We’ve all heard someone preach the sentiment at one point in our lives; “be careful what you post on the internet.” With modern technology and advancements in social media, it’s very common for people to post their entire lives on the internet for the world to see. For some, this is not big deal and they have nothing to hide. For others, they’re painting a picture of themselves that’s damaging to their reputation and ultimately their employment opportunities. Employers don’t want to hire someone with a bad image to represent their company. Because of this, employers will frequently turn to engines like Facebook and Google to do a quick background check on their potential new hires. CareerBuilder released a new survey that found, “51 percent of employers who research job candidates on social media said they’ve found content that caused them to not hire the candidate.”
Upon doing a Google search of a person’s name, you can see their social media accounts, arrest histories, newspaper appearances and anything else that may have been put online. This is a good practice for your human resources team to use when trying to avoid expensive background checks on potential employees.
So what do you look for in a person’s social media accounts that might make them a bad hire? Here are just a few examples:
–Bad mouthing former/current employers
–Discriminatory comments
–Links to criminal behavior such as drugs, underage drinking, etc.
–Sharing confidential info from previous employers
While people often view social media as an opportunity to seek out negative qualities in job candidates, this isn’t always the case. If you’re in the final stages of making a decision and can’t decide between a few candidates, their social media pages can provide insight as to who might be a better fit. Here are some positive things you can look for to separate the best suited candidates:
–Social media portrays a professional image of the candidate
–Demonstrates strong writing and communication skills among peers
–Background information supports their professional qualifications for the job
–Get a good feel of a candidate’s personality to see if they fit in with the company
While you certainly can’t truly know someone without meeting them and taking the time to get to know them, social media can help you understand who you’re dealing with when it comes to hiring new employees.
Follow Colorado Hotel and Lodging Association on Social Media for industry trends, news and information!
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Group Google
For the full article, please click the following link:
Colorado Hotel and Lodging Association Blog 