Hirers Increase Social Media Scrutiny of Recruits
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Opting Out
51% of employers who research candidates on social media say they've found postings which have caused them to not hire a candidate, up from 43% last year. -
Social Media Miscues: Substantive Issue
41% of hirers say they've dismissed a candidate because they found posted information about the applicant's use of alcohol or drugs. -
Social Media Miscues: End of Discussion
32% indicate that they've passed on a candidate due to postings which demonstrate poor communications skills. -
Social Media Miscues: Sensitive Concerns
28% say they've moved on to other applicants after seeing that a candidate posted discriminatory comments about race, gender, religion, etc. -
Social Media Miscues: Indiscrete Moment
24% say they've dismissed a contender because that applicant shared confidential information about previous employers. -
Social Media Miscues: Name Game
21% say they've passed on a candidate because of an unprofessional screen name. -
Extreme Social Media Finds: Pending Case
A hirer saw a photo of an arrest warrant for a candidate on a social media site. -
Extreme Social Media Finds: Down on the Farm
A candidate revealed that a pig was his "closest friend" on one of his pages. -
Extreme Social Media Finds: Devil in the Details
A contender was actively involved in a demonic cult. -
Extreme Social Media Finds: Big-Footed Find
A candidate posted pictures of what he described as Sasquatch.
CIOs and other managers are increasingly turning to social media to screen job candidates, according to a recent survey from CareerBuilder. In fact, 43 percent of employers use social networking sites to research potential hires, up from 36 percent two years ago, findings reveal. Another 45 percent are checking out possible fits by conducting a search via Google or another search engine. Clearly, professionals will put themselves "on display" online, and sometimes, the picture isn't pretty. So it's best to incorporate a thorough review of a contender's social media footprint before making a final decision. Interestingly enough, a number of workers are attempting to make it more difficult to do so, as 41 percent have their profile set to private, and 18 percent keep separate professional and personal profiles. Another 28 percent say they don't use social media. We've included some of the most common deal killers which companies have discovered via social media, as well as some of the more extreme—even outrageous—postings from candidates. Nearly 2,140 hiring managers and HR professionals and more than 3,020 workers took part in the research. For more about the survey, click here.