An Examination of Millennials´ Use of Social Networking Sites in Job Search

Internet accessibility and the evolution of technology have increased rapidly during the last decade, with the development and launches of several social networking sites. Notably, recruitment processes have moved online and today job seekers can view and apply for jobs anywhere in the world through the use of these sites. Similarly, businesses can perform background checks on candidates by reviewing their online social profile. The aim of this study is to examine how millennials use social networking sites in their job search, and to determine if users of one specific social networking site actually have a greater chance at finding employment than users of the other listed sites. To this end, the research question is as follows: What is the impact of the social networking sites Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn on millennials´ method of job search? The research question is answered through a quantitative survey which involves distributing an online questionnaire to respondents via various social networking sites. The participants are asked about which social networking sites they use in job search and if they have any ethical concerns regarding employers’ use of these sites in personnel vetting and selection. The responses reveal that Facebook and LinkedIn are the social networking sites where respondents had successfully acquired a job, and that millennials did not seem concerned with the ethical aspect of potential employers accessing their social networking content