Some 65 percent of business professionals are connecting via personal and professional social networking websites, according to a recent survey on online social networking conducted by the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp) - the erstwhile HRI - reports MarketingCharts.

The most popular site used for professional networking was LinkedIn, followed by Yahoo 360 and MySpace, according to the study.

About half (52 percent) of respondents whose organizations use social networking sites do so to keep internal staff and remote employees connected, while 47 percent of total respondents use the networks to connect with potential clients and showcase their skills.

A total of 35 percent say they use networks to assist them in finding a job.

"Companies and employees have often gravitated to trade associations and shows for one primary benefit: community," said Jay Jamrog, i4cp's SVP of Research. "Social networks have opened a new dynamic in bringing that community online, and the ability to share what's working and what isn't in real time is invaluable to many employees today."

"We expect to see this continue in earnest among corporations, and we particularly expect to see the small- to medium-size business market gravitate here so that they can augment traditionally thin staffs with expertise from larger organizations."

MarketingCharts offers up some more data from the study.