.0 Total Tab 2.A - Does your company have an active presence on these social networks for recruiting purposes? If yes, since when? Total Survey, 2014. No Yes, less than Yes, less 1 year than 2 years 11.4 17.1 Yes, over 2 years 24.9 100.0 Total Facebook 46.6 YouTube 81.8 2.9 4.9 10.3 100.0 LinkedIn 47.2 9.5 15.9 27.4 100.0 Twitter 69.5 6.3 11.5 12.7 100.0 Google+ 87.0 3.2 3.7 6.1 100.0 Blog 92.5 0.9 2.7 3.9 100.0 Tumblr 97.7 0.7 0.7 0.9 100.0 Pinterest 97.1 0.9 1.1 0.9 100.0 Instagram 95.7 1.7 1.1 1.4 100.0 Viadeo 97.1 0.9 1.2 0.9 100.0 Xing 93.7 1.9 2.5 1.9 100.0 Tab 3.A – Is the professional use of social media in recruitment in your company? Total Survey, 2014. % Value Voluntary 57.7 Highly recommended 36.6 Mandatory 5.7 Total 100.0 53 Tab 4.A - Do you use social networks for the following recruiting activities? Total Survey, 2014. No Yes Total Employer branding 48.9 51.1 100.0 Advertising jobs 35.0 65.0 100.0 Sourcing passive candidates 40.3 59.7 100.0 Receiving job applications 47.6 52.4 100.0 Checking the accuracy of an applicant's CV 47.3 52.7 100.0 Checking an applicant's network 48.7 51.3 100.0 Checking content posted by an applicant 54.8 45.2 100.0 Checking reference of an applicant 57.1 42.9 100.0 Tab 5.A - What social networks and online tools do you use to check a candidate's online reputation? Total Survey, 2014. No Yes Total Facebook 48.4 51.6 100.0 YouTube 91.5 8.5 100.0 LinkedIn 32.3 67.7 100.0 Twitter 81.1 18.9 100.0 Google+ 87.2 12.8 100.0 Blog 92.5 7.5 100.0 Tumblr 97.2 2.8 100.0 Pinterest 96.8 3.2 100.0 Instagram 93.8 6.2 100.0 Viadeo 96.2 3.8 100.0 Xing 92.1 7.9 100.0 Google or other search engines 71.0 29.0 100.0 Tab 6.A - Recruiting Objectives for Using Social Media. Total Survey, 2014. % Value To improve the quality of applications 49.0 To increase the number of applications 56.1 To quickly fill an open vacancy 50.3 To decrease the budget of recruitment 36.6 To reach targeted applicants (e.g. demographics) 56.4 To diversify recruitment channels 58.3 54 Tab 7.A - From 1 to 5, how effective do you find these social networks for recruiting? Total Survey, 2014. 2 3 4 Facebook 1 (very ineffective) 9.9 10.9 29.8 20.1 5 (very effective) 9.1 YouTube 25.4 10.6 16.1 3.3 LinkedIn 3.1 3.3 10.2 Twitter 16.2 8.8 Google+ 18.7 6.9 Blog 19.1 Tumblr I don't know Total 20.2 100.0 1.6 42.9 100.0 25.2 43.8 14.4 100.0 18.9 8.2 5.0 42.9 100.0 17.8 4.0 3.3 49.3 100.0 7.1 13.8 3.4 2.4 54.3 100.0 20.9 6.2 12.4 0.7 1.1 58.6 100.0 Pinterest 21.9 5.4 12.0 0.6 1.6 58.5 100.0 Instagram 22.8 6.1 12.5 0.9 1.5 56.2 100.0 Viadeo 20.7 5.0 11.7 2.3 2.0 58.4 100.0 Xing 19.1 5.6 13.7 4.6 2.5 54.6 100.0 Tab 8.A - Have you ever excluded a candidate from the recruitment process because of online information, photos or content on their social media profile? Total Survey, 2014. % Value No 66.5 Yes 33.5 Total 100.0 Tab 9.A - From 1 to 5, how likely are you to negatively assess a job applicant with the following items on his/her Facebook profile? Total Survey, 2014. Informal selfie or tagged photo (e.g. wearing a swimsuit) 36.9 Controversial selfie / tagged photo (e.g. drinking alcohol) 22.4 13.8 Comments on participation in activities which are in violation of university or workplace policy 11.7 2 10.3 13.0 7.2 4.6 3 (neutral) 34.7 25.3 26.2 19.3 4 11.3 23.9 28.1 28.3 5 (very likely) 6.8 15.5 24.6 36.1 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 1 (very