Key Findings at a Glance
- 23.1% of Gen Z and 19.9% of Millennials use social media to learn about careers, jobs or professional development, compared with 10.1% of Gen X
- 19.2% of Millennials use social media to network professionally, compared with 14.5% of Gen Z and 12% of Gen X
- 13.7% of Millennials and 13% of Gen Z use social media to research a potential employer, compared with 7.5% of Gen X
- Across all three career-related uses tracked, Gen Z and Millennials are more than twice as likely as Gen X to turn to social media
14 May, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Your feed is your new CV. How social media is reshaping Australian careers
-Gen Z and Millennials are more than twice as likely as Gen X to use social platforms to find jobs, build networks and research employers, with major implications for talent acquisition and employer brands -
Young Australians (digital natives), already used to relying on social media for purchasing decisions are increasingly turning to social media to find their next job, according to new research from Oysterly Media.
The report, “The Changing Landscape of Discovery and Trust”, released in May by Oysterly Media and undertaken by Oaktree Insights and Consulting, surveyed 1,200 Australians and found a generational divide in how Australians use social platforms for career development.
For employers, the implications are clear. If social media search isn’t part of their recruitment strategy they risk missing out on younger candidates.
Across all the career-related uses tracked in the research, Gen Z and Millennials are twice as likely as Gen X to turn to social media. Almost a quarter of Gen Z (23.1%) and a fifth of Millennials (19.9%) use social media to learn about careers, jobs or professional development, compared with just 10.1% of Gen X.
Melissa Laurie, CEO of Oysterly Media, says the data signals a fundamental shift in how younger Australians evaluate prospective employers: “For Gen Z and Millennials, social media now shapes careers as well as consumer decisions,” says Melissa.
“Employers who aren’t visible risk missing out on attracting both talent and customers. The same channels younger Australians use to research products are also the channels they’re using to vet potential employers, and most companies haven’t caught up to that yet.”
Millennials lead on professional networking
Professional networking has also moved onto social platforms, with Millennials leading the trend. Almost one in five Millennials (19.2%) use social media to network professionally, compared with 14.5% of Gen Z and 12% of Gen X.
“Millennials are at the career-building stage where networks really matter, and they’ve grown up with LinkedIn and the rise of professional content on Instagram and TikTok,” says Melissa. “They’re comfortable mixing the personal and professional online in a way older generations aren’t. For brands wanting to reach senior decision-makers and emerging leaders, that has real implications for where and how you tell your story on social media.”
New employer research is happening in the feed
When it comes to researching potential employers, social media is growing as a tool for younger Australians. 13.7% of Millennials and 13% of Gen Z turn to social media to research a company before applying or accepting a role, compared with 7.5% of Gen X.
The implication is that employer brand and consumer brand are increasingly indistinguishable in the eyes of younger Australians, explains Melissa: “Younger candidates are using their social media the way previous generations used company websites and Glassdoor,” says Melissa. “They want to see the people, the culture and the work in motion. If your company has no story, no people and no point of view in those spaces, you’re effectively absent from the recruitment shortlist before the interview process even begins.”
What this means for employers and HR leaders
The findings come as Australian employers continue to compete for skilled talent in critical areas. The Jobs and Skills Australia 2025 Occupation Shortage List shows 29% of occupations remain in shortage, with nearly half of trade roles and two in five professional occupations still hard to fill, particularly in health, education and construction. Meanwhile the 2025 LinkedIn Workforce Confidence Index released in January found that more than half of Australian professionals are open to changing jobs in the next 12 months.
The Oysterly research suggests that organisations relying primarily on traditional job boards, recruitment agencies and traditional careers pages may be reaching only a fraction of the active candidate market among Gen Z and Millennials.
“The marketing team and the talent team need to be working from the same playbook,” says Melissa. “Younger Australians aren’t separating consumer brand from employer brand, so neither should the businesses trying to reach them.
The companies that get this right are the ones treating their feed as part of their hiring strategy, as well as their marketing strategy.”
Key Findings at a Glance
- 23.1% of Gen Z and 19.9% of Millennials use social media to learn about careers, jobs or professional development, compared with 10.1% of Gen X
- 19.2% of Millennials use social media to network professionally, compared with 14.5% of Gen Z and 12% of Gen X
- 13.7% of Millennials and 13% of Gen Z use social media to research a potential employer, compared with 7.5% of Gen X
- Across all three career-related uses tracked, Gen Z and Millennials are more than twice as likely as Gen X to turn to social media
Methodology
“The Changing Landscape of Discovery and Trust” was conducted by Oysterly Media and Oaktree Insights and Consulting in Q1 2026, surveying 1,200 Australians drawn from all states and territories. The sample was weighted to reflect the Australian population by age, gender and location.
-ends-
Media enquiries and Interview requests for Melissa Laurie.
Fiona Hamann
Hamann Communication
0415 191 659
About us:
About Oysterly Media
Oysterly Media is an Australian-founded social video agency helping brands grow through standout short-form content, sharp strategy and trend-driven storytelling. Founded by Melissa Laurie in 2022, the company specialises in user-generated and employee-generated content, using proprietary social search tools to make brand videos searchable, scroll-stopping and built to perform. Oysterly Media works with brands globally and is headquartered in Singapore. For more information visit oysterlymedia.com.
more information visit oysterlymedia.com.
Contact details:
Media enquiries and Interview requests for Melissa Laurie.
Fiona Hamann
Hamann Communication
0415 191 659
