Employee Social Media Background Checks

Employers will take a look at your resume, your LinkedIn profile, and cover letter, but they will also take a glimpse of your life outside of work culture to get a bigger picture of who you are.

This means hiring managers will do online searches for your name to see what they find, and will likely take a look at your social media.

The reality is, your personal social media can be a deal-breaker for hiring managers and can affect your job opportunities. If you find yourself not moving forward in your job search, be sure to check your social media.

Why Do Employers Check Social Media?

Employers want to learn everything they can about a candidate before continuing with the hiring process. As much as you want to work for the right company, they also need to screen candidates for red flags.

Security

Companies want to hire people that they can trust. Employees often have access to sensitive organizational data, and hiring managers need to do everything they can to make sure you don’t pose any type of security risk.

Professionalism

Employers can tell whether or not you will act professionally at work based on whether or not you ask professionally online. Doing a social media check on job candidates can uncover any negative or inappropriate behavior.

Reputation

In order for a company to ensure its own reputation, they need to make sure its employees have a positive reputation as well. If you have had some kind of online scandal in the past, this can reflect badly on the company, and they may choose to not hire you.

Verification

As many as 78% of job seekers either lie or exaggerate their skills on their resumes. However, not as many people will take the time to go through all of their social media activity to make sure it matches up. All it takes is an easy Google search for an employer to find out if you have lied about your skills.

How Can Social Media Affect Job Opportunities?

Potential employers will often use LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter profiles to find out more information about you – good or bad. As many as 61% of employers who researched potential candidates on social media decided not to hire based on the contents of their profiles.

What Should You Not Do On Social Media When Looking For a Job?

Don’t let a negative social media presence get in the way of a new career. Avoid making these social networking mistakes:

Complain All The Time

A lot of people vent on their social media profiles, but you have to be careful about this. Airing all of your grievances out in the open will show new employers that you lack discretion. Complaining about previous employers will reflect poorly on you, as well as complaining about every little thing that annoys you.

Make Inappropriate Comments

Hiring managers want to make sure the people they are hiring will be agreeable and approachable in the workplace. If you make a lot of controversial statements, offensive jokes, get into arguments, or are just plain rude online, companies will notice.

Post Inappropriate Photos

Keep anything that could paint you in a negative way off of the internet. Whether it’s a risque selfie, photos of you engaging in illegal activity, or a picture from a wild party – it’s best to keep it offline.

Make Spelling Mistakes

An occasional spelling mistake is bound to happen from time to time. However, you should be mindful when you are writing your posts online. Check them over for spelling mistakes so that you come across as articulate and professional as possible.

Post Nothing

Social media has its downsides, but you can also use it to your advantage. