On September 26th 2006, facebook.com opened its pages to anyone over the age of 13 with a valid email address. Three years later, almost everyone you know has an account and employers of all sizes are wondering if they are missing a trick.

The social network has continued to evolve offering employer branding opportunities and is a talking point for employers due to the sheer number of students they could connect with. According to the Universum Student Survey, 94 per cent of UK and Norwegian students use it, in Switzerland 84 per cent.
It is a global communication platform; employers have never before been faced with such potential for employer branding success – or disaster, all depending on which side of the fence you sit on.

Social (media) etiquette: some tips
- Never communicate via a corporate account
- Communication should be done by real people at the employer
- Do not recreate the corporate Web site on Facebook or similar sites
- Use relevant photos and other applications to share information
- Conversations should be low key – do not just push business information

To be or not to be?
Facebook may not be for every employer and before creating a presence on Facebook, or one of the national equivalents, employers must evaluate whether it truly fits with their employer branding and communication strategy.
However, Facebook does have reach and students using it are positive about employers presenting themselves in social arenas. Interacting with your target groups will continue to evolve and social media is simply another opportunity to strengthen the employer brand.

By Michelle Boyde, extract of “To be or not to be… on Facebook that is” Universum Quarterly #3 2009