Jobseekers are spending more time connecting with future employers online, according to new research.

A recent Potentialpark survey of 2,321 students and graduates in the UK suggests that 96% of students use the internet to look for employers and careers, and 75% visit the companies’ own career website.

64% of UK students surveyed expect employers to be present on Facebook, with 44% believing that companies should have a Twitter page. Applying for jobs online instead of in person was a favoured response, with 76% citing this as their preferred method.

Finding interesting jobs is the top reason for students in the UK to interact with employers online (65%) but over half of respondents gave other reasons: finding attractive companies that they would not think of otherwise (55%), getting in touch with recruiters (52%) and building their professional network (52%).

Julian Ziesing, Research Spokesperson at Potentialpark, says: “Jobseekers in the UK have gone multi-channel. The question is: can employers keep up?”