A new study has revealed that seven out of ten employers confess to evaluating a job candidate’s social media presence as part of the hiring process.
CareerBuilder’s researchers conducted interviews with over 1,000 HR professionals and recruiting managers from various industries to determine the significance of utilizing social media platforms for the purpose of evaluating prospective employees.
The majority of respondents (70%) indicate that they utilize social networking sites to investigate potential job candidates, while a small percentage (7%) intend to do so. 57% of individuals who conduct social media screenings report that they have encountered content that has resulted in their decision not to employ a candidate.
The findings indicate that employers are conducting a thorough examination of applicants’ online profiles to ascertain their character prior to making an employment offer.
Applying for employment does not necessitate possessing a social media account. Nevertheless, employers value the opportunity to obtain supplementary information regarding prospective employees.
However, nearly half of hiring managers (47%) assert that they are less inclined to assess an applicant if they are unable to locate them online, while 28% indicate that they utilize a candidate’s social media presence to gather additional information prior to scheduling an interview. Conversely, one-fifth of employers anticipate that job candidates will already have an online presence.
The following are additional highlights of the CareerBuilder survey:
What employers are seeking when evaluating a candidate’s social media presence
Details regarding the candidate’s qualifications for the position (58%)
Candidate’s professional online persona (50%)
What is the content that other internet users are sharing about the candidate (34%).
Any potential reason for declining to employ the candidate (22%).
Content that could potentially discourage employers from hiring a candidate
Inappropriate photographs, videos, or information (40%)
Information regarding a candidate’s substance abuse or alcohol consumption (36%).
Discriminatory remarks concerning ethnicity, gender, religion, and other sensitive topics (31%).
Information associated with illicit behavior (30%)
Misrepresenting one’s qualifications (27%).
Inadequate communication abilities (27%).
Disparaging a former employer or coworker (25%).
Having a screen moniker that is not professional (22%).
Twenty percent of the respondents disclosed confidential information from their previous employer.
Falsely reporting an absence (16%)
Frequent social media posting (12%)
Content that persuaded employers to employ a candidate
Information that substantiates the candidate’s qualifications for the position (37%).
Creativity of the candidate (34%).
A professional image is conveyed by the candidate’s website (33%).
Information illustrating the candidate’s diverse interests (31%).
Information demonstrating that the candidate is a suitable fit for the company culture (31%).
Possessing exceptional communication abilities (28%
Accolades and recognitions (26%).
Other social media users are providing positive references for the job candidate (23%).
Engagement with the organization’s social media platforms (22%).
Video or other content that is compelling (21%).
A significant number of social media followers or subscribers (18%)