LinkedIn has been used by nearly two-thirds of jobseekers, while only 24% of candidates go to a local recruitment agency as a first port of call, according to a report from online recruiter webrecruit.

However, multi-sector job boards remain a strong favourite, with 97% of respondents having used them, while newspapers and trade press are used by 19%.

Phil Roebuck, chief executive of webrecruit, says: “We’ve already seen how social media has brought about further change in recruitment. Its effect, however, isn’t new or radical but it has brought hiring back to basics, it’s highlighted what recruitment should be about: people.

“Equally, the job of the recruiter hasn’t changed, rather the tools available to them have.”