Assessing job market with social networking sites

Nageshri B Karhade , Supriya PawarMaratha Mandir’s Babasaheb Gawde Institute Of Management,

Mumbai University,India

nageshri@msn.com,supriyapawar5@gmail.com

Abstract- The purpose of this paper is to assess the job market with the help of social networking sites. This research aims to investigate the effects personal social networking sites have on candidate’s opportunities for obtaining employment and how and to what extent hiring managers used this information in the hiring process. The data for this study was obtained from questionnaires provided to 60 MMS second year students studying in south Mumbai colleges and 10 recruiters. The results show a rising trend in usage of social networking sites by recruiters but lack of acceptance by students. The analysis concludes that social networking sites can be used as a useful tool by students seeking jobs. The findings will help students to put more focus on using social networking sites not only for personal use but also for professional use. It also serves as an encouragement to students in how to maintain a professional profile.

Keywords: social networking sites, job market, recruiters

INTRODUCTION

The job market in India has indeed undergone a wind of change with newer opportunities popping out in course of time. This in turn has helped the   job seekers, both fresher and experienced professionals to explore greener pastures lying ahead. The different tools used are Referrals, Job Boards and Career Websites, Job Fairs, Company Websites, Recruitment Agencies. The Internet profoundly affects how business is conducted in the world today, and recruiting and hiring processes are being swept along in this current. The Internet lends itself well to finding and attracting college graduates, skilled workers, managers, and executives. These groups tend to be computer literate, and technology use is an integral part of their daily routines, helping them develop and maintain connections at work as well as in their personal lives. Popular social media Web sites such as MySpace, Facebook, Wikipedia, and Yahoo! Groups abound and are subscribed to by millions of

people, prompting employers to explore ways to use social media in their search for new talent. This paper provides an overview of how social media are currently being used by leading edge companies as well as job seekers.

Use of the internet and social media has grown substantially over the last decade, and the use of these new web-based technologies for work related activities has been a major part of that. While internet usage has grown, the way people are using the internet has also changed. More interactive online technology such as blogs, social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook and other innovations which are part of greater interactivity and user-generated content that characterize so-called ‘Web 2.0‘ –i.e. sites allowing users to interact and collaborate with each other in a social media dialogue – have become more prominent. The use of social networking sites among internet users in India has grown nearly 52% since 2011, with more than 76 million people now using social networking sites in the country (McNaughton 2012).

According to Andrea Broughton, Tom Higgins, Ben Hicks and Annette Cox (2010) social network sites are web-based services that allow individuals to (1) construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, (2) articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and (3) view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system.

LITERATURE REVIEW

On Facebook, where many users look to connect more personally and socially than professionally, it’s still a good idea to have a pristine profile. A recent survey by CareerBuilder.com found that 37

percent of employers screen candidates using social media, with one-third saying they’ve rejected applicants because of what they’ve found. As a result, it’s important to only post appropriate, professional photos of yourself and keep your communications clean. Facebook users also may benefit from creating lists of close friends, acquaintances and restricted users where they can sort out what content certain friends can see. Recruiting using Social Media has taken many parts of the globe by storm and this revolution is here to stay. Social media has become a potent tool for both employers and employees and as a low cost - high return option, recruiting through Social Media will soon become a key differentiator in the current global recruitment market. The advancement of technology will also fuel this growth with easier interface and ultra refined searches, helping employers and employees finding the right fit jobs (E.Balaji).

Social Networking in India

More than 33 million Internet users who form 84% of the total Internet audience, visit social networking sites

The total Indian social networking audience grew 43 percent in the past year, more than tripling the rate of growth of the total Internet audience in India

India now ranks as the seventh largest market worldwide for social networking

Table 1: Statistics showing use of SNS in IndiaSource: Indiasocial

Global Recruiting Trends Survey 2011 conducted by Linkedin in India Surveyed 369 recruiting professionals in India who have a LinkedIn profile. According to this survey 38% Employment branding, 36% referral programs and 33% social professional networking are the top recruiting trends in India. Most companies in India use social professional networking for recruiting 62% as minor hiring source and 18% as major hiring source.

