It is no secret that companies have long used credit checks as one of the many hurdles that are necessary to pass before a candidate is considered for employment. It should also be no secret that companies will also “Google” potential employees before even calling them in for an interview. What may be surprising is that now, companies are hiring people and companies to also do background checks and that a great deal of these background checks include a Social Media history component.
Job candidates should be aware that if the information is one the Internet, it is public information and any positive reference to professional honours and charitable work they may have will be juxtaposed against any online evidence of political affiliations, racist remarks, references to drugs, photos, text messages and videos. Not only will these companies report upon your personal exploits, they will also report upon what your friends and associates are doing. “Birds of a feather…”
On the ‘up-side’, these pre-employment screens will comply with federal and provincial regulations and remove all references to a person’s religion, ethnic background, marital status, sexual orientation and disabilities and all candidates are required to sign a waiver consenting to the pre-screen check before any such review is possible.
It has been reported that that as many as 75 percent of recruiters are required by their companies to do online research of candidates and that 70 percent of recruiters have reported that they have rejected candidates because of information they found on-line.
As a job seeker, you must always think about your social media presence. Is there information in your Social Media history that is unflattering and perhaps barred you from being considered for a particular employment opportunity? Perhaps doing a “Google” search on yourself is not enough. After all, you know what to look for. As a job seeker, it may be to your advantage to have a friend search for information about you on your behalf, so that you have a different view and summary with regard to what can be found.
Copyright © 2011, Career Matters. All Rights Reserved. Permission to Reprint: This article may be reprinted, provided it appears in its entirety with the following attribution: Copyright © 2011, Career Matters. Reprinted by permission of the author, Mary Salvino. “Career Matters” is a blog hosted by Mary Salvino, Senior Consultant for SMART Career Planning.com. This blog is dedicated to those who are seeking advice on managing their career and future job opportunities. We welcome readers to share their experiences, post their comments or ask questions about career related matters. For any questions or comments that are better addressed privately, please feel free to e-mail Mary directly at Mary.Salvino@shaw.ca
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