More than two thirds of employees working in a company with a social media presence want to see it used more actively.

More than two thirds of employees working in a company with a social media presence want to see it used more actively.

Office workers in the UK are twice as likely to utilise social networks to find a new job as they are to use it to collaborate with their current colleagues, according to research of 1,000 respondents undertaken by Taleo Corporation.

Just 10 per cent of office workers in the UK use social networks to discuss work internally with colleagues, despite 72 per cent using social media at least once a month.

Meanwhile, twice as many (20 per cent) are planning to use the technology to help find a new job this year.

Dave Wilkins, vice president of Taleo Research, says, ‘Businesses are much more externally-focused when it comes to social technologies. Whilst this is undoubtedly helpful from a hiring perspective, many are missing a golden opportunity to engage with their staff through a medium that they are already using regularly.

‘This lack of internal investment in social talent management and overall lack of talent intelligence can cause unnecessary turnover and lead to additional spending and investment in recruitment.

'In other words, if companies adjusted their social and talent awareness efforts to be more internally-focused, they may find that they could reduce their hiring requirements by better connecting with their internal talent.’

See also: How to make social media work