unlikely) Total Comments on controversial topics (e.g. illegal drugs) 55 Tab 10.A - From 1 to 5, how much do the following attract your attention on an applicant’s social media profile? Total Survey, 2014. Personal information (e.g. marital status, gender...) Personality emerging from profile Pictures Professional experience Number of contacts Hobbies and personal interests Professional prizes and awards References and comments posted by others Content posted by the applicant 1 (not at all) 12.6 7.2 9.8 3.6 20.3 8.9 6.0 8.9 6.9 7.0 6.4 9.1 1.6 17.9 12.5 3 (neutral) 35.0 25.0 38.1 12.3 38.6 40.2 4.7 9.4 6.5 22.8 27.2 32.3 2 24.5 37.5 30.4 29.4 14.9 29.0 5 (a lot) 20.9 24.0 12.6 53.1 8.3 9.4 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 40.8 31.8 35.2 25.8 22.7 19.2 100.0 100.0 100.0 4 Total Tab 11.A - Regarding the use of social media in your job as a recruiter, please indicate the level of your agreement or disagreement with the following statements on a scale of 1 to 7. Total Survey, 2014. I find social media useful in my job Using social media increases my productivity It is easy for me to master social media People who are important to me think I should use social media In general, my company supports the use of social media I have the resources necessary to use social media I have the knowledge necessary to use social media A specific person (or group) is available for assistance with social media difficulties I intend to use social media in the next 12 months 1 (I strongly disagree) 4.8 2 3 4 (neutral) 5 6 16.2 7 (I strongly agree) 27.8 4.3 5.0 17.3 24.8 100.0 8.1 7.6 8.4 23.7 20.5 14.7 16.9 100.0 5.9 7.2 7.4 22.7 18.5 19.8 18.5 100.0 8.8 7.3 7.6 35.1 16.7 14.0 10.4 100.0 9.9 7.1 5.7 23.9 18.2 19.0 16.3 100.0 6.0 4.6 6.5 19.0 20.5 22.0 21.4 100.0 4.7 4.7 7.1 17.3 22.6 23.4 20.4 100.0 15.7 7.9 10.1 24.5 14.7 16.5 10.6 100.0 5.3 3.7 3.6 15.1 14.1 19.1 39.2 100.0 Total Tab 12.A - What percentage of your total recruitment activity involves the internet? Total Survey, 2014. % Value In 2013 52.6 In 2014 (forecast) 60.8 56 Tab 13.A - Assuming total online recruitment is 100, what share does each tool represent? Total Survey, 2014. % Value Careers section on company website 30.4 Online recruiting sites 43.9 Social media 20.2 Mobile apps 5.6 Tab 14.A - Do you think the importance of the following recruitment tools will change in your company next year? Total Survey, 2014. Careers section on company website 7.5 Online recruiting sites 7.1 Social media 6.7 Mobile apps 13.8 No change 58.3 52.2 32.8 41.7 More important 34.2 40.7 60.6 44.5 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 Less important Tab 15.A - Have you had (from your company) any training sessions about how to recruit using social media? Total Survey, 2014. % Value No 69.8 Yes 30.2 Total 100.0 Tab 16.A – Was the training session helpful? Total Survey, 2014. Note: Statistic calculated only for "Yes" answers of Tab. 16.A. % Value 1 (not at all) 1.4 2 3.8 3 2.4 4 (neutral) 25.2 5 31.4 6 22.4 7 (a lot) 13.3 Total 100.0 57 Tab 17.A - Do you think such training could be useful? Total Survey, 2014. Note: Statistic calculated only for "No" answers of Tab. 16.A. % Value 5.9 4.0 1.5 24.7 23.2 17.4 23.2 1 (not at all) 2 3 4 (neutral) 5 6 7 (a lot) Total 100.0 Tab 8.A - Does your company have any guidelines or policy to manage social media? (e.g. crisis situations, day-today social media