Social screening: How social media impacts the recruitment process
Social media is undeniably the wildfire trend of this decade. In just a few years, platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and others have grown exponentially.
With so many people uploading so much personal content to these platforms, it was unavoidable that there would an impact on the recruitment process. In this article, let's take a look at how social media impacts job seekers – and what you need to do.
What's happening
Recruiters are using social media to vet candidates
Recruiters are now taking advantage of social media when vetting candidates.
A study from Jobvite found that among referrals and corporate career sites, recruiters are now taking advantage of social media when vetting candidates. Jobvite found that recruiters rate referrals as the highest source of quality candidates, but social networks followed closely. A substantial 64 per cent of recruiters stated referrals, while 59 per cent stated social networks.
This means, basically, that recruiters will screen candidates by investigating Facebook profiles, Twitter accounts and Instagram pages.
Recruiters are networking on social media
Social media platforms are more than just a way for recruiters to see what a candidate is like outside of the professional space, platforms like LinkedIn are a way to actually network online. This website, and others like it, enable recruiters to reach out to potential candidates and post advertisements.
A Jobvite survey found that 94 per cent of recruiters use LinkedIn, and 66 per cent use Facebook.
What you need to do
Adjust your privacy settings
By default, many social networks allow anonymous viewers to see the pictures and content you post. These could be profile pictures or status updates. For the recruiter, these are a way to see whether or not you're a good fit for the organisation. Adjust your privacy settings so only friends and followers can see what you post. Otherwise, you may want to:
Keep your social media pages professional
If you'd like to keep pages open, the best way to make a good impression on recruiters is by keeping your pages clean. These pages are often how you're represented online, so lean on the side of caution when uploading pictures and making posts.
If you're looking to find your next position, but want to speak to the experts first, don't hesitate to get in touch with the team at Flexi Personnel today.
