The impact of social media on job search in Costa Rica: an analysis from digital communication

Digital transformation has reshaped recruitment and job-search processes, positioning social media as communication environments through which employment opportunities are disseminated, interpreted, and acted upon. This study analyzes the use and perceived effectiveness of Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn in job-search practices among digitally active adults aged 20 to 49 in Costa Rica during 2024. A quantitative, descriptive, non-experimental, and cross-sectional design was employed. Data were collected through an online self-administered survey of 220 participants selected through non-probability convenience sampling. The questionnaire examined social media use for job search, perceived effectiveness compared with traditional methods, platform use, demographic and professional factors, and employment-related content preferences. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequencies and percentages. Social media was widely used for job search, with 77.7% of participants reporting having used a social platform for this purpose. Half of the sample perceived social media as effective or very effective compared with traditional job-search methods. Platform use showed differentiated patterns, with Facebook associated with broad access and employment-related groups, Instagram with visual and dynamic content, and LinkedIn with specialized professional searches and networking. Access to updated information emerged as the most frequently identified benefit (51.36%), while message clarity was the main factor motivating interaction with employment-related content (72.27%). The findings indicate that social media functions as an important communication environment for job search among digitally active users in Costa Rica, but its perceived effectiveness varies according to platform characteristics, content, and users' digital competencies. The results support differentiated recruitment-marketing and employer-branding strategies rather than uniform cross-platform communication. Given the non-probability sample and descriptive design, the findings should be interpreted as patterns within the analyzed sample rather than generalized to the Costa Rican population.

Digitalization has profoundly transformed the way people search for and access job opportunities. In recent decades, traditional methods, such as physically submitting resumes or consulting advertisements in print media, have been progressively replaced by digital platforms and social media, which enable more immediate interaction between candidates and employers (Gortázar, 2018). This phenomenon is part of the changes associated with the Fourth Industrial Revolution, in which technology redefines labor and communication processes.

In Costa Rica, the use of social media has become consolidated as an everyday practice across multiple areas, including employment. According to national data, approximately 90% of the Costa Rican population uses social media frequently, not only for recreational purposes but also for informational and professional purposes, including job search (Brenes Peralta et al., 2025). This high level of digital penetration has generated new dynamics in the labor market, both for people seeking work and for organizations that need to attract talent.

Various studies have shown that the use of social media for job search varies according to generational and educational factors. In the case of Costa Rica, another study indicates that young people and university students mainly use platforms such as Facebook and LinkedIn to learn about vacancies, research companies, and evaluate their reputation as employers. By contrast, older generations tend to maintain a preference for traditional methods, which demonstrates a gradual transition toward digital employability models (Universum, 2016).

An active and coherent corporate presence on social media has become a key element within talent-attraction strategies, allowing organizations to project values, organizational culture, and an employee value proposition (Backhaus and Tikoo, 2004).

Other studies warn that the lack of digital skills or the inadequate use of employment platforms may become a barrier to labor-market access, and even a factor of exclusion in increasingly digitalized contexts (Martínez-Nicolás et al., 2025). This situation is especially relevant in countries with high social media penetration, such as Costa Rica, where these platforms fulfill not only social functions but also informational and professional ones, making it necessary to analyze their impact on job-search processes.

State of the art: social media and job search

The literature on social media and job search can be organized around three complementary thematic pillars: the digital transformation of recruitment, the platform-specific functionalities of social media in job-search processes, and the psychosocial and demographic factors that influence the use of digital environments for employment. This organization allows the study to connect empirical findings with broader theoretical perspectives, particularly Bourdieu's notion of social capital, Castells' network society, and Bandura's (1997) concept of self-efficacy.

Digital transformation of recruitment and job search

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the literature addressed the role of traditional and digital channels in job search, showing a progressive transition toward the use of the internet and social media as mechanisms of labor intermediation. In Latin America, Páez Cortés (2009) analyzed the effectiveness and efficiency of different search channels in Colombia, finding that informal mechanisms—family members and acquaintances—were more effective and efficient in reducing unemployment duration and increasing the probability of job placement. Nevertheless, the use of formal channels tended to be concentrated among people with higher educational levels and higher socioeconomic strata, which reinforces the centrality of social capital and the persistence of structural dynamics in access to employment.

