The Use of Social Media Job Search

ISSN 2039-2117 (online) ISSN 2039-9340 (print) Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences . Vol 10 No 1 January 2019 Research Article © 2019 Navickas et.al.. This is an open access article licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/). The Use of Social Media Job Search Prof., Valentinas Navickas School of Economics and Business Kaunas University of Technology, Donelaicio st. 20, LT-44029, Kaunas, Lithuania Corresponding Author Assoc. Prof., Adriana Grenčíková Faculty of Social and Economic Relations Alexander Dubček University in Trencin Študentská 3, 911 50, Trenčín, Slovak Republic Jana Španková, PhD Faculty of Social and Economic Relations Alexander Dubček University in Trencin Študentská 3, 911 50, Trenčín, Slovak Republic Doi: 10.2478/mjss-2019-0002 Abstract The aim of this study was to determine the level of use of social network job search different generations X, Y, Z. We have used the method of literature study, the questionnaire method and the statistical methods, the method of comparison and deduction in the article. We meet the concept of a social network on a daily basis and many people use them. Among the young people, there is probably no one in a civilized world who would not come into contact with them. They are part of not only private but also professional life. People of generation X consider work to be the most important value in their value list. In their work they are loyal, they do not seek changes voluntarily, because they prefer certainty. This generation is characterized by the fact that technology and technology are not at the same level as the younger Y generation, but generation X is adapting to technical and information progress. People called Generation Y are considered to be an ambitious generation for whom it is important to have an interesting job and a high standard of living. This generation is looking for changes and challenges in its work. Generation Y favors their personal life, family, and partner in the ranks of values before work. They are innovative, creative and they like to develop and train in their work. They work efficiently and flexibly. Generation Z is the first generation that has not experienced a world without the ultimate digitization, they are called "digital people" and there is nothing easier for them to live without living communication with the world, they are more comfortable in the home on the Internet. Generation Z addresses everything with modern technologies. Keywords: social media, social networks, generation X, generation Y, generation Z, job search 1. Introduction Social media serve to socialize and develop social contacts. Their advantage is that content can be created, edited, or commented on by any registered user (Červenska, 2013; Berkelaar 2017; Schmidt, O'Connor, 2015). Social media are superior to social networks. It's because social media 17 ISSN 2039-2117 (online) ISSN 2039-9340 (print) Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences Vol 10 No 1 January 2019 are more extensive and also includes blogs, wikis, chat rooms, etc. There are various social media sites today. Some deal with sharing videos, others focusing on professional networks. The term social media is related to social networking. The social network is a web service that allows an individual to create a public profile. Social networks have become a phenomenon of the 21st century. We can see the increase in technical progress as well as the increasing computer literacy of the population as a reason for increasing the number of social networks and their use (Berthon, Pitt, Plangger, Shapiro, 2012; Roth, Bobko, Van Iddekinge, Thatcher, 2016). Convenient and simple control is the key to the success of social networks. Developing mobile technologies and mobile applications are becoming a common part of young people's lives, in particular. The growth of social networking can be dated to the period of qualitative Internet transition from so-called Web 1.0 to Web 2.0, what we can call the transition to a new generation web (Velšic, 2012). Web 2.0 has resulted in a better design that promotes user creativity, helps to better share information, and enables mutual collaboration between users. Advanced technologies have so greatly contributed to the development of the second generation of web communities and they have enabled the emergence of services such as social networks, file sharing systems, and blogs. We meet the concept of a social network on a daily basis and many people use them. Among the young people, there is probably no one in a civilized world who would not come into contact with them (Bartakova, Brtkova, Gubiniova, Hitka, 2017; Tufts, Jacobson, Stevens, 2015). They associate billions of people around the world and connect them through their activities or interests. The user's public profile is linked to other users who can share content, view and view the record. (Boyd, Ellison, 2007) The concept of social networking originated prior to the emergence of the Internet and in the last century constituted social structures linked to friendship, religion, sexual orientation, or the bond of people based on common interests (Horváthová, 2016). Internet social networks originated with the development of information technologies. More and more people use them in their private lives. Today they are already part of different generations (Pavlíček, 2010). The number of users is