Do Companies Use Social Media In Hiring Decisions?
Almost 60% of people use some form of social media, such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp, or Reddit. While people under 30 are most connected to social media, over 80 percent of people 31-49 are also social media users. And surprisingly, almost three-quarters of people 50-64 use some form of social media.
Why does this matter?
Social media use has given companies a new insight into their prospective employees. Many companies use social media to screen employees before providing an official offer. While HR is mainly concerned with aggressive or violent behavior, they are also looking for illegal activity, sexually explicit posts, or other red flags.
Review a Candidate’s Social Media Accounts Before Hiring Them
Social media platforms are almost like a second resume, giving a hiring manager or recruiter a better picture of the candidate but are more informal than an actual resume. Most companies look at a prospective employee’s LinkedIn profile first because that’s generally most applicable to the business world. If the LinkedIn profile has damaging information about a previous employer or a competitor, that’s a red flag.
On that note, it’s equally impressive if they have an updated LinkedIn profile that shows their commitment to the industry and passion for their work.
What This Means for Employees
Usually, employers also check Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, since they are the largest social media platforms. Therefore, if you have these platforms, it’s a good idea to view your profile as a prospective employer and look at what they can view.
Although most social media sites offer privacy settings to keep users’ data from being fully visible to the public, many users don’t utilize these settings. Unfortunately, with a lack of privacy settings, a simple search for someone’s name allows their entire profile to be visible to anyone.
Although tempting, don’t delete or deactivate your social media accounts when looking for a job. Most companies want to see who they’re hiring, and if they can’t find them online, they may assume you have something to hide. So instead of deleting or deactivating social media, clean up what is visible to the public.
Are there pictures of you that might not be flattering to a prospective employer? Does your bio reflect how you want to be perceived? Have you shared inappropriate memes or sexually explicit material? You’ll want to address these as you look at your social media apps. Even if you change your privacy settings, certain things are still public to anyone.
Lastly, it might be good to Google your name and see what information is available to a prospective employer.
Get Help From an Experienced Recruiting Company
Regardless of the platform, know that it is commonplace for companies to check at least some of their prospective employees’ social media channels. So it’s essential to make yourself visible to them as an experienced candidate instead of a questionable potential employee.
When you’re looking for a qualified employee, Martin Recruiting Partners can help! With experience across the restaurant, hospitality, retail, and other industries, our recruiters can find you the right employee and fill your open positions fast. Call us today at 678-507-5100.