Posted By: jbaloun / |
Social Media is no longer just a way to connect with friends and family, but it has quickly evolved into a useful recruiting and screening tool to help make sure that you are hiring the right candidates. With 3 out of 4 American adults on social networking, if your company isn’t present on social media, you may be missing out on valuable job candidates. And if you aren’t screening prospective candidates, you may be missing some major red flags, or In turn, something that sets them apart from other candidates.
Here are some findings from Reppler on how employers are screening candidates on social media:
- 76% of companies use Facebook to screen candidates, 53% use Twitter and 48% use LinkedIn
- 69% of companies say they have rejected a job candidate because of something they saw on social media
- 26% of companies say they haven’t rejected a candidate via social media screening
- 5% say they do not use social media sites to screen prospective candidates
Of those companies who have rejected candidates because of social media screening, these are the reasons why:
- 13% – candidates lied about their qualifications
- 11% – posted inappropriate photos
- 11% – posted inappropriate comments
- 11% – demonstrated poor communications skills
- 10% – made discriminatory comments
- 10% – posted content indicating drug use
- 9% – posted content about drinking alcohol
- 7% – posted confidential information about an employer
- 7% – have never rejected a candidate because of something they discovered on social media
Have any companies actually chosen to hire a candidate because of something they saw on social media?
- 68% – yes
- 27% – no
- 5% – do not use social media to screen
Why did these companies choose to hire a candidate because of something they saw on social media?
- 39% – gave a positive impression of their personality and fit
- 36% – profile supported their professional qualifications
- 36% – profile showed candidate was creative
- 34% – had good references posted by others
- 33% – showed solid communication skills
- 33% – profile showed candidate was well-rounded
- 24% – candidate received awards and accolades
- 18% – never hired a candidate because of social media content
During which phase of the hiring process do you look at social media sites to screen prospective employees:
- 47% – right after receiving an application
- 27% – after an initial conversation
- 15% – after an in-depth conversation
- 7% – I don’t use those sites to screen
- 4% – right before an offer is extended
Although Social Media is a great tool for screening and recruiting, it should not be the main reason to accept or reject candidates, but rather be used in conjunction with other methods.
Online profiles can often be misleading, which may cause you to weed out quality candidates who would be a great fit for the job. You can also run the risk of being too picky, or misinterpreting information.
When it comes to screening candidates, face to face interviews are still the best way to determine a candidates qualifications, fit, and overall personality.
Source: Staffing Talk
