It’s hard to learn everything you need to know about a potential hire from a resume, cover letter, or even an interview. People tend to put their best foot forward in this situation, and that can make it tricky to get a full picture of who you’d be inviting into your business or organization. Since the advent of social media, employers have had, essentially, a free tool to help them screen employees and learn more about that full picture. But is this practice helping your hiring efforts or wasting your time? In this issue of the Pulse, we take a look.

 What kind of screening are employers doing?

According to a survey conducted by The Harris Poll, the majority – 60% – of U.S. hiring managers believe “employers should screen all applicants’ social media profiles.” The survey also found that:

• 41% feel social media sites are among the best places to source candidates
• 70% utilize social media to research potential job candidates
• 17% research every single candidate on social media
• 69% find looking at candidates’ social media profiles is effective
• 51% have never found content on a social media site that caused them not to hire a candidate
• 86% report being likely to consider a candidate who does not have an online presence

When employers are screening candidates, it’s typically because they’re looking for disqualifying content on their online profiles. There are many examples of what that could mean, including:

• Illegal activities
• Offensive comments/posts
• Violent or aggressive behavior
• Explicit material
• Posts regarding former employment

To find these, employers can look at any publicly available social media they can access through a search. If it’s out there on the internet, it’s fair game. According to Matt Erhard, managing partner of Summit Search Group, the most common sites used to screen applicants are LinkedIn, Facebook, and X (Twitter). Though, many employers won’t go beyond LinkedIn, citing its particular relevance to their interests.

Candidates are savvy to this practice.

Whether or not you believe screening potential employees is effective, candidates may not allow themselves to be caught with any publicly visible compromising posts. The Harris Poll also found that 66% of job seekers don’t feel that social media profiles should influence their likelihood of being hired. Many of these candidates are likely to be cautious about which profiles are going to be seen, using aliases or private profiles on pages where they can be a bit more relaxed about what they post.

If this is the case, using social media screenings may be less effective or authentic than you would hope. Many people treat LinkedIn, for example, as a resume, and you may not be able to glean any additional insight from their profiles.

Some warn against this practice.

It’s not just social media savvy candidates who may prevent you from seeing anything you’re not meant to see. Some experts warn against screening employee social media for more practical reasons. If employers aren’t careful about the information they choose to collect and consider about an applicant, they may inadvertently find themselves treading a gray area legally, especially if it leads to a rejection. This could be interpreted as biased or discriminatory, based on what is visible on a person’s profile. Likewise, many profiles can include outdated or incorrect information, which doesn’t help an employer make an informed decision.

In conclusion…

Using social media as a screening tool for employers come with both drawbacks and advantages. In any case, employers should be careful and think critically when using it to judge an applicant.