Social networking and recruitment: candidates cautioned

A survey by security company Sophos reveals that many UK companies are still banning the use of social networking sites in the workplace.  About 43% of employees were prevented from using popular sites such as Facebook.  Read more: UK employers continuing to ban social websites.

However, many businesses are also using social networks (and other Web 2.0 sites) to pick the right staff.  In a survey by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), a mammoth 85% of employers said that they believed candidates should be careful about how they present themselves on social networking sites (such as the words they post and their choice of pictures - one amusing account of a graduate's recognition of this can be read on the blog Job Hunt).  Read more: Online agencies and Web 2.0 helping firms source talent.