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You want the best job candidates to apply for roles with your organization. In many instances, you have the opportunity to pursue candidates across a large talent pool. Yet, as you search for the ideal candidate to fill a role, you should check out their social media activity. Otherwise, you may inadvertently hire a candidate that falls short of your expectations.  

Why You Need to Examine Job Candidates’ Social Media Activity  

Research indicates that most companies conduct online research to learn about job candidates. On top of that, most businesses look at candidates’ social media activity before they make their final hiring decision.  

By evaluating a job candidate’s social media activity, you can get a better idea of who this individual is and what he or she is all about. Plus, you can watch for social media activity red flags that may deter you from hiring this individual.  

Common social media activity red flags that can impact a company’s decision to hire a job candidate include:  

• Posting inappropriate or provocative content 
• Sharing content that indicates a candidate uses drugs or alcohol 
• Publishing content in which a candidate bad-mouths a past or current employer or coworker 

Along with these things, you may find social media content about a candidate that indicates this individual lied about their background, skills, and expertise. In this scenario, it may be in your best interest to move forward with other candidates. You can also learn from the experience and revamp your hiring process to ensure you can quickly and easily identify the best candidates.  

Tips to Help You Watch for Social Media Activity Red Flags Among Job Candidates 

To find the ideal candidates to apply for jobs, you should promote your organization the right way. You can publish your job postings on LinkedIn and other social media websites. From here, you can showcase your organization and boost your chances of getting top talent to apply for jobs with it.  

As candidates apply for roles with your company, it helps to have a social media screening policy in place. This policy defines the practices that you’ll use to assess candidates’ social media activity. It should include consistent practices that you’ll use any time a candidate applies for a role with your organization.  

During a social media activity screening, you can look at a job candidate’s social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other social media platforms. You can start with a search of a candidate’s first and last name on these platforms. Also, you can look on Google and other search engines for information about a candidate.  

Lastly, look at the results of your social media screening in conjunction with all of the other information that you’ve gathered about a candidate. At this point, if you feel comfortable with the candidate, you can add this individual to your team.  

Get Help with Your Talent Search Today!

Elby Professional Services can help you add transformative talent right away. To learn more about our talent recruitment services, please contact us today.