Employers turn to Facebook

With more and more offices around the UK banning their staff from passing the time on social networking sites like Facebook, some companies are beginning to use these websites as a useful recruitment resource. A client survey conducted by recruiters Crone Corkill and FSS revealed that 7.5% of employers are using networking sites as an informal part of the referencing process. This number is expected to rise now that Facebook profiles can be accessed quickly and easily through search engines like Google.

The popularity of social networking sites has soared in recent months. A poll of Crone Corkillís office support candidates revealed that 86% used Facebook regularly, and over 75% of respondents from finance recruiter FSS agreed that Facebook was the site they used the most.

Any extra tool to determine whether the candidate is right for the job is beneficial to recruiters. A social networking profile can give a more personal insight into someoneís character that cannot be portrayed on a CV. However some have argued that these online profiles are personal and that companies should not mix the business and private lives of candidates. Other concerns about this practice include the possibility of researching the wrong person and the problem of comments falsely made in someoneís name.

As social networking sites continue to grow in number, popularity and influence, it is almost certain that many companies will be considering using them as another tool in the recruitment process.