From the perspective of Bourdieu's theory of social capital, job search is not limited to individual action, but is also shaped by the networks, resources, and relationships that people can activate to access employment opportunities. In this sense, digital platforms do not replace social capital; rather, they reconfigure how social capital is produced, circulated, and mobilized in contemporary labor markets. Social media may expand access to information and contacts, but its benefits are unequally distributed depending on users' educational level, digital skills, and professional trajectories.

Along the same timeline, the effectiveness of social networking sites as sources of attraction in recruitment was studied, highlighting that platforms such as LinkedIn were already perceived as valid tools by both companies and candidates (Nikolaou, 2014). However, these studies emphasized that social media should be integrated into multichannel strategies and should not operate as the sole recruitment medium. In this regard, they stressed the relevance of employer branding and organizational reputation as variables that influence talent attraction.

From a perspective more focused on technological intermediation, the internet was consolidating as an indispensable medium for accessing job offers, including employment portals, job boards, and professional social networks (Cober et al., 2004). Although the percentage of jobs obtained through the internet may have seemed limited at that time, its structural importance in a transforming labor market was already evident. Similarly, studies conducted in Mexico showed that personal contacts continued to be one of the predominant mechanisms for accessing employment; however, the use of the internet and digital job-search platforms showed sustained growth and began to be associated with higher-quality and more specialized employment opportunities (Charles-Leija et al., 2021).

Beginning in 2020, the acceleration of labor digitalization substantially modified recruitment, selection, and job-search processes. In the organizational sphere, research highlights that recruitment through social media reduces time and costs, expands vacancy visibility, and facilitates more direct interactions with candidates, although challenges persist regarding the veracity of information and the need for technological filters (García Castro et al., 2016; Hanze Andrade, 2020).

In the Costa Rican context after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant transformation was observed in job-search dynamics and in the use of digital environments linked to the labor market. Sanitary restrictions and the economic slowdown affected both the publication of vacancies and workers' job-search behavior, with an increase in the number of job seekers on digital employment platforms, although with variations in search intensity (Sánchez Gómez, 2021).

Similarly, the strengthening of digital environments favored the expansion of telework and the use of digital platforms as mechanisms for labor continuity, service management, and connection with clients. Digitalization transformed various dynamics of the Costa Rican labor market, promoting new work modalities mediated by technological tools, digital applications, and virtual communication systems. Likewise, the increase in telework consolidated new forms of work organization, institutional interaction, and service provision in virtualized environments (Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos [INEC], 2022).

At the international level, a systematic review concludes that social media not only optimizes recruitment processes but also transforms the logic of labor intermediation toward algorithmic models based on data, segmentation, and predictive analysis. This implies a shift from the simple publication of vacancies toward integrated systems for analyzing digital profiles, engagement, and online reputation (Siddik et al., 2024). This transformation is consistent with Castells' concept of the network society, in which social and labor relations are increasingly organized through digital networks that mediate access to information, visibility, and opportunity.

Platform-specific functionalities in job search

A second line of research focuses on the differentiated functions of social media platforms in recruitment and job-search processes. Melanthiou et al. (2015) describe differentiated recruitment practices through Facebook and LinkedIn, indicating a functional segmentation: LinkedIn for executive and specialized positions, and Facebook for administrative profiles and more general middle-management positions. Among the benefits identified are cost reduction, broader geographical reach, and access to passive candidates. However, ethical challenges are also noted, linked to the exposure of personal information that may potentially influence hiring decisions in discriminatory ways.

This platform-specific differentiation is relevant for understanding job search from a digital communication perspective. Social media does not operate as a homogeneous environment; each platform has its own communicative logic, audience expectations, visibility mechanisms, and interaction formats. LinkedIn is generally associated with professional identity, networking, and specialized vacancies, while Facebook provides access to broader communities and job-related groups. Instagram, because of its visual and narrative affordances, has become relevant for employer branding, organizational culture communication, and the presentation of employment opportunities through more dynamic formats.

From the perspective of recruitment marketing, these differences suggest that platform effectiveness depends not only on technological access, but also on the type of content, tone, format, and interaction strategy used by organizations. Employer branding becomes central in this context because job seekers do not only evaluate the vacancy itself, but also the credibility, reputation, values, and communicative coherence of the organization. Therefore, social media platforms function as spaces where companies communicate their employee value proposition and where potential candidates interpret organizational identity.

Additionally, a widespread perception has been observed regarding the positive impact of using digital technologies. In this sense, “the majority of the online population considers that the use of new technologies will bring a series of benefits among the population” (Observatorio Nacional de Tecnología y Sociedad, 2022, p. 23). However, these perceived benefits must be interpreted in relation to users' access to digital environments, their capacity to evaluate information, and their ability to interact strategically with employment-related content.

From the field of human-computer interaction, social media operates as “lenses” through which career narratives are configured in a changing world of work, where digital visibility, professional performativity, and identity management acquire a central role (Corvite and Hui, 2024). This approach connects with the communication perspective by understanding job search as a process of producing, circulating, and receiving strategic content in digital environments.

Psychosocial and demographic factors influencing social media use for employment

A third body of literature examines the demographic and psychosocial factors that influence the use of social media in employment contexts. Evidence shows that digital portals have consolidated as a preferred resource for the active population, without significant differences by gender or generation, although an educational gap associated with digital literacy persists (Martínez-Nicolás et al., 2025). This dimension introduces a relevant structural component: inequality in digital skills can amplify vulnerabilities in digitalized labor markets.

Recent research has also examined social media as a job-market information-seeking tool among specific and potentially vulnerable populations. Monteiro (2025), for example, analyzes how immigrants search for job-market information on social media before arriving in Canada and finds that this practice is positively related to labor-force participation and earnings, even after controlling for post-arrival search behavior and the actual use of the information obtained. This contribution is relevant because it shows that social media may operate not only as a recruitment channel, but also as an informational infrastructure that helps users reduce uncertainty, interpret labor-market conditions, and identify employment opportunities. However, the effects are heterogeneous depending on the type of information searched and the method used, which reinforces the need to analyze platform effectiveness in relation to users' social position, informational needs, and digital skills.

These psychosocial variables are not directly measured in the present study; however, they provide a relevant theoretical background for understanding why perceptions of social media effectiveness may vary among users and why future research should examine digital employability beyond platform use alone.

Overall, the literature shows that social media has become part of a broader digital ecosystem of job search and recruitment. Nevertheless, its effects cannot be understood as purely technological. They are mediated by social capital, digital skills, platform-specific communication practices, organizational reputation, and users' perceived capacity to act effectively in digital labor markets.

Knowledge gap and contribution of the study

Based on these three thematic pillars, relevant gaps persist in the Costa Rican context. Although sectoral and descriptive studies exist on platform use, there is a lack of comprehensive research that, from the perspective of digital communication, articulates the perceived effectiveness of social media compared with traditional methods; demographic and professional differences in usage patterns; the type of content (format, tone, narrative, interaction) that generates greater attraction and engagement in employability processes; and the relationship among digital identity construction, online social capital, and employment outcomes.

Furthermore, local literature has not sufficiently examined how psychosocial dimensions such as self-efficacy, employment anxiety, or social comparison may be linked to the consumption of professional content on social media (Bandura, 1997; Festinger, 1954; Jin et al., 2024; Li et al., 2025). Although these variables are not directly measured in the present study, they are relevant for interpreting digital employability as a broader communication and social process and should be incorporated into future research.

In this sense, the present study provides a situated approach in Costa Rica that combines a communication perspective with the analysis of digital platforms, contributing to an understanding not only of which networks are used, but also of how job opportunities are communicated and how these practices influence the experience and perception of employability in a consolidated digital environment.

This section describes the approach, design, population, sample, instrument, and methodological procedures used to conduct the research, as well as the techniques used for data collection and analysis.

Methodological approach and design

The research was developed under a quantitative approach, aimed at analyzing people's perceptions and behaviors regarding the use of social media for job search. This type of approach makes it possible to obtain measurable and comparable data that reflect trends, habits, and perceived effectiveness levels in the Costa Rican context.

The scope of the study was descriptive, since its purpose was to detail users' characteristics and opinions without establishing causal relationships among the variables. The design was non-experimental and cross-sectional, given that data collection was carried out at a single measurement point within the study period corresponding to 2024. Participation in the research was completely voluntary and anonymous, guaranteeing the confidentiality of the information provided by the participants. Before accessing the questionnaire, participants were presented with an informed consent form explaining the academic purpose of the research, the confidential treatment of the data, and the freedom to leave the survey at any time without consequences.

Population, sample, and unit of analysis

The study population consisted of people residing in Costa Rica, aged 20 to 49, who are habitual users of social media and are interested in job-search processes. The selection of this population responds to the fact that this segment represents a significant portion of the economically active population and shows high levels of access to and participation in digital environments. The unit of analysis corresponded to individuals who use digital platforms and social media as a means of exploring job opportunities, interacting with job offers, or strengthening their professional profile.

The sample consisted of 220 participants, selected through non-probabilistic convenience sampling. This type of sampling was considered appropriate due to the accessibility of participants in digital environments and the descriptive nature of the study, aimed at identifying trends and perceptions regarding the use of social media in employability processes.

Instrument

The instrument used was developed by the authors and designed specifically for this research. Its construction was based on the variables derived from the specific research objectives, which made it possible to define the dimensions and items included in the survey. Additionally, a bibliographic review of studies related to digital employability, social media use, and online recruitment processes was considered in order to ensure the theoretical and methodological coherence of the instrument.

The questionnaire included 27 items. The first five collected sociodemographic information. The remaining 22 items were organized into four dimensions: perceived effectiveness of social media compared with traditional job-search methods; perceived usefulness and ease of use of Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn; sociodemographic and professional factors related to social media use for job search; and types of content that generate greater interest among users. The questionnaire included single-choice, multiple-response, and frequency-based items. Since the instrument was designed as a descriptive survey rather than as a psychometric scale measuring latent constructs, internal consistency coefficients such as Cronbach's alpha were not applicable to most items.

Validation

The questionnaire underwent a content validation process through expert judgment, with the participation of two experts in the areas of digital communication and research, who evaluated the clarity, relevance, and coherence of the questions in relation to the objectives and dimensions of the study. Subsequently, a pilot test was conducted with a small group of participants in order to identify possible ambiguities, comprehension difficulties, and technical aspects related to the application of the instrument.

Reliability

To strengthen the reliability of the information collected, uniformity was maintained in the wording, structure, and sequence of the questions, in order to favor consistency in the responses obtained and minimize possible interpretation biases. Likewise, the anonymous and voluntary administration of the questionnaire helped reduce social-desirability bias and encouraged more spontaneous and honest responses from participants.

Data collection

An online self-administered survey was used as the data-collection technique, developed through the Microsoft Forms platform and linked to an institutional university account. The use of this platform facilitated agile access to active digital users and enabled the efficient collection and systematization of the information obtained.

The survey was distributed through LinkedIn, WhatsApp groups, and Facebook communities related to job search and employability. This dissemination strategy was consistent with the purpose of the study, which focused on social media use among digitally active job seekers. However, it also implies a potential self-selection bias, since participants with greater familiarity with digital environments may have been more likely to access and complete the questionnaire. For this reason, the findings are interpreted as descriptive patterns within a non-probabilistic sample and are not intended to be statistically representative of the Costa Rican population.

The questionnaire was structured according to the dimensions described in Section 3.3 and included closed-ended questions with single-choice, multiple-response, and frequency-based response formats.

Data processing and analysis

The data collected were processed using Microsoft Excel and analyzed through descriptive statistics, using frequencies, percentages, and graphical representations. These tools made it possible to organize, synthesize, and interpret the trends present in the responses obtained, in accordance with the descriptive scope of the study. Additionally, a review and cleaning process was carried out on the database obtained, excluding incomplete or duplicate responses that could affect the consistency and quality of the information collected. This procedure strengthened the reliability of the results obtained.

