Social media – it’s something everyone says they ‘do’, but when it comes to moving past setting up an account or page – how many people actually leverage it to engage with customers, educate prospects and identify talent?

webrecruit’s latest Candidate Survey has revealed just how much social media is having an effect on job hunting, highlighting that the use of new channels is becoming a common trend.

62% of respondents questioned said they used LinkedIn to perform a job search, whilst local recruitment agencies as the first port of call came in at 24% and newspapers and trade press limped in at 19%.

This trend of candidates using LinkedIn may not come as much of a surprise, especially in view of the popularity of social media, however, the fact this individual channel is catching up ‘traditional’ online methods, such as the job boards, is something that shouldn’t be ignored.

Multi-sector job boards are still a firm favourite, with 97% of respondents stating they have used them, but recruiters and hiring managers need to take note of the importance of an integrated approach to selecting the best possible resources available.

So will social media take over the recruitment industry?

We’ve already seen how social media has brought about further change in recruitment. Its effect, however, isn’t new or radical; it has brought hiring back to basics, it’s highlighted what recruitment should be about: people.

Equally, the job of the recruiter hasn’t changed, rather the tools available to them has. Recruiters and employers ahead of the game will not only have an established presence on social media channels, but they will have gone one step further by engaging with their communities. The transparency of social media means they can’t neglect a candidate/customer once they’ve started to participate.

This is where those who ‘say’ they do social media will falter. If there’s nothing to engage users, there’s no reason for them to return. If you’re in search of talent, remember how important retention is. After all, people go where the opportunities are.