Nowadays, employers tend to use social media networking sites as a means for assessing the behavior and conduct of candidates and job seekers. To behave well in online social spaces is just as important as you proving your very best before an interview board.
A recent infographic study, ‘The Role of Social Media in Pre-employment Candidate Screening: Statics and Trends‘, designed by Go-Gulf.com, a major web-design company, shed light on the key trends in virtual candidate screening.
Two out of five employers use social networking sites to screen candidates. Actually, what are they looking for in social media? 65% of employers evaluate candidates professionalism in terms of social conduct, the study asserts. 51% of employers evaluate whether the candidate is fit into the company’s culture. 45% evaluate the candidate’s qualification as well.
Keeping your good behavior and culture in social media is a must because employers can access lots of information to assist them in not hiring a certain candidate. Inappropriate content posted online, revelations about drinking and drug consuming habits, bad mouthing previous employers, poor communication skills, discriminatory comments and downright lying about qualifications – can all severely hinder your chances of hiring success online.
At the same time you can boost your better side through social media by posting professional images, showing good personality, communication skills and high creativity.
The most used social networking site to screen candidates is Facebook, with 76% users, then Twitter and LinkedIn, with 53% and 48% respectively. So, using online social networking platforms creatively is very important as it may become a trap by the bad use of it, or turn out to be a boom by showing your hidden gems.
