What’s one way for hiring managers to learn who you are outside the
confines of the résumé, cover letter and interview? Scanning your social
media profiles.
It turns out 37% of employers screen potential job candidates on
social networks, according to a new CareerBuilder survey. That means
about two in five companies browse your social media profiles to
evaluate your character and personality — and some even base their
hiring decision on what they find.
“Social media is a primary vehicle of communication today,
and because much of that communication is public, it’s no surprise some
recruiters and hiring managers are tuning in,” says Rosemary Haefner,
vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder. “It will be
interesting to see over the years how many employers adopt formal
policies around social media.”
Brad Schepp, co-author of
How To Find A Job On LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Google+ says
he was surprised to learn that just 37% of employers are researching
candidates on social networking sites. “I would think that number is
actually much higher,” he says. “If you were a recruiter, or a hiring
manager for a company, wouldn’t you check out a potential hire through
LinkedIn? Or, if you were hiring a recent grad, it would almost surely
occur to you to visit their Facebook profile.”
Of the employers who do not research candidates on social media, 15%
said it’s because their company prohibits the practice, and 11% report
they do not currently use social media to screen, but plan to start.
The survey also found that employers are primarily using Facebook
(65%) and LinkedIn (63%) to research candidates. Just 16% use Twitter.
So why are they using social networks to research candidates?
Sixty-five percent said they do it to see if the job seeker presents
himself or herself professionally. About half (51%) want to see if the
candidate is a good fit for the company culture, and another 45% want to
learn more about his or her qualifications. Some cited ‘to see if the
candidate is well-rounded’ and ‘to look for reasons not to hire the
candidate,’ as their motives.
A third (34%) of those who scan social media profiles said they have
found content that has caused them not to hire the candidate. About half
said they didn’t offer a job candidate the position because of
provocative or inappropriate photos and information posted on his or her
profile. Forty-five percent said they have decided not to hire someone
because of information about him or her drinking or using drugs. Other
hiring managers chose not to offer the job because the candidate’s
profile showed poor communication skills, bad mouthing previous
employers, making discriminatory comments related to race, gender, or
religion, and lying about qualifications.
“Social media is used differently by everyone,” Haefner says. “Some
embrace the tools to extend their personal, professional brands and
others choose to solely use it is as a private channel with their
friends and family. So when a hiring manager does find public social
media content, it’s possible to get a better sense of that person’s
interests and personality, but that doesn’t replace the value of meeting
the individual face-to-face.”
No matter what information is found on a candidate, and regardless of
where it’s found, the process has to abide by fair and equal hiring
practices, she adds.
The good news is that hiring managers aren’t just screening
your social media profiles to dig up dirt; they’re also looking for
information that could possibly give you an advantage. Twenty-nine
percent of the surveyed hiring managers said they have found something
positive on a profile that has caused them to offer the candidate a job.
In some cases it was that the employer got a good feel for the
candidate’s personality. Others chose to hire because the profile
conveyed a professional image. In some instances it was because
background information supported professional qualifications, other
people posted great references about the candidate, or because the
profile showed that the job seeker is creative, well-rounded, or has
great communication skills.
“It’s possible to maintain both professional and social personas
online as long as you take the time to monitor content and tailor who
can see what,” Haefner says. On most social networking sites the user
has control over who can view each individual piece of content, she
adds. “It’s possible to keep personal or social information secure while
still leaving some basic information public.”
The lesson for job seekers: If you choose to share content publicly
on social media, make sure it’s working to your advantage, she says.
“Take down or secure anything that could potentially be viewed by an
employer as unprofessional and share content that highlights your
accomplishments and qualifications in a positive way.” Hiring managers
aren’t necessarily looking for red flags; most just want a better idea
of who you are. “Knowing that, it’s possible to use social media as
valuable job search tool.”
Schepp adds, “Make sure any profiles you write are free of typos, the
information is coherent and applicable to your industry [or job you’re
trying to land], and your photos present you in a favorable light. You
can verify the applicability of the information by checking profiles of
others in the same field.”
The information you provide online about your job background and
accomplishments should be consistent, he says. “Don’t assume an employer
will only be checking you out on LinkedIn. They may also check
Facebook, or even Twitter and Google+. The story you tell on each site
should be pretty much the same, although it’s fine to adapt the material
for the site.”
