Do recruiters and employers check your LinkedIn, Facebook and other social profiles?
The answer is absolutely yes! Today, researching candidates on social media is almost always used in the recruitment process. I encourage every professional to stay on top of their digital footprint because it can equally aid or diminish the chances of you landing your next big role.
Think about all the things you get up to that you would not necessarily discuss at your job interview and consider these things are out on the table when weighing you up against someone else. Who you follow, what you say, what you like … whether it is right or wrong, all these things paint a picture of who you are and create perceptions about your suitability for the role and cultural fit.
Recruiters will also be on the lookout for information that supports or contradicts your qualifications for the job. So, how can you be more careful and strategic with your social media activity? Here are a few things to consider:
Make sure your LinkedIn professional experience is in sync with your CV otherwise you look sloppy and it begs the question as to whether you are entirely truthful.
Make sure you have a good quality profile photo. If possible get your headshot taken by a professional photographer. If you are in between jobs and are being extra careful with cash, use your iPhone (on high definition) to get a close up headshot shot in front of a white wall or interesting backdrop.
- Avoid alcohol and drug references on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram etc.
- Aggressive political, racial, religious etc opinions can be a warning sign for hiring managers.
- Profanity or ranting, even about a football match is not a good look.
- Spelling errors and grammatical mistakes are very ugly...“I must of been crazy to miss the twelth anniversery party of finishing highschool!”
- Never speak ill of any place of work of former boss.
- Choose your photos carefully. Photographic proof of lewd, tasteless or reckless behavior can be a huge turn off for employers.
- Slow down on the selfies; too many and too contrived can make you look narcissistic or obsessed with yourself.
- Make sure your photo tagging settings are permission based. Friends can inadvertently post unflattering pictures of you, so best to play it safe.
It’s not all bad however. On the other hand, social media profiles can score you serious points. Quality blog posts demonstrate a person’s writing and communication skills plus shows initiative and work ethic to go to such an effort. Hirers will also be very interested in who is in a your professional network and how valuable your industry connections are.
Employers are increasingly mandating ‘professional’ social activity as a term of employment and a KPI measurement. It is appealing for some employers to know whether a candidate has a natural flare or can provide added value by way of their activity in social media. Marketing strategy for many organisations is to publish and share original marketing content via their staff’s online social and professional network.
Social vetting is rapidly emerging as key element in the hiring process that can work for or against candidates. It can be very valuable for employers to learn what they are getting into when bringing a new person on board. A pile of applications only reveal some aspects of a person, but social media provides recruiters and hiring manager a window through which they can gather a lot more information.
Interested in finding a new position in 2018, or want to understand what the top recruiters are looking for within the financial services industry? Join FINSIA at our event What Recruiters Look For: Career Advice from Experts and receive career advice from recruitment experts. This informative session is suitable for all current working professionals, students and recent graduates. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A and networking with canapes.
This article has been republished with permission. Original published here.
