Only 1/5 of Brits search for jobs on Social Networks and just 1% have secured a job through them, Kelly Global Workforce Index™ Finds
People in the UK are failing to make to most of social networks as a career advancement route. Just one-in-five people in the UK search for jobs on social media networks, according to the latest survey results from global workforce solutions leader, Kelly Services®. This leaves the UK near the bottom of the global rankings in 25th place.
One reason for Brits’ shyness when it comes to using social networks in this way is the fear that posting the wrong kind of material could have a negative effect on their careers. This is borne out in the results with 26 percent of respondents saying they are worried that material from their social networking sites could adversely impact their careers and one third admitting to deliberately self-censoring content.
The findings are part of the Kelly Global Workforce Index, which obtained the views of approximately 97,000 people in 30 countries, including more than 2,000 in the United Kingdom.
Country Yes
Indonesia 49%
Africa other than South Africa 44%
Malaysia 38%
Portugal 38%
India 35%
Poland 33%
Netherlands 33%
Italy 33%
Hong Kong 32%
Thailand 30%
Puerto Rico 30%
Belgium 28%
Hungary 25%
South Africa 24%
Canada 24%
Switzerland 24%
Mexico 23%
Denmark 23%
Luxembourg 23%
Germany 23%
United States 22%
Ireland 22%
Singapore 21%
China 21%
United Kingdom 20%
Russia 19%
New Zealand 17%
Sweden 17%
Norway 15%
Australia 13%
France 13%
All countries 24%
The survey, conducted from October 2010 through January 2011, demonstrates that social media is an increasingly important global employment tool that candidates in the UK should exploit more - only one percent of people in the UK have secured a job through social media. As Katie Ivie, Human Resources Director at Kelly Services UK explains:
“Now is the time candidates should be developing a strong online presence on professional social networks to take advantage of the opportunities they offer and stand out from the crowd. Kelly Services already proactively uses social networking sites such as linked-in as a resource and the use of social media in the recruitment industry is only going to become more commonplace with time.”
For more information about these survey results and other key global findings, please visit the Kelly Global Workforce Index.