The results derived from the analysis of the data collected are presented below, organized according to the variables and dimensions defined in the study. The presentation is structured around the use of social media as a job-search tool, the predominant platforms, associated demographic characteristics, and perceptions of effectiveness and content. The descriptive analysis makes it possible to identify significant trends in participants' digital behavior, providing empirical evidence on the role of social media in employability processes in Costa Rica.

Use of social media in job search

The results show the decisive role played by social media in job-search processes within the Costa Rican context. A total of 77.7% of respondents indicated that they had used some social platform to search for work, while 22.3% reported that they had not done so (see Figure 1). This finding confirms the growing adoption of digital environments as a primary channel for accessing job opportunities, in line with studies indicating that social media increases candidates' visibility and facilitates direct interaction between applicants and employers (Kaplan and Haenlein, 2010; LinkedIn, 2021; The Adecco Group, 2025).

Furthermore, 78% of participants stated that they know someone who has obtained employment through social media, which reinforces the perception of these platforms as effective mechanisms of labor intermediation (see Figure 1). This result is consistent with research highlighting the capacity of digital environments to expand social capital and generate new professional opportunities through expanded contact networks (Fuchs, 2020).

The findings presented in Figure 1 are articulated with those reported in Table 1, showing a correspondence between indirect experience of success in the use of social media and the assessment of its effectiveness in job search. In this line, knowledge of nearby cases of labor insertion through these platforms aligns with a favorable perception of their usefulness compared with traditional methods. This convergence suggests that exposure to positive outcomes in participants' social environments is associated with a more positive assessment of social media as an employability tool (Li et al., 2025).

Regarding the evaluation of the effectiveness of social media compared with traditional job-search methods (Table 1), the results show a moderately favorable but not unanimous assessment. Half of the participants rated social media as either effective or very effective, while a substantial proportion reported neutral or negative evaluations.

Specifically, 37.27% considered social media effective and 12.72% very effective, whereas 28.63% selected a neutral position and 21.35% rated it as somewhat ineffective or not effective at all.

These findings suggest that social media is perceived as useful by an important segment of the sample, but they also reveal relevant reservations among participants. Therefore, perceived effectiveness should be interpreted as differentiated rather than uniformly positive.

Platforms most used to search for employment

Regarding the platforms used, Facebook is positioned as the social network most frequently used for job search, followed by Instagram and LinkedIn (see Figure 2). Facebook was valued mainly for the existence of employment groups and its ease of interaction, whereas LinkedIn was associated with professional opportunities and specialized vacancies. These results are consistent with the literature indicating that the effectiveness of each social network depends on the occupational profile and type of position, with LinkedIn being more effective for professional positions and Facebook for mass recruitment processes (CareerBuilder, 2026; Domm Recursos Humanos, 2024).

Instagram, for its part, was perceived as an emerging platform in the labor sphere because of its visual dynamism and closeness to brands, which coincides with studies that highlight the role of visual content in the construction of professional identity and personal-brand positioning (Burgess and Green, 2020).

Demographic factors and social media use

The data show that the age group between 25 and 34 years represents the most active segment in the use of social media for employment purposes (see Figure 3). This behavior responds to documented demographic trends indicating that younger users show greater familiarity with digital environments and a greater predisposition to integrate technologies into their employability processes (Kirschner and De Bruyckere, 2017).

Complementarily, it is identified that people with university education tend to use professional platforms such as LinkedIn more frequently, while those with secondary or technical education mainly resort to mass-reach networks such as Facebook. This pattern coincides with studies that link educational level to the type of digital tools used for job search (Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía [INEGI], 2020).

Regarding work experience, participants with more than five years of experience showed greater preference for corporate and professional platforms, which reinforces the idea that the use of social media in job search varies according to the level of specialization of the occupational profile.

Type of content that generates greater attraction

Regarding the type of content, testimonial videos and publications with clear information about salaries, benefits, and requirements are the formats most valued by respondents (see Figure 4). This finding relates to digital marketing studies indicating that visual and narrative content increases levels of interaction, trust, and credibility toward organizations (Berger and Milkman, 2012).

