How to Analyse Social Media for Hiring Decisions

Now that social media has become a large part of our daily lives, it’s not surprising that employers nowadays tend to use social networks to research potential employees and collect more information than they would normally obtain during the interview process.

Did you know that 70% of employees use social networks to screen candidates during the hiring process, and approximately 43% of employers use social media to check on their current employees?

It’s easier to make decisions when you have enough information. Here’s how companies are analysing social media to help with their hiring decisions, and the impact that can have on potential candidates.

1. It is important to have an online profile

47% of prospective employers said that if they could not find a job candidate online, they feel reluctant to call that person in for an interview. This could be an issue for job hunters who don’t have online presence.

Employers often look at social media profiles to help them in making hiring decisions. In the CareerBuilder survey, leaders said they expected job seekers to have an online presence and that they usually gathered more information before calling a candidate for an interview.

2. Confirm the candidate’s qualifications and credentials online

Nowadays, organisations do not just pre-screen applicants through phone interviews they use social media profiles to research candidates’ previous job experiences. Private informations are now readily available to anyone willing to take some time to research around the Internet.

Jobseekers should keep their social profiles, such as Twitter or Facebook, private.

A candidate’s background listed online should match the qualifications they have stated on a resume or shared during the interview. This is what employers are looking for, and any inconsistency in this information can lead to potential employers questioning the authenticity of a candidate’s resume

In addition, 57% of companies that have researched candidates online have found content that caused them to not hire candidates.

3. Everyone should have a professional online persona

Though it is not practical for organisations to search through the Internet looking for reasons to not hire someone, it can be helpful to ensure the candidate is a professional. It should be a company’s concern to ensure that  job candidates do not have questionable social profile or posts. It is important to find candidates that are aligned with the company’s values or mission.

Do not dig too much about a candidate’s personal posts since this might affect or reduce the talent pool. You may have to remove too many candidates after you’ve looked into their personal lives.

Job seekers should get familiar with company policies, as one company’s policies are different from another.

Jobseekers have to keep in mind and keep their social profiles, such as Twitter or Facebook, private. On the other hand, they should always update their business social networks, such as LinkedIn with their skills, job history and affiliations with professional organisations.

Many employers have workplace internet or social media policies to help deal with these issues, and there have been employees that are fired for posting social media content.

Even though there are many ways to help your hiring decisions, you may find it even more difficult to keep up with the fast pace of the digital world. We at AJobThing can help you with your hiring and recruitment campaigns, according to your budget.

We use the full potential of social networks, reaching over 4 million people across social media, job portals and e-mails. Our intelligent system will recommend you the top candidates to your job ad. Find out more at AJobThing.com

This article is adapted from Jennifer Spencer's 3 Ways Companies Are Analyzing Social Media To Make Hiring Decisions.