Social media: the double-edged sword

Jo Faragher

Most recruiters now accept that social media is an important part of their sourcing and attraction strategy, and how they create a dialogue with candidates.

But it’s also clear that it can be a double-edged sword. This week CareerBuilder.co.uk publicised some research which found that 55% of employers have found content on social media that caused them not to hire someone.

With an increasing number of employers using search engines to research candidates’ web presence, you’d think it would be common sense to delete those Friday-night selfies or tone down the negative comments about your current place of work.

But too few users of social media make the link between an off-the-cuff post or funny photo on Facebook or Twitter and the possibility that these may be discovered by a diligent line manager trying to find out a bit more about the person they’re interviewing.

Indeed, once safely in a role, social media can prove risky if policies are not clear about what’s ‘work time’ and what isn’t, and there have even been legal cases where staff members have come to blows online, a grievance has occurred, and the employer finds itself in a tribunal.

With the increasingly blurred line between our home and work lives, employers need to look at social media within the context of the ‘whole person’ they’re hiring or managing. A slightly red-eyed shot at someone’s leaving party is a world away from comments about Class A drugs or bullying one of their former colleagues.

On a positive note, CareerBuilder’s survey did find that some employers discovered things about potential candidates that actually encouraged them to hire them – such as outside interests or a better feel for their personality.

If candidates can keep an eye on what they’re posting (and crucially what’s posted about them), while recruiters and employers remember to keep some perspective, social media can continue to be a useful tool in the hiring process.