scenarios...). Total Survey, 2014. % Value No 32.7 Yes 38.6 I don't know 28.7 Total 100.0 Tab 19.A - What kind of candidate profiles do you search for on social networks? Total Survey, 2014. Non Manager Middle manager Manager Senior manager and above Controlling, Accounting & Finance Purchasing Manufacturing Research & Development Information Technology Logistics Sales Marketing Corporate Communication & PR Human Resources Quality Management % Value 66.4 54.5 54.6 40.6 46.3 33.8 34.6 32.1 42.3 32.5 56.6 46.1 32.9 42.2 29.5 Tab 20.A - Gender. Total Survey, 2014. % Value Female 65.8 Male 34.2 Total 100.0 58 Tab 21.A - Year of birth. Total Survey, 2014. % Value Before 1946 0.3 1946-1964 11.0 1965-1980 42.5 After 1981 46.1 Total 100.0 Tab 22.A - What is the highest level of education you have completed? Total Survey, 2014. % Value Less than High School 0.7 High School 8.8 Some College 14.2 2 or 3 year College Degree 14.5 4 or 5 year College Degree 35.8 Master or Doctoral Degree 26.0 Total 100.0 Tab 23.A - How many years of experience do you have as a recruiter? Total Survey, 2014. % Value 1 year or less 13.1 2 years 11.4 3-5 years 25.1 6-10 years 25.7 11-20 years 19.0 More than 20 years 5.6 Total 100.0 Tab 24.A - What is your position? Total Survey, 2014. % Value Non manager 37.4 Middle manager 26.6 Manager 20.2 Senior manager and above 15.8 Total 100.0 59 Tab 25.A - Company size. Total Survey, 2014. % Value Micro: < 10 people 6.7 Small: < 50 17.4 Medium: < 250 20.0 Large: over 250 55.9 Total 100.0 Tab 26.A - Does your company have a corporate website? Total Survey, 2014. % Value No 8.4 Yes 91.6 Total 100.0 Tab 28.A - Business area. Total Survey, 2014. Oil & Gas Chemicals Basic Resources Construction & Materials Industrial Goods & Services Automobiles & Parts Food & Beverage Personal & Household Goods Health Care Retail Media Travel & Leisure Telecommunications Utilities Banks Insurance Real Estate Financial Services Technology Recruiting Total % Value 0.6 1.3 1.3 4.0 8.7 1.8 4.2 0.9 2.7 2.8 1.7 1.3 2.6 1.9 0.9 1.7 0.6 2.5 7.3 51.2 100.0 60 The Authors Silvia Zanella is the Global Social Media & Online Marketing Director at Adecco Group, the world’s leading provider of HR solutions. Her focus is on HR 2.0, with a strong interest in the future of work. Ivana Pais is an Assistant Professor of Economic Sociology at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano (Italy). Her research interests focus on new ways of working through the use of social media. Contact Info [email protected] www.adecco.com [email protected] www.facebook.com/adecco www.LinkedIn.com/company/adecco www.twitter.com/adeccogroup About the Adecco Group The Adecco Group, based in Zurich, Switzerland, is the world’s leading provider of HR solutions. With over 31,500 FTE employees and more than 5,000 branches, in over 60 countries and territories around the world, Adecco Group offers a wide variety of services, connecting more than 650,000 associates with our clients every day. The services offered fall into the broad categories of temporary staffing, permanent placement, career transition and talent development, as well as outsourcing and consulting. The Adecco Group is a Fortune Global 500 company. Adecco S.A. is registered in Switzerland (ISIN: CH0012138605) and listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ADEN). 61 62
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