growing steadily. They are increasingly getting into the working lives of individuals. Social networks represent both a positive and a negative view in the employers' work sphere (Horváthová,2016; Coker 2013). They see the positive social networks in communications, which can be faster and more efficient in organizations. From a negative perspective, employers are worried about employee productivity losses. We divide social networks by purpose into personal social networks, corporate and group profiles (Bizzi, 2018; Eger, Mičík, Řehoř, 2018). On these networks, users share and store media such as photos, videos. Another major feature of personal social networks is the creation of friendships with other users. We included among them as Facebook, MySpace and so on. Professional social networks are based on professional interests. The organization chooses a suitable potential worker based on his / her work profile. (Lorincová, Ližbetinová, Brodský, 2018; Miller 2013). We can consider Linkedln as a professional social network. Interesting social networks are those that connect users with the same interests. These may be social networks that involve travel, photography, or even where users rate a movie database. 2. Objective and Methods Social networks are increasingly being used to search for a workforce, and the development of this search method is very dynamic. On the other hand, more and more people are also looking for new job opportunities through social networks. The speed of expanding job vacancy information is very fast and very effective, and it attracts a relatively large number of job seekers. The aim of this study was to determine the level of use of social network job search different generations X, Y, Z. We used the analysis of the available literary sources as well as practical knowledge in the elaboration of the presented study. The research sample was selected by available selections using well-known people who were contacted through the Facebook social network. The survey was attended by different age groups, with different education and different attitudes towards using social media to find work and with different work experiences and opinions. We had used the questionnaire method of collecting information, we received the necessary answers through the online method through the social network. We had used descriptive statistical methods to generate and evaluate 18 ISSN 2039-2117 (online) ISSN 2039-9340 (print) Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences Vol 10 No 1 January 2019 questionnaire responses. The questionnaire contains 11 simple-choice questions. We had chosen the closed questions that determine respondents in advance of the answers. In some cases, we had used semi-closed questions that represent a combination of closed and open answers. We had offered a respondent to choose one of the answers we provided, and we had offered the "other" answer in the last option, where respondents answered in their own words. The total attendance of the questionnaire was 240 visits, of which 210 replies were filled in and retrieved. Total return in percentage terms is 87.50%. Our questionnaire was attended by 51 men from a total of 210 respondents (24.30%). Most male respondents were born in 1982 - 1995 (Generation Y), in percentage terms, represent 47.02% male respondents. 41.18% of male gender belong to generation X, so they were born in 1965 - 1981. The smallest group of men in our survey were born from 1996 to 2010 and belong to the Z generation. In percentage terms, they represent 11,80%. 53 women responded from the total number of respondents. Most female responses fall into the Y generation. Of the total number of women, women born between 1982 and 1995 represent 50.94%. Women of the X generation took part in our questionnaire for 30.20% of the total number of women. 18.86% of women participating in the questionnaire survey belong to generation Z because they were born between 1996 and 2010. The highest number of our respondents reached secondary education with a school-leaving examination (45,70%). Higher education level 1 was reached by 16 respondents (22.90%). Respondents with a higher education degree of the 2nd degree represent 14.30% of the respondents. Respondents with secondary school education without maturity accounted for 12.90%. People with primary education, post-secondary education, and university level 3 education represented the same percentage of respondents (1.40%). 3. Findings For us, it was interesting to find out the social status of the respondents who were interviewed to explore the use of social media when looking for a job. Social status can affect the use of social networks when looking for a job. Table 1 gives us an overview of the social status of randomly selected respondents in the labor market. Table 1. The social status of respondents in percentage n 129 3 69 9 210 Employed Unemployed Student Maternity leave Total Number of respondents % 61,40 1, 40 32,90 4,30 100 Source: Own processing based on survey results Employed people formed the largest group, which was more than half. 129 people employed represent 61.40% of our survey participants. Students (69 respondents) represented the second largest group. They represent 32.90% of the total number of respondents in the percentage. Among the respondents there were nine people on maternity leave (4.30%) and three unemployed respondents (1.40%). We have focused on how respondents have found their last job position. The largest group of 102 respondents (48.60%) found their work on the recommendation of a well-known. The second largest group of 48 respondents (22.90%) found their job position through websites / portals. 