Over half of employers have researched a candidate on social media

Nick Elvin

What job seekers post on their social networking profiles can be both a blessing and a curse for their chances of finding employment, according to research from CareerBuilder.co.uk.

Fifty-two per cent of employers have researched job candidates on social media, and a further 10% plan to start, the national survey of more than 400 employers reveals.

And it’s not the professional networking sites that employers are examining. 62% check Facebook and 45% look at a candidate’s Twitter feed, compared to 44% using the professional networking site LinkedIn and 22% on Google+.

Image sharing sites aren’t exempt from scrutiny either. 9% refer to Instagram, and 8% to Pinterest. Employers are using search engines too: 49% use sites such as Google to research potential job candidates, and 11% plan to start.

Of those who have researched candidates on social media, 42% have found content that caused them to not hire the candidate and 18% have found content that made them think twice about hiring the candidate.

When asked about the content that prompted them to eliminate candidates from consideration, the most common reasons employers gave included: 

• Candidate posted information about them drinking or using drugs (33%);

• Candidate had poor communication skills (32%);

• Candidate lied about qualifications (30%);

• Candidate posted provocative or inappropriate photographs or information (28%);

• Candidate posted too frequently (24%);

• Candidate bad-mouthed their previous company or a fellow employee (23%);

• Candidate’s screen name was unprofessional (23%);

• Candidate lied about an absence (22%);

• Candidate was linked to criminal behavior (22%);

• Candidate shared confidential information from the previous employer (20%);

• Candidate made discriminatory comments related to race, gender, religion, etc. (20%).

On the other hand, 45% of employers who research candidates on social networking sites say they’ve found content that led them to hire a candidate. Some of the most common reasons included:

• Candidate’s background information supported their professional qualifications for the job (38%);

• Candidate was creative (38%);

• Candidate’s site conveyed a professional image (31%);

• Candidate had great communications skills (29%);

• Candidate received awards and accolades (29%);

• Candidate was well-rounded (26%);

• Candidate posted compelling video or other content (28%);

• Got a good feel for the candidate’s personality; could see a good fit within the company (27%);

• Candidate had a large amount of followers or subscribers (25%);

• Candidate had interacted with the company’s social media accounts (18%);

• Other people posted great references (8%).

“CVs only tell part of the story, so employers are increasingly relying on social media and internet search engines to supplement their knowledge of a candidate,” said Scott Helmes, managing director of CareerBuilder UK.

“For these reasons, job seekers need to be more aware than ever about what they say – and what’s being said about them – online.”