Our whole lives are online, everything we do from dating to shopping, to working is done online. So it is no surprise that in the past year the number of recruiters who said they used an online platform to find candidates has risen to over 95%.

According to globalwebindex.com people spend an average of six hours online each day with 28% of that time being spent on social media websites. Between posting pictures about their animals, to what they ate for lunch, everything we need to and want to know about one another can be found online.

Recruiters are constantly using LinkedIn to connect with potential candidates. LinkedIn has given them the ability to view potential candidates work history, education, and interests all before even connecting with them. Ultimately recruiters are evaluating these candidates to see if they would be a good fit for the companies they represent before even reaching out to them. This has allowed recruiters to eliminate potential candidates before the application process has even begun.

LinkedIn also acts as a virtual resume; candidates are able to post as much or as a little detail as they want. As a recruiter the more detail that someone has on their LinkedIn the more likely they are to be looking around for a new position. In addition, having any type of contact information, especially a phone number makes a recruiter think a candidate is interested in looking for a new position. LinkedIn makes the process for candidates even easier, they are able to post their qualifications and get interest from companies without ever sending out a resume.

Twitter and Facebook have also played a role in recruiting but in a more informal way. Twitter and Facebook are used for individuals more personal use; users are able to create a more intimate relationship with their “followers and friends” than they would with say their connections on LinkedIn. Which is why many companies have started posting more jobs on Twitter and Facebook, but instead of formal job postings, they have tailored them more to individuals interests. In the past five years, the number of recruiters who were posting jobs on Twitter rose from 14% to over 95%. If companies and recruiters are able to interact with candidates on a more personal level they are more likely to draw their attention.

Social media has also become an aide in pre-screening the candidates before even conducting interviews. According to adweek.com, 65% of employers look at candidates social media to gauge their level of professionalism and 51% use it to see if they would be a good cultural fit. In addition, over 40% of employers reported that they saw something on a candidate’s social media account that contributed to their decision not to hire. Employees are ultimately an extension of their companies’ brand, by pre-screening candidates personal accounts employers are avoiding having poor representations of their brands online.

The time of paper resumes is quickly coming to an end and soon everything related to the hiring process will take place online. Between evaluating candidates’ qualifications and pre-screening their personal lives, social media is changing the way companies are hiring their future employees.