27 respondents (12.90%) found their work through social networks, 15 respondents (7.10%) used the option "Others", where they subsequently wrote their form of finding the last job. These respondents found their job through their college practice, previous brigade, or direct contact with 19 ISSN 2039-2117 (online) ISSN 2039-9340 (print) Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences Vol 10 No 1 January 2019 the employer. With the same percentage of 2, 90%, 6 respondents reported the form of finding the last job through a job agency, an ad and the Office of Labor of Social Affairs and Family. These results show an increasing trend in job search through both social media and social networks. Figure 1. How respondents found their last job Source: Own processing based on survey results We had investigated whether the respondents would use the same form as their last job or would choose something else. Respondents had 6 choices, the responses were the same as the previous question. Due to the widening of the impact of social media, we have estimated a higher percentage of use of social networks and websites and portals. 81 respondents (38.60%) would choose websites and portals. 75 respondents (35,70%) would search for a new job on the recommendation of the acquaintance, only 24 respondents (11,40%) would search for a new job through social networks, 12 respondents (5,70%) would use the form of an advertisement, 9 respondents (4.30%) would be looking for a job agency, and 3 respondents (1.40%) of the respondents would look for new work through the Office of Social Affairs and Family. Table 2. How respondents found their last job and how they would find future job Last / current job Number of respondents N % 102 48,60 6 2, 90 6 2,90 Form of finding a job On the recommendation of the acquaintance Using an ad Through agency Through the Office of Labor, Social Affairs and Family Through websites / portals Using social networks Other Total Source: Own processing based on survey results 20 Future job Number of respondents n % 75 35,70 12 5,70 9 4,30 6 2,90 3 1,40 48 27 15 210 22,90 12,90 7,10 100 81 24 6 210 38,60 11,40 2,90 100 ISSN 2039-2117 (online) ISSN 2039-9340 (print) Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences Vol 10 No 1 January 2019 Table 2 gives us a summary of how the respondents were looking for the last job. We looked at how the respondents were looking for the last job position and how they would look for new jobs at the present time. Our aim had been to compare the percentage of individual forms of finding the last job position and the future work that respondents would be looking for at the present time. Most respondents searched for their last job on the recommendation of the known, these respondents representing 48.60%. 35.70% of respondents would look for their future work through their acquaintances, this represents a 12.90% smaller number of respondents. 22, 90% of respondents found their current job through web sites or job portals. This was 15, 70% more respondents. Up to 38, 60% of respondents would use the website to find a job. 12.90% of surveyed respondents used social networks to find their last job. 11.40% of surveyed respondents would be looking for future work through social networks, which represents a reduction in interest of 1.40%. Our respondents would make more use of job search through an advertisement and via an agency today. Ad utilization would currently be used by 2.80% more respondents than in the past. Job search assistance in the form of a work agency has increased by 1.40%. Selected respondents found their last job with a work agency (2.90%). Currently, this form of job search is used by 4.30% of respondents. The services of the Office of Labor of Social Affairs and Family in its last work were used by 2, 90% of the respondents. Currently, 1, 40% of interviewed respondents will use the services of the Office. Interest in this form fell by 1, 50%. We also asked our respondents whether they ever found work through social media or social networks. More than half of respondents (58.60%) report that they have not yet found work, through social media or via networks. The remaining 87 respondents (41.40%) report that they have already found work using social media or social networks. We've determined if people prefer more social media or social networks to find a job. When asked, what do you prefer more? Looking for work through social networks or through job portals, up to 59 respondents answered that they prefer job portals, such as Profesia. sk, Job.sk. In percentage terms, this represents 84.30% of the total number of respondents surveyed. The remaining 15.70% (33 respondents) prefer social networks, for example Facebook.com or Pokec.sk. Facebook 84,30% (177) is the most popular social network for finding job, 10% of respondents looking for social networking would prefer the Linkedin social network, 2,90% choose the option "other" where they said they would choose social the Google+ network, 1.40% of respondents would opt for the social network Pokec, and the same percentage would choose the social network Instagram. The majority of respondents agreed that Profesia.sk is the best working portal. In percentage terms these respondents represent up to 71.40% of the respondents. 