When asked why they use social networks to conduct background research, hiring managers stated the following:

To see if the candidate presents himself/herself professionally – 65 percent

To see if the candidate is a good fit for the company culture – 51 percent

To learn more about the candidate’s qualifications – 45 percent

To see if the candidate is well-rounded – 35 percent

To look for reasons not to hire the candidate – 12 percent

A third (34 percent) of hiring managers who currently research candidates via social media said they have found information that has caused them not to hire a candidate. That content ranges from evidence of inappropriate behavior to information that contradicted their listed qualifications:

Candidate posted provocative/inappropriate photos/info – 49 percent

There was info about candidate drinking or using drugs – 45 percent

Candidate had poor communication skills – 35 percent

Candidate bad mouthed previous employer – 33 percent

Candidate made discriminatory comments related to race, gender, religion, etc. – 28 percent

Candidate lied about qualifications – 22 percent

While screening for red flags is one a reason for social media research, employers are also looking for information that could potentially give a job seeker an advantage. Three in ten hiring managers (29 percent) said they have found something that

has caused them to hire a candidate, citing content that showed them the following:

Good feel for candidate’s personality – 58 percent

Conveyed a professional image –55 percent

Background information supported professional qualifications – 54 percent

Well-rounded, showed a wide range of interests – 51 percent

Great communication skills – 49 percent

Candidate was creative – 44 percent

Other people posted great references about the candidate – 34 percent

Employers are primarily using Facebook (65 percent) and LinkedIn (63 percent) to research candidates; 16 percent use Twitter.

More than one‐in‐five job aspirants surveyed in India access social networking sites to hunt for the right job, according to the latest survey results revealed by global workforce solutions leader, Kelly Services. The survey also indicates that many are anxious about their potential career fallout from personal content on these sites. The findings are part of the ‘Kelly Global Workforce Index’, which obtained the views of approximately 97,000 people in 30 countries, including almost 2,000 in India. In the survey, respondents were asked a series of questions relating to their use of social networking as an employment tool, including identifying what social networking sites are most frequently used for searching for jobs and by what method they obtained their last job. The survey also sought to identify the impact of social media content on people's careers, and issues regarding the use of social networking within the workplace.

Top sources referred by job aspirants to secure jobs: Recruitment/Staffing firms (26%) Direct approaches from employers (26%)

Online postings (21%) Word‐of‐mouth referrals (14%) Print advertisement (5%) Other (5%) Social media sites (4%)

LinkedIn is the most popular social media site among all generation of job seekers

Following is the age‐wise split of LinkedIn usage:Gen X (aged 30‐47), (69%) Baby boomers (aged 48‐65), (56%) Gen Y (aged 18‐29), (46%)

Percentage of people searching jobs online across cities: Andhra Pradesh (44%) Delhi (34%) Karnataka (32%) Maharashtra (31%) Tamil Nadu (28%)

Generation Y employees are the most likely to be active online for career development purposes (34% regard being active on social media as a requisite for career advancement), yet they are also most concerned about the possible adverse affects of online material. Well over one-quarter (28%) of Gen Y’s worry that material from their social networking pages could adversely affect their career. This level of concern was shared across all generations, with 26% of Gen X respondents and 22% of Baby Boomers agreeing online material could pose potential career problems if not managed carefully.

Commenting on the findings of the survey, Mr.Kamal Karanth, Managing Director, Kelly Services said, “The use of social media has become more evident amongst job seekers in this technologically evolved market. It acts as a very distinctive and effective medium for both the employer and employee to connect and engage. More and more recruiters are using this tool as it helps in quickening the entire procedure of hiring and is cost effective.”The resume is no longer the first step in the recruitment process; It’s one of the last. Social media gives both candidates and employers the chance to be more active in their job hunt—saving time and money and ensuring that

applicants who get the job are the best fit for the company and stay around for the long haul.

OBJECTIVES

1. To determine the popularity of social networking sites among students as a tool for job seeking.

2. To understand the market potential of social networking sites as a recruitment tool by employers.

RESEARCH MEHODOLOGY

The main purpose of this study was to determine if and how students and companies are using social networking sites to screen potential candidates. Two types of survey questionnaire were developed. One focusing on students and the other on recruiters. The one focusing on students concentrated on measuring social media usage and respondents preferences. The questionnaire consisted of 10 questions which was distributed among 60 students studying in MMS second year in south Mumbai colleges. Out of these 60 questionnaires 30 were sent online. Sampling used was convenient sampling. The second questionnaire concentrated on recruiters to find what would their perceptions be based on information found online, and how would the information found on these websites influence their decision to hire. The questionnaire was distributed to 10 recruiters consisting of 6 questions each. Collected data was analyzed using central tendency tools such as percentages and graphs.

