Among the primary reasons employers hired a candidate based on their social networking site were:
candidate's background information supported their professional qualifications (38 percent)
, great communication skills (37 percent), a professional image (36 percent), and creativity (35 percent).
The short answer is yes.
It is completely legal for employers to check employees' social media profiles
. Some states even allow employers to solicit social media usernames and passwords from their workers. In general, state and federal privacy laws dictate what employers can and cannot ask for.
Today, hiring managers are looking for your total picture—and that includes who you are online. … A recent study by the Society For Human Resource Management (SHRM) found that
84% of employers recruit via social media
, and 43% of employers screen job candidates through social networks and search engines.
Do job interviewers look at your Instagram?
The answer is
yes
IF your social media accounts are inappropriate or contain anything you would not want a potential employer seeing. … Your social media presence is the image you are presenting to the world and your employers will continue to look at your profiles even after you've gotten an offer.
When done improperly, a social media background check
can put your organization at risk for lawsuits
. … An employer researching a candidate on social media could easily learn that their candidate has one or more of these protected characteristics. This knowledge could cause a biased hiring decision.
- Posting Inappropriate Material. …
- Ranting. …
- Lacking Distinction Between Your Personal and Professional Lives. …
- Poor Spelling and Grammar. …
- Lying about Qualifications. …
- Absence of a Social Media Presence. …
- Posting Derogatory Comments. …
- Plagiarizing.
The CareerBuilder study found that
58%
of employers conduct social screenings to look for information supporting a candidate's qualifications for the job – 50% want to ensure the candidate has a professional online persona, and 34% want to see what other people are posting about the candidate.
Can employers look at your private Instagram?
One quick look at an applicant's Instagram account or any other profile can
reveal all kinds of personal information
, such as their sexual orientation or religion. This can open your company up to discrimination lawsuits if the candidate does not end up getting the job.
What do employers look for in candidates?
Employers like people who are
warm, friendly, easygoing, and cooperative with others
. Employers are looking for people who can join the team and be part of the work-family. Men and women with good personalities are invariably more popular and more effective at whatever they do. Teamwork is the key to business success.
How do you know if you're a best candidate for a job?
- Read Their Body Language. …
- Focus on Specific Experiences & Accomplishments. …
- Evaluate Their Work Ethic & Attitude. …
- Find out If They're a Life-Long Learner. …
- Get Feedback From People Who Weren't in the Interview. …
- Ask Them About Something They're Passionate About.
What is a social media background check? A social media background check is similar to other types of background checks, like criminal checks. It
looks at a person's past behavior
since a person's past can be indicative of a person's future behavior.
Bottom line:
a compliant social media screening is legal
, and you should consider it an extension of the traditional background screening process.
Social media is a great platform for employees and job seekers to post about their accomplishments, portfolios and volunteering activities. However,
a slip-up can cost you your
career or ruin your chances of getting a job. … being used to fire people based on their ill-advised social media behavior.”
A red flag feeling is when
something happens on digital media that makes you feel uncomfortable, worried, sad, or anxious
. It is a warning that something might be wrong.
Having zero social media presence can indicate that you're inept when it comes to the interwebs. … If you don't have these social media skills, it can be a
red flag that you're inept, lazy or worse
. According to Forbes, two of the key personality traits employers look for are intellectual curiosity and self-monitoring.
What is red flag in relationship?
“In relationships, red flags are
signs that the person probably can't have a healthy relationship and proceeding down the road together would be emotionally dangerous
,” explains Dr. Wendy Walsh, PhD, a clinical psychologist who specializes in relationships. Note that red flags in a relationship might not be obvious.