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Background Check on Social Media: Now Is a Serious Business

More employers are using social networking sites for background check now. As suggested in my February’s discussion, 11% of employers will use social networking sites for employee screening; 70% recruiters admitted that they had turned down a candidate based on the information they found about the candidate online.

Indeed, a candidate’s social networking profiles can provide additional information for employers when they make the hiring decision. However, if used without caution, checking a candidate’s social media profiles may get employers into trouble because these profiles often contain “rich” demographic information about a candidate. On top of that, hiring managers may find it difficult to follow a standardized procedure (if there is any) to fairly screen every candidate due a variety of “private” settings. So, what is the solution?

According to this CNN News video, companies like Social Intelligence may be the answer. These companies can help employers answer some important screening questions about a candidate based on his/her social media presence without “touching” the candidate’s sensitive information.

If you are a hiring manager, how important does social-media background check mean to you and your company? Do you think doing social-media background check will become another emerging profession? If you are a job seeker, do you understand how to conduct job search on social media?

Relevant Discussion:
Background Check
Using Facebook for Background Check
Social Media and Job Search I
Social Media and Job Search II
Social Media and Job Search III

Comments

  1. It is a very serious business, because a background check of Facebook for example can provide many information about a person. This technique is very used by employers and also by property management companies that are always looking for good tenants. So we have to be very careful when we share an information on such sites because everything can be used against us at a certain moment.

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  2. I do not know how I feel about employers using social media websites to conduct background checks. In the employer's eyes it seems pretty logical because it provides extensive information on the person that they can't get in a normal interview. However, the employers might have social media websites that also provides information about themselves that some people may not know. I would be very mad if I got turned down from a job because of what was on my facebook page. Then again, before I applied for a job I would clean up my profile to make sure there is nothing harmful to my employment on there. There are pros and cons for both sides but I think there needs the be a state wide regulation on what employers can and cannot look at in regards to social media websites.

    -Dean Seidman (NSD 314)

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