DATA ANALYSIS

Analysis based on survey questionnaire provided to students

Graph 1: Popular SNS

Graph 2: Time spent on SNS

Graph 3: Use of SNS

Graph 4: Friend request sent

Graph 5: Number of contacts on SNS

Graph 6: Number of professional contacts

Graph 7: Most popular media

Graph 8: Use of SNS for seeking a job

Graph 9: Most popular SNS for job search

The above analysis shoes that the popular social media site is Facebook 93% which is extensively used to keep in touch with friends and family. The social media mostly preferred is job portals 80%.The preference to search for job through social media sites is negative with 53% not preferring it. When compared with Kelly Global Workforce Index which shows social media sites being used by only 4% students our analysis stands true.

Analysis based on survey questionnaire provided to recruiters

Graph 10: Traditional recruitment tools used

Graph 11: Usage of SNS by recruiters

Graph 12: Purpose of using SNS

Graph 13: Selecting candidate using SNS

Graph 14: Rejecting candidate using SNS

Graph 15: Potential for SNS

The above data comparison provides a scope on the potential power social networking sites may have on decision making from human resources and hiring managers. When comparing our survey against the Linkedin data research, the results showed that 90% of recruiters used Linkedin followed by Facebook (60%).The main purpose being to check if candidate presents himself/herself professionally (70%). The reasons given for candidate being rejected were inappropriate content posted (70%) followed by candidates drinking and using drugs (60%). The reasons for candidate being accepted were good feel for candidate’s personality (70%). When asked if social networking sites held potential in future the answers were in favor of Yes 89%.

VI. LIMITATIONS

Obviously in order for this exploratory research to gain statistical significance a larger sample will need to be surveyed. In spite of our efforts the response rate was less so the opinion of our overall study may not be representative of this group. . In addition, the sample size taken for recruiters which are making use of social-oriented networking sites is small (n=10) which may limit the generalizability of the study. As a consequence, it may be difficult to draw definite conclusions about social-oriented networking sites and recruitment. In addition, the study is only a snapshot in time and the usage of

Social Networking Sites is a fast moving topic which has to be monitored for a longer time period.

VII. RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Plan a social media strategy that is right for your career goals.

2. Build an on-line professional profile. Create a robust LinkedIn profile.

3. Use platforms like Twitter to expand your network. 

4. Stay YouTube, Facebook. 5. Join LinkedIn Groups (industry-related, or your

college/university-related).6. Consider starting a blog related to the many

career interests you are passionate about.7. Use social media platforms to research

organizations and people.8. Don’t post inappropriate contents or comments

on your profile.

VIII. CONCLUSIONSocial media usage and activities continues to carve into our culture and there is no indication of it slowing down. In fact, more people become part of the phenomena including the aging population. It is no longer the “young” thing but a way many communicate, share experiences, interests, or display their attitudes and feelings. This is the new norm and as our analysis indicates the trend will likely continue to grow and hence the students must change their perceptions about social networking sites. They must realize that Social networking sites can also be used as a professional tool for seeking jobs. They must understand the concept of branding yourself. Branding yourself means that you create the right kind of emotional response you want people to have when they hear your name, see you online, or meet you in real life (Deckers, Lacy). Hiring managers will likely catch up to professional recruiter’s in terms of social media usage to hire for their needs. As the evolution of social networking sites gains momentum and the generation of students who are commonly on social networking sites move on to executive roles, more and more candidates will be screened and recruited through such sites. There is definitely a trend on the power

social networking sites may and will have on human resource and recruiting managers alike.

IX.REFERENCES

[1] Marissa McNaughton, (2012). Social Networking Grows 52% Among India’s Internet Users But Reaches Just 6.3% of Population. http://therealtimereport.com

[2] Andrea Broughton, Tom Higgins, Ben Hicks and Annette Cox, (2010). Workplaces and Social Networking .The Implications for Employment Relations

[3] Careerbuilder (2012) .Thirty-seven percent of companies use social networks to research potential job candidates, according to new CareerBuilder Survey. http://www.careerbuilder.com

[4] E. Balaji, (2011). Indian Employees trust Social Media for finding a Job: Ma Foi Survey. http://www.business-standard.com

[5] IndiaSocial (2010). India Social Networking Audience

grows by 43%, Facebook is No.1. http://www.indiasocial.in/india-social-networking/

[6] Linkedin (2011).Global Recruiting Trends Survey2011. http://talent.linkedin.com/global_recruiting_trends_2011

[7] Kelly Global Workforce Index, (2011). Social Media/Networking the evolving workforce. http://www.kellyocg.com/Kelly_Global_Workforce_Index

[8] Erik Deckers, Kyle Lacy. Branding Yourself How to Use Social Media to Invent or Reinvent Yourself