Each year, thousands of recent college graduates enter the workforce, and it is important for employers to understand the subtle differences between each year's group of prospective employees.

According to a recent Forbes article, one of the most important things that employers need to understand about recent graduates applying for jobs is that 37 percent are using social media to look for jobs.

While the majority still said they planned to submit applications and resumes directly to the companies they were applying to, employers should know that utilizing social media platforms such as LinkedIn can save significant time and energy when looking for qualified candidates to fill open positions.

Another crucial component for employers to be aware of is the fact that many graduates are valuing career advancement more than starting salaries.

"Salary will always be a top consideration because it fulfills basic needs, but for the first time, career advancement has surpassed it in what is important to students," Razor Suleman, CEO and Founder of I Love Rewards, an employee rewards and recognition solutions provider, told the news source.

Understanding the outgoing class of college graduates is particularly critical in this economic climate, where an increasing number of employers are hiring applicants with bachelor's degrees, according to USA Today.