Employers using social networking sites to help pick candidates

 

Gallery

Posted on 12 Sep 2008 at 16:33

One in five managers use social networking sites to research job applicants. And one third of potential employers who view a candidate's Facebook or MySpace profile as a guide to what kind of person they are, have dismissed the candidate based on what they've found online.

The statistics were revealed in a survey carried out by online job site Careerbuilder.com, who polled 3,169 hiring managers. 22 per cent said they screen potential employees via social networking sites - twice as many as in 2006.

Another nine per cent said that they hadn't started using social networking sites to screen candidates, but they do intend to.

34 per cent of those who do screen based on website profiles said that they had found content online that made them drop a candidate.

Around 40 per cent of this group said they had dropped the candidate due to information they posted about drinking or drug habits. Another 40 per cent said it was provocative and inappropriate photographs and information posted on the profile that resulted in a candidate being dropped.

However, 24 per cent of these managers also said they had found information on such sites that consolidated their decision to hire.

Things like candidates' backgrounds confirming their qualifications, evidence of good communication skills, and having professional-looking profile with a wide range of interests all won brownie points with managers.

"Hiring managers are using the internet to get a more well-rounded view of job candidates in terms of their skills, accomplishments and overall fit within the company," said Rosemary Haefner, spokeswoman at CareerBuilder.com.

"As a result, more job seekers are taking action to make their social networking profiles employer-friendly. Sixteen percent of workers who have social networking pages said they modified the content on their profile to convey a more professional image to potential employers."

Author: Theo Salvador