Research from TMP Worldwide and TARGETjobs has further shown that employers must be increasingly ‘social media savvy’ to bag a digital native for their graduate scheme.

A study of undergraduates in their final two years of further education showed that eight out of ten organisations with an active social media presence are perceived to be working hard to engage with this group. And with 16% of students either owning or contributing to a blog, and 42% rating social media as the ideal platform for an employer to communicate with a employee, businesses cannot afford to overlook this.

Dave Coombs, Head of Digital Media at TMP Worldwide said; “Social media is not a fad, it’s a fundamental shift in the way we communicate and the facts speak for themselves. 96% of Gen Y are members of a social network and Facebook added 100 million users in less than nine months.”

The other interesting outcome of the research is that for years, employers have been warning students to be careful about what they post online. Now, the advice seems to be coming full circle. “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,” said Neil Harrison, Head of Planning and Research at TMP Worldwide.

Negative experiences, especially during recruitment process, can quickly be communicated between peers, having a potentially damaging effect on a brand. Students actively use social media to research companies and validate whether promises live up to reality. 56% of those surveyed said that they used social media sites to chat with peers about the recruitment process, whilst a further 30% talk directly to current employees to check whether their expectations were met after being taken on.

However, the students questioned were clear that employers should not exploit social media, with 70% stating they would not want businesses using such sites to ’sell’ jobs to them.

These insights show that simply recognising social media as a way to reach potential candidates is not enough. It cannot be a half-hearted attempt and businesses must be consistent with their brand values, maintaining the ‘principles promoted online throughout the recruitment, selection and ongoing retention of an employee.’