Likewise, the preference for transparent information about working conditions coincides with research emphasizing that communication clarity and authenticity positively influence the perception of the employer brand and the decision to apply (Harvard Business Review, 2020).

The results show a divided perception regarding the effectiveness of social media in job search (see Table 1), with 50% considering it effective or very effective, compared with a similar percentage with neutral or negative assessments. This variability makes sense when it is evident that attraction depends on the type of content (see Figure 4). In this regard, perceived effectiveness lies not only in the platform, but also in the relevance and usefulness of the content users access.

Regarding the factors that motivate interaction with content related to job offers on social media, the results show a clear predominance of elements linked to the content of the message (see Table 2). Considering a sample of N = 220 participants, and given that the question allowed the selection of up to two options, mention frequencies by factor were estimated.

The clear and direct message is positioned as the most relevant factor (n = 159 mentions, 72.27%). In second place is the relevance of the offer (n = 95, 43.18%), followed by attractive visual design (n = 86, 39.09%).

The results show that participants mainly prioritize content clarity when interacting with employment-related publications, while factors such as the relevance of the offer and visual elements, although important, show a lower frequency of selection.

Interaction with employment content on social media is mainly motivated by message clarity (72.27%), followed by the relevance of the offer and visual design (see Table 2). These factors are articulated with Figure 4 insofar as the types of content that generate greater attraction tend to concentrate precisely these characteristics. Overall, the results show that it is not only what content is presented that matters, but how it is communicated, with clarity and relevance being key elements for capturing attention and encouraging interaction.

Taken together, the results confirm that social media functions not only as a channel for disseminating vacancies, but also as a strategic space for bidirectional communication between organizations and candidates, capable of influencing employer-brand perception and labor decision-making. These findings demonstrate the consolidation of digital environments as a central component of contemporary talent-attraction and employability strategies.

As shown in Table 3, the aspects of social media perceived as most effective for job search, the results show a differentiated distribution in the frequency of selection of the categories evaluated. Considering a sample of N = 220 participants, and given that the question allowed multiple selection, a total of Σn = 249 mentions was recorded.

Access to updated information is positioned as the most relevant aspect, with 113 mentions, equivalent to 51.36% of participants. In second place, the broad network of contacts is identified (n = 68, 30.90%), followed by ease of use (n = 37, 16.81%).

For their part, aspects related to professional projection and interaction show lower levels of selection, specifically greater visibility of the professional profile (n = 18, 8.18%) and networking opportunities (n = 13, 5.90%).

In descriptive terms, the results show that participants primarily prioritize access to information as the main benefit of social media in the job-search context, while elements linked to professional visibility and network generation present a lower frequency of mention.

The results of this study confirm the consolidation of social media as a structural component in contemporary job-search processes in Costa Rica, transcending its instrumental function as a simple channel for disseminating vacancies. Consistent with the theoretical framework, these platforms operate as spaces for the production and circulation of digital social capital (Bourdieu, 1986; Ellison et al., 2007), where labor information is intertwined with dynamics of reputation, visibility, and identity construction. In this sense, employability in digital environments does not depend exclusively on access to vacancies, but on the ability to insert oneself strategically into the interaction networks characteristic of the network society (Castells, 2009).

Regarding the research question aimed at identifying the platforms most widely used for job search, the findings show a functional differentiation among social media. Facebook is positioned as a channel of mass reach and broad access, especially for operational and administrative profiles, while LinkedIn concentrates its use in specialized professional trajectories and strategic networking processes. Instagram, in turn, emerges as a visually dynamic platform that can support employer-branding and talent-attraction strategies, particularly when organizations use engaging and accessible content formats. This segmentation confirms that platforms fulfill complementary roles within a multichannel architecture of digital employment, in which each network articulates different forms of social and professional capital.

From the perspective of cultural and digital capital (Bourdieu, 1986), the greater participation of the 25-to-34-year-old age group and the influence of educational level on platform choice reinforce the idea that digital skills constitute a differential resource in access to job opportunities. Digital literacy thus becomes a structural condition of employability in a context where the circulation of opportunities is mediated by technological and algorithmic dynamics.

