Social media such as Twitter will become increasingly important for recruitment agencies wanting to contact interim managers and other candidates.
At its Executive Search and Selection Autumn Congress, members of the Association of Executive Recruiters (AER) heard that more than seven million people in the UK now use Twitter, most of them in the 18-34 age group.
Meanwhile another 2.6 million were on LinkedIn, out of a global community of more than 50 million.
Andy Headworth, Managing Director of Sirona Consulting told the Congress that though social media will never completely change the way recruiters work - especially those at the high end of the market - it provides a vital business channel and brand building opportunity.
He went on to explain that most users of networks such as Twitter are educated to college level or above, which made them ideal potential candidates for high-end recruiters.
The whole purpose of business social networking is to engage and recruiters who are not using it will never know who is out there, he added.
Other speakers at the Congress included Paula Lovitt, Head of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills' Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate, and David Winterburn, Chair of the European Confederation of Search and Selection Associations (ECSSA).