Hiring the right person for the job is what every employer hopes to achieve. But finding good employees can be difficult and employers use various methods to help screen candidates. With the abundance of information on-line, Employers are looking to social media in their hiring practices.
According to a recent CareerBuilder survey (conducted by the Harris Poll) the number of employers who reported using social networking sites to research job candidates in 2013 was 43%.
CareerBuilder also reported that employers have found information about candidates that impacted their hiring decisions -51% reported finding content that caused them to not hire a candidate.
Top Reasons Employers Passed on a Candidate
The Job Candidate:
- Posted provocative or inappropriate photographs or information or information about drinking or using drugs;
- Bad-mouthed their previous company or fellow employees in their posts;
- Had posted discriminatory comments related to race, gender, religion etc;
- Lied about qualifications;
- Shared confidential information from previous employers;
- Was linked to criminal behavior;
- Screen name was unprofessional;
- Lied about an absence;
Usual Findings on Social Media Sites
Employers also shared the some unusual postings by both current employees and job candidates:
- Candidate’s profile included link to an escort service
- Candidate posted a photo of a warrant for his arrest
- Candidate had sued his wife for shooting him in the head
- Candidate featured a pig as his closest friend
- Candidate posted his dental exam results
- Candidate bragged about driving drunk and not getting caught on several occasions
- Candidate was actively involved in a demonic cult
- Candidate posted Sasquatch pictures he had taken
What Should I Do?
- If you decide to review social media sites as part of your employment practices:
- Remember that California law prohibits an employer from requiring an employee or applicant to disclose information regarding their personal social media accounts. Specifically, employers may not require or ask an applicant to:
- Disclose a username or password for the purpose of accessing the applicant’s personal social media.
- Access personal social media in the presence of the employer;
- Divulge any personal social media.
- Be cautious regarding any information found on social media regarding an applicant or employee’s “protected classification” status so as to avoid claims of discrimination.