This interpretation requires an additional nuance regarding the role of pre-existing digital skills. Since the study focused on people who use social media and the survey was disseminated through digital channels, participants were likely to have a minimum level of digital access, familiarity, and confidence in navigating online environments. This condition may have influenced their favorable assessment of social media as a job-search tool. Therefore, perceived effectiveness should not be interpreted as an intrinsic attribute of the platforms themselves, but as the result of an interaction between platform affordances, users' digital competencies, and broader employability conditions.

This distinction is analytically relevant because job seekers who actively use social media to search for employment may also possess skills that are already valued in contemporary labor markets, including information search, profile management, digital communication, networking, and the ability to identify relevant opportunities in platform-based environments. Consequently, positive perceptions of social media may partially reflect users' digital capital and general employability rather than platform effectiveness alone. This does not invalidate the findings, but it introduces an important limitation: the study captures the perceptions of digitally active users and may underrepresent individuals with limited digital skills, lower connectivity, or weaker familiarity with employment platforms.

From a communication perspective, this reinforces the need to understand digital employability as a socially differentiated process. Access to job-related information on social media depends not only on the availability of vacancies, but also on users' ability to search, interpret, evaluate, and interact with employment content. In this regard, the findings are consistent with studies that warn that inequalities in digital skills can amplify vulnerabilities in increasingly digitalized labor markets (Martínez-Nicolás et al., 2025). Future research should therefore include specific measures of digital skills and compare digitally active users with populations that face greater barriers to platform-based job search.

In relation to the research question concerning the type of content that generates greater attraction, the results show a clear preference for visual and testimonial publications and for information that is transparent about benefits and working conditions. This finding can be interpreted from employer-branding theory (Backhaus and Tikoo, 2004), where the construction of a strong employer brand depends on narrative coherence and communicative credibility. It should be noted that, in contexts marked by the attention economy (Davenport and Beck, 2001), informational clarity and authenticity are consolidated as differentiating factors in the face of increasing saturation of digital content.

From a psychosocial perspective, it is important to clarify that this study did not directly measure variables such as self-efficacy, employment anxiety, or social comparison. Therefore, these concepts should not be interpreted as empirical findings of the present research. Rather, they provide a theoretical background for understanding why users may differ in their perceptions of social media as a job-search tool. Future studies could examine whether self-efficacy influences users' willingness to apply for jobs through digital platforms, or whether exposure to professional content on social media contributes to employment-related anxiety or upward social comparison.

In addition, the visibility of job opportunities on social media is conditioned by segmentation logics and algorithms that prioritize interaction and engagement. In line with contemporary approaches to algorithmic mediation (Gillespie, 2014), job search on digital platforms is not a neutral process, but one structured by technological criteria that influence which opportunities are shown, to whom, and how frequently. This introduces a critical dimension: digital employability is partially determined by technological infrastructures that escape the direct control of candidates and organizations.

In general terms, the study shows that social media has consolidated in Costa Rica as a strategic channel of employability that articulates three interrelated dimensions: information dissemination, identity construction, and the generation of digital social capital. Nevertheless, its effectiveness depends on the type of platform used, the content published, the level of digital skills, and the degree of interaction generated between organizations and candidates.

Practical implications

From an applied perspective, the findings suggest that organizations should integrate social media as a strategic axis within their talent-attraction processes, but under an approach differentiated by platform. It is not enough to replicate content; it is necessary to design communication strategies coherent with the logic of each digital environment. In this sense, job-search and recruitment processes involve communicative challenges associated with how organizations construct, circulate, and manage employment-related information in digital environments.

On mass-reach networks such as Facebook, it is advisable to prioritize informational clarity, attractive visual formats, and direct calls to action that facilitate application. On professional platforms such as LinkedIn, it is essential to strengthen organizational reputation through specialized content, thought leadership, and networking strategies that consolidate institutional positioning. Instagram, given its visual and narrative logic, can support recruitment marketing through testimonial content, organizational culture narratives, and formats that make employment opportunities more accessible and engaging.

The incorporation of testimonials and experiential narratives can also strengthen the credibility of the employer brand, while active management of interaction—timely responses, feedback, and discursive coherence—contributes to improving the candidate experience. The ethical and strategic use of digital segmentation tools can optimize vacancy visibility, always considering criteria of equity, transparency, and access.

Limitations

This study has several limitations that should be considered when interpreting the findings. First, the sample was selected through non-probability convenience sampling and consisted of digitally active participants who were reached through online channels. Therefore, the results should not be generalized to the entire Costa Rican population, but interpreted as descriptive patterns within the analyzed sample.

Second, the use of an online survey may have introduced self-selection bias, since people with greater access to digital technologies, stronger familiarity with social media, or higher interest in job-search processes may have been more likely to participate. This is particularly relevant because pre-existing digital skills may influence how participants perceive the effectiveness of social media as a job-search tool.

Third, the study relied on descriptive statistics, including frequencies and percentages. Consequently, the findings identify tendencies and perceived patterns, but they do not establish causal relationships or statistically test associations between demographic variables and platform use. Future studies could incorporate inferential analyses, probability-based sampling, and direct measures of digital skills to strengthen the explanatory scope of the findings.

Fourth, the study was cross-sectional and captured perceptions at a single point in time during 2024. Given the rapid evolution of social media platforms, recruitment practices, and algorithmic visibility mechanisms, longitudinal approaches would be useful to examine how job-search behaviors change over time.

Future lines of research

Future research should incorporate psychosocial variables such as self-efficacy, employment anxiety, and social comparison as direct measures, since these dimensions were not empirically assessed in the present study. Including these variables would make it possible to examine how users' confidence, expectations, and emotional responses influence the perceived effectiveness of social media in job-search processes.

Future studies should also include direct measures of digital skills to distinguish more clearly between the effectiveness attributed to social media platforms and the digital competencies of users. This would make it possible to determine whether favorable perceptions of social media as a job-search tool are explained mainly by platform affordances, by users' pre-existing digital capital, or by the interaction between both dimensions.

Likewise, it is pertinent to explore gaps in digital and territorial capital and how they may influence equitable access to employment platforms in Costa Rica. Comparative studies with populations facing greater barriers to digital access, including rural populations, older workers, migrants, or people with lower levels of digital literacy, would allow a more nuanced understanding of how social media contributes to or limits employability in differentiated social contexts.

This study analyzed the use of Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn as job-search tools among a sample of digitally active adults aged 20 to 49 in Costa Rica. The findings suggest that, within the analyzed sample, social media plays a relevant role in job-search practices, particularly as a source of updated information, a space for interaction with employment-related content, and a channel through which users identify potential job opportunities.

The results show differentiated patterns of platform use. Facebook appears as a platform associated with broad access and employment-related groups, Instagram is valued for its visual and dynamic content, and LinkedIn is linked to more specialized professional searches and networking practices. These findings suggest that social media platforms should not be understood as interchangeable tools, but as communication environments with distinct functions within digital job-search processes.

The study also indicates that perceived effectiveness depends not only on the platform used, but also on the type of content communicated and on users' digital competencies. Clear and direct messages, relevant job offers, transparent information about requirements and benefits, and visually attractive formats were valued by participants as factors that encourage interaction with employment-related content. However, these perceptions should be interpreted with caution, since participants were recruited through digital channels and may have had higher levels of familiarity with social media than the broader population.

Given the descriptive, cross-sectional design and the use of non-probability convenience sampling, the findings should not be generalized to the entire Costa Rican population. Rather, they provide evidence of tendencies within the sample and offer a basis for future studies with probabilistic sampling, broader sociodemographic coverage, and inferential statistical analyses. Future research should also examine how digital skills, territorial inequalities, socioeconomic conditions, and algorithmic visibility influence access to job opportunities through social media.

From a practical perspective, the findings suggest that organizations should design differentiated recruitment-marketing strategies according to the communicative logic of each platform. Employment-related content should prioritize clarity, transparency, relevance, and interaction, while employer-branding strategies should avoid merely replicating the same message across platforms. In this way, social media can be used more strategically as part of recruitment communication, while recognizing that its effectiveness depends on both platform affordances and users' digital capacities.