According to CareerBuilder’s annual social media recruitment survey, 60% of employers use social networking sites to research job candidates, up significantly from 52% last year, 22% in 2008 and 11% in 2006, when the survey was first conducted. Additionally, 59% of hiring managers use search engines to research candidates – compared to 51% last year.“Tools such as Facebook and Twitter enable employers to get a glimpse of who candidates are outside the confines of a resume or cover letter,” said Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources officer of CareerBuilder. Hiring managers in information technology and sales are the most likely to use social networks to screen candidates; professional and business services were least likely.More than two in five employers (41%) say they are less likely to interview job candidates if they are unable to find information about that person online — a 6% increase since last year.

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