Social media can help you stay connected to your peers and colleagues, but it also opens your life to an increased level of scrutiny. … For human resources hiring departments, social media sites
give them access to much more candidate information than
they previously would’ve had at their fingertips.
The key to recruiting on social media is
to cut through the noise and find the right people
. Being active in LinkedIn groups and using hashtags are great ways to get your job openings in front of candidates you want to apply. For example, #devjobs or #NYChiring can help you reach the right candidates on Twitter.
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.
California Passes Law Prohibiting Employers from Requesting Social Media Passwords and Information
. … Employers also may not discharge, discipline or otherwise retaliate against an employee or applicant for refusing to provide such information.
Make sure your social media profiles are safe for work because employers are screening candidates’ social media. … According to a 2018 CareerBuilder survey,
70% of employers use social media to screen candidates
during the hiring process, and about 43% of employers use social media to check on current employees.
Can employers use Facebook against you?
Federal laws prohibit employers from discriminating against
a prospective or current employee based on information on the employee’s social media relating to their race, color, national origin, gender, age, disability, and immigration or citizen status.
Social media is used by potential employers to check
job applicants’ qualifications
, assess their professionalism and trustworthiness, reveal negative attributes, determine whether they post any problematic content and even assess “fit.”
90% of Employers Consider an Applicant’s Social Media Activity
During Hiring Process. If you want to hire top talents for your small business, you should look beyond the resumes of the potential candidates. According to a new survey, 90% of employers find social media important when they evaluate candidates.
According to a 2015 study by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), 43 percent of employers
check
on a job applicant’s social media presence and look them up on search engines. … While a positive online presence can help you get the job, it could disqualify you as a candidate also.
Social media
is one place where people appear to let their true selves show; and employers often consider including social media in pre-employment background checks. … However, many experts warn these types of pre-employment background checks may have limited value.
Collecting inconsistent information on your candidates
, that might differ across protected classes, and applying inconsistent standards to that information violates best selection practices and not only decreases the accuracy of the selection process, but opens your process up to legal scrutiny.
A reason for not looking at an employee’s social media site is
because they could be fired for something that is not related to work at all
. It is unethical to fire someone based on personal preferences they have on social media. … Also, looking on someone’s social media site could cause a company to get in trouble.
Can an employee get fired for posting something on Facebook?
In short,
yes, you can be fired for what you post on social media like Facebook or any other site
. However, there are certain laws that limit the extent of an employer’s right to fire or discipline employees for what they post online.
Can you get fired for posting political views?
Employers cannot force or influence employees to follow any particular course of political action by threatening employees of termination.
California employees cannot be fired for engaging in political activities
, including expressing their political views online.
Can my boss look at my Facebook?
Employers can and do check out potential employees’ Facebook profiles
if they can get access to them. Some 56 percent of employers said they were likely to look at the social media presence of potential employees before hiring them, according to a study from British business psychology firm OPP.
Can employers check your Facebook even if it’s private?
Many employers conduct professional background checks on potential employees before deciding whether to hire them. However, some employers may also investigate a potential employee’s social media profiles, such as a Facebook page. In most cases,
an employer can only view your private Facebook page if you allow it
.
