Need to fill some open positions? Try spending more time networking and less time surfing the net for candidates. Actively working contacts, including employee referrals and candidates recommended by family and friends, will maximize your time and energy and produce more new hires.

That’s according to the results of a recent online workplace study, conducted by the Bernard Hodes Group. The survey solicited information from 751 employed, active, and passive job seekers asking what sources they are using or would use to look for work and how they actually found their current position.

In looking at how the respondents rated their use of sources, the Internet attracts a great deal of activity and attention from job seekers, but it’s the human connection that’s delivering most of the actual results.

The survey found that almost all, 94% of the respondents, would use or are using online resources to find a new position, but only 30% say they found their present job through an online source.

The results indicate that maintaining an online image through a strong branding program is vital for employers, because of the large number of candidates looking for work on the Internet, but closing the deal might be all about your company’s reputation and the candidate’s connection to members of your staff.

Here are the results of the survey that focus on job sources.

The second column, with 30%, 17%, and so on, refers to the percent who found jobs via that source.

The third column, with 94%, 81%, and so on, indicates the percent who currently use or would use that source.

*Passive and active job seekers could name more than one source

*All percentages are percentages of total mentions by survey participants