Social Media and Hiring: What you need to know

Posted on January 28, 2021 - By Dr. Di

Here are some statistics from a recent poll by Express Employment Professionals: Over 70% of the people who do the hiring for companies say that looking at job candidates’ social media profiles can help them hire the best people for the jobs. Most report that about half of the time they review profiles, they find information that causes them to reject the person as unsuitable. This is important information for you! Many of them, too, believe that even after they hire you, your social media sites should remain workplace suitable because your words and pictures could reflect upon the company.

Now is the time for you to clean-up your act online—keep your profiles up to date and professional, delete any profanity or racy photos. If you really must post controversial information or photos, then don’t do it publicly; make it available only to a select following.

There are some professionals who find little value in the information they learn online and many don’t want to risk a lawsuit. But nearly all say that a quick look at an applicant’s profile can save their having to start the hiring process from scratch, if the higher-ups see something they don’t like.

Is getting off social media completely an option? Yes, it is. But, about 20% of decision-makers reject candidates with no media presence, especially in the current employment environment. Which way will you go?