GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.- Social media profiles are becoming an increasingly important way to evaluate the employability of candidates during the hiring and recruiting process. When applying for a position at a company, a factor that is most commonly forgotten is social media. This factor alone could impact whether the employer will consider an application and can manipulate job searches if the right steps aren’t taken.
Employers are not only seeking to hire candidates who fit particular skill sets, but also someone who has the right presence in their social life displayed for the world to see. When companies hire candidates, their brand is directly tied to the individual’s brand and speaks to what they represent. The number of hiring managers and recruiting staff who are searching social media profiles is rising.
70% of employers “use social media to screen candidates before hiring.” Employers are likely to be looking to social media to understand candidates on a personal level.
How does social presence have an impact on hiring?
Employers prefer candidates to have some social media presence. 57% of employers said they were increasingly less likely to call someone if there was no personal profile on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and especially LinkedIn.
“Social media can have a significant impact during the hiring process. I look at candidates’ social media profiles to grasp if they would potentially be a good fit for our culture at FWF. I am more inclined to hire a candidate if their Instagram is appropriate and used as an outlet expressing who they are versus a candidate with inappropriate content posted on their social platforms.”
-Alyssa Hannan, People and Talent Manager at FWF
Content Matters
Social media is an entity that allows for personal expression, it shows who you are and what makes you unique. Through personal bio’s, shares, comments, likes, and status updates employers can get to know you.
Based on content found on their social media profiles, 54% of employers reported they chose not to hire a candidate. 44% have discovered content on a candidate’s social media profile that caused them to hire the candidate. Refreshing old content is imperative when it comes to maintaining a social profile.
Does privatizing social profiles make a difference?
One of the advantages of social media platforms is the ability to be able to display your content to public or private audiences by altering the settings. According to Elaine Varelas (2019), a professional with 30 years in career consulting, “a good practice is to keep all accounts private except LinkedIn.” Utilizing the privacy setting can sometimes be the make or break when hiring candidates.
Expressing Personality in Privacy
Making social profiles private is a great way to express a unique personality while privatizing social life outside of work. Privatizing profiles can allow users to express their identity within select groups and communities.
Overview
It is important to be conscious of what content is visible, especially in the presence of potential employers. Social platforms have more of an impact than they ever have before. Whether an employer searches a candidate’s name or social profile, it is important to keep content clean and be conscious of what is out there.
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