With an economy that’s seen better days, many individuals and companies are using social media to aid them in the job search and hiring process. Companies frequently search for an applicant’s social networks to help them decide if they’re a good fit for a position and job-seekers promote themselves through various social networks every day, but many don’t realize that what they post online really does have a strong effect on whether or not they get the job.

According to this infographic by Career Enlightenment, 89 percent of companies will use social networks for recruitment in 2011 — but that doesn’t mean they like what they see on applicants’ profiles. A third of employers rejected candidates based on information they found about them online and 86 percent of employers believe job candidates should make their profiles more employer-friendly.

The job market is tight with about 6 people competing for every 1 job in America, so applicants need to know where the employers are looking if they’re planning to promote themselves on social networks. The data shows that 86 percent of hiring managers use LinkedIn, 60 percent use Facebook and 50 percent use Twitter to help them recruit candidates.

Check out the infographic below and click on the image to view the full size.