Most students think employers using Facebook for recruitment are working too hard to engage them

David Woods, 25 September 2009

Students do not want to work for employers that "exploit social media" to sell jobs to them, new research reveals.

Although a study from TMP Worldwide and Targetjobs shows 79% of students believe social networking sites are the key to employers engaging with them, 70% do not want businesses to use sites like Twitter or Facebook to "sell" jobs to them.

Almost a third of students (30%) report they chat with current employees to check if their expectations of a particular employer were met after being taken on.

Neil Harrison, head of planning and research at TMP Worldwide, said: "Employers have been saying for some time that they use social networking sites to ‘check up‘ on potential candidates, but they must now be aware that the tables have turned.

"Today's students use these sites as trusted places to not only communicate with friends but to also investigate potential employers; so businesses simply cannot underestimate the power of social media when it comes to brand building and engaging with undergraduates.

"Employers must not however, approach social media half heartedly. They must be consistent with their brand and maintain the values they promote online throughout the recruitment, selection and ongoing retention process."

But the study also shows 42% of students think employers think social media is the ideal platform to communicate employer brand and 56% agree social networking sites allow candidates to get a feel for company culture.