7.10% of respondents used the option "other" and would choose, for example, the Edujob.sk work page to help find work in school or to use the Istp.sk work portal. The other 4 respondents (5.70%) would choose the Bazos.sk job portal to find a job. The same percentage of respondents (4.30%) selected a job portal as Job.sk, Kariera.sk and Pracovne-ponuky.sk. One responding (1.40%) opted for the Brigada.sk work portal and in the same percentage the respondents also opted for the Praca.sme.sk work portal. 99 respondents answered yes, they consider it useful / beneficial to use social media to find a job. The percentage represents 47,80% of the respondents. 30.40% have chosen the option certainly yes. 15.90% of respondents did not know whether the use of social media was considered beneficial and 5.80% of respondents did not consider social media to be useful in finding a job. 4. Comparison of Generational Difference in Finding Jobs Using Social Media We have dealt with the intergenerational differences in the use of social media in this section. We detect preferences of generation X, Y and generation Z. We suppose that Y-generation (19821995) people prefer more to seek work through social media than their previous generation X (1965-1981). Of the total number of respondents, generation X represents 32.90% (21 men, 48 women), generation Y 50% respondents (24 males, 81 women) and generation Z 17.10% of respondents (24 males, 81 women). 21 ISSN 2039-2117 (online) ISSN 2039-9340 (print) Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences Vol 10 No 1 January 2019 Table 3. Social status of individual generations 63 3 0 Percentage of the total number of generation X 91,30 4, 35 0 3 69 Gener. X Employed Unemployed Student Maternity leave Total 57 0 42 Percentage of the total number of generation Y 54, 30 0 40 4,35 6 100 105 Gener. Y 9 0 27 Percentage of the total number of generation Z 25 0 75 5,70 0 0 100 36 100 Gener. Z Source: Own processing based on survey results We can state that the largest representations of the Y generation are employed people expressing 91.30% of the respondents born to the Y generation. We can see the same percentage of 4.35% of the X generation respondents in the number of unemployed and mothers on maternity leave. As expected in Generation X, no respondent was found to be a student, therefore the percent expression of the students of the X generation is 0%. Y-generation respondents represent 54.30% of employees and women on maternity leave represent 5.70% of the total number of respondents. Generations Y represent most students from all generations of randomly selected respondents. Up to 40% of Y generation respondents were students, this represents an increase of 40% over generations X. The smallest representation of respondents is represented by the generation Z, in which up to 75% of the respondents are students. 25% of working respondents were from generations Z on the basis of statistical evaluation. We found that the largest number of employed (63) people was in the X generation (30%), comparing the number of employed people from other generations. We surveyed in Y generation less than 57 employed respondents (27.14%). This represents a reduction of less than 3% and only nine employed respondents (4.30%) were born in generations Z. We have also seen a reduction in the number of students in each generation. From the questionnaire survey, we found that 42 respondents from the Y generation are students, representing 20% of the total number of respondents. Questionnaire was attended by 27 students from Generation Z, they represent a total of 12, 85%. We found a decrease of 7.15% between the number of students from Generation Y and Z. Figure 2. Method of job search by Generation X Source: Own processing based on survey results 22 ISSN 2039-2117 (online) ISSN 2039-9340 (print) Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences Vol 10 No 1 January 2019 Figure 2 shows the forms used by X generation respondents to find their last job position, as well as the forms they would choose to find a new job at the present time. The aim was to find out the preferences of different generations in search of employment. How we can see Generation X prefers to find work through their acquaintances. 61% of respondents (42) from generation X have found their last job with their acquaintances, but in the search for a new job, this form would only use 39.10% (27). 13% of X generation respondents used the web site to search for their latest work, and 30.50% of surveyed X generation respondents would use the new job using web sites or job portals. 13% of respondents used social networks for the last job, and the same number of respondents would also looking for new work through social networks. People born between 1956 and 1981 are not social media friends to the extent of the Y generation, so we assumed that the forms they used to find their last job will be through acquaintance or advertised forms. We confirmed, through the answers of 69 respondents, that Generation X people prefer to find work with their acquaintances.. Figure 3. Method of job search by Generation Y Source: Own processing based on survey results In Graph 3, we see preferences for job-seeking forms of Generation Y. People born between 1982 and 1995 prefer a form of job search through websites or job portals, which also confirmed the outcome of our questionnaire. 34,30% of Generation Y respondents found their last job through websites and 45,70% of Y generation respondents, looking again for new jobs on websites and job portals. We noticed an increase in interest in the form of job search through web sites in generations Y by 11, 40%. 40% of respondents from the Y generation responded to their acquaintances when searching 23 ISSN 2039-2117 (online) ISSN 2039-9340 (print) Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences Vol 10 No 1 January 2019 for their last job. Almost equal percentage of respondents would use this option to find a future job (37, 10%) again. 11.40% of Y generation respondents found their work using social networks, but only 8, 60% of respondents would now use this form to find a new job offer. This form of job search occurred in generations Y drop by 2, 80%. Graph 4 The process of finding the last working position - generations X and Y Source: Own processing based on survey results Chart 4 describes the comparison of the forms in the search for the last job position for our respondents from generation X and generation Y. In this observation, we skipped the last generation of Z, in which only 4.28% of the total surveyed respondents are employed. Due to the fact that the generation Z is still preparing for the labor market, we had notl not paid attention to it in the following comparison and examination. We noticed that the same number of X and Y generation respondents found their last job through their acquaintances. We consider this form effective because they can help us often when we are looking for a new job. This form is used in the vacant position in the company, the acquaintance can talk and give the recommendation to his boss often. We have found the biggest difference between generation X and Y in the form of looking for a job using a website. While respondents in generation X searched for their latest job positions, they used the site in a percentage of 8.04%, generation Y respondents used web pages to search for the latest work in percentage terms of 34.30%. 24 ISSN 2039-2117 (online) ISSN 2039-9340 (print) Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences Vol 10 No 1 January 2019 Figure 5. The process of finding the new working position now - generations X and Y Source: Own processing based on survey results In Graph 5, we depict forms of job search that would be chosen by different generations if they had to look for a new job in the near future. The greatest difference between generations was observed in the form of job search through websites. Respondents in Generation X have selected 10% of all respondents in the site and respondents of generation Y have selected this form in a percentage of 22.86%. The same percentage of respondents in generation X and generation Y chosen to find new work using social networks, with a percentage of 4.30% of all respondents. We see a different view in the form of looking for work through acquaintance. 12.85% of generation X respondents would use the help of their acquaintances in finding a new job. Respondents generations Y are more interested in finding a new job than generation X in this form. 18.57% of generation Y respondents prefer to find work by acquaintance. This represents the difference between generation X and generation Y by 5.72%. 5. Conclusion We surveyed the views and attitudes of respondents on the impact of social media on job search through a questionnaire survey. By evaluating the questionnaire, we found that only 41.40% of respondents found work through social media or social networks. Social media and social networks are widespread, and they are part of our everyday life, we supposed that most of our respondents have at least once in their life found work through social media or social networks. Our estimate was not confirmed, as even half of the randomly selected respondents did not find work through social media. 25 ISSN 2039-2117 (online) ISSN 2039-9340 (print) Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences Vol 10 No 1 January 2019 It is interesting that a very low percentage of all respondents use job search Office of Labor, Social Affairs and Family. Maybe it was just there the possibility to introduce a mobile application. Finding work for unemployed people will be simplified, while improving contact between authorities and job seekers by linking the institution to the mobile application. Recommendation of knowledge, references and experience will probably be among the priorities in finding a job always. At the same time, the importance of websites is growing. Nowadays, when companies lack workforce, it is also necessary to use new communication technologies to search for the workforce, for example through different social networks and applications. We consider the important use of social media to find a job in today's modern and informative time. Therefore, it is necessary to continuously improve the social media and social networks. 6. Acknowledgement This study was created in the frame of the project VEGA No. 1/0430/18 “The impact of Industry 4.0 on changes in job structure” References Alch, Ml. (2000). Get ready for the Net generation. In: TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT. Vol. 54 Issue: 2 Pages: 32. Accession Number: WOS:000085267400011, ISSN: 1055-9760 Bartakova, G.P., Brtkova, J., Gubiniova, K., Hitka, M. (2017). 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