The usual suspects…
A HireRight 2015 study found that most employers do not formally conduct their own Social Media Background Checks (notwithstanding informal “ghost checks”). The top two sites checked were Linked-In (20%) and Facebook (14%).
When conducting Do-It-Yourself Social Media Background Checks for new hires
• First, the applicant must give the potential employer permission, by signing an ‘Acknowledgement and Consent Form’ (Google it) authorizing the client and their agent to conduct a background check. State clearly that the background check will include a search of online / social networks for information concerning their fit with the organization’s chemistry and […]
Top Reasons Why Employers Rejected Job Candidates Resulting From Information Found Online
A CareerBuilder study found these top reasons –
• Candidate posted provocative or inappropriate photographs or information
• Candidate posted content about them drinking or using drugs
• Candidate bad-mouthed their previous employer, co-workers or clients
• Candidate showed poor communication skills
• Candidate made discriminatory comments
• Candidate lied about qualifications
• Candidate shared confidential information from previous employer
Quickie searches on Google, FB and the usuals
Do you ever do a quickie-Google search on new employee candidates? Or maybe just check Facebook or some of the other usual suspects? An appealing practice, for sure, but could be problematic. Social Media Background Checks conducted directly (vs through a third-party) can expose an organization to claims of:
Discrimination – Seeing protected […]
Use a Third-Party Social Media Background Check specialist, or do it internally?
Begin by considering that The Federal Trade Commission has determined that social media searches associated with employment are “Consumer Reports” – which places them squarely under the purview of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), whether this is done internally, or conducted by a third party (such as Social61). And there are lots of […]
More Firms Are Using Social Media for Screening Candidates
More Firms Are Using Social Media for Screening Candidates
• In a well-known study 76% of companies are using or plan to use social media sites for recruiting (per SHRM)
• ExecuNet surveyed 100 executive recruiters and found that 77% regularly use search engines during the screening process and 35% have eliminated job candidates based on […]
Phantom social-media research on employment candidates
Most companies actually conduct their own Social Media Background Checks these days, although in an informal and below-the-radar fashion. Recruiters or HR staff usually google or fb the names of various employment candidates, and, as Henry Kissinger once said, “we go where the investigation leads us.”
The problem is that these searches are conducted at different […]
Why do employers reject certain employment candidates after online investigations?
Why do employers reject certain employment candidates after internal or third-party online investigations? In considering the exact job role, the candidate –
Bad-mouthed previous employers, vendors, clients or co-workers
Posted provocative or inappropriate information or photos
Directly posted content about excessive usage of drugs or alcohol
Blogged or posted confidential information regarding previous employment situations.
Shared confidential information from previous employers.
Communicated violent or discriminatory remarks about […]
When to use Social Media Background Checks in the hiring process?
Later is Better?
When conducting Social Media Background Checks internally, in general, it’s better to wait until later in the hiring process before conducting these searches. This will preclude claims that the information found was used in a discriminatory manner. The most conservative approach here is to not consider Social Media Background Checks until after there has been […]
Why are recruiters skittish about social media for candidate screening? Legal risks.
Q: Why are recruiters skittish about social media for candidate screening?
A: Two words: Legal risks.
We’ve posted a newly found article about this on our links page or faster yet,
click SHRM.org Social Media Use in Hiring article.
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