Social media playing crucial role in business connections

How popular you are on social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter is becoming increasingly important, as companies now look for well-connected and influential people to bring firepower to their brands.

Digital experts have said social media and recruitment now largely go hand in hand.

According to stuff.co.nz, firms are using LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook to find new employees - both by listing opportunities and by increasing the chatter between recruiters and the people looking for jobs.

Hays Recruitment New Zealand managing director Jason Walker said the firm had formed a relationship with LinkedIn - a social network space essentially for CVs - because they realised the massive importance of social media in recruitment.

He said that social media has become an essential part of any organisation's recruitment strategy.

In a recent survey of 270 employers across New Zealand, Walker said the company found that 64 percent of employers used LinkedIn to find new employees, 50 percent used Facebook and 10 percent used Twitter.

Of those looking for jobs 74 percent use LinkedIn, 24 percent used Facebook, and 7 percent used Twitter.

According to the report, Tom Bates, the social influence director for digital strategists Contagion, said employers look at a prospective employee's social media presence to validate what the candidate was saying about their online profile.