Even today, many HR departments and individual jobseekers want “proof” that social networking is a worthwhile use of their time. So we’ll add a survey that RiseSmart conducted regarding LinkedIn to the mounting evidence. From today’s news release:

Getting former supervisors, colleagues and other professional contacts to post recommendations on your LinkedIn® profile can put you on a faster track to finding a new job, according to a new survey conducted by RiseSmart®, a leading provider of next-generation outplacement and recruitment solutions.

The survey of more than a hundred workers, conducted with participants in the RiseSmart Transition Concierge® outplacement program who had found jobs during the fourth quarter of 2010, showed that jobseekers with at least five LinkedIn recommendations were placed in a new position in just over 4 months on average – 10 percent faster than those with no recommendations.

The survey showed that 59 percent of workers had one or more LinkedIn recommendation, compared to 41 percent with none.

“The survey results underscore what we tell program participants every day: social networking can no longer be dismissed as a waste of time or overhyped phenomenon,” said Sanjay Sathe, founder and CEO of RiseSmart. “Today, the effective use of social networks like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter can make a meaningful difference in how quickly you are able to find a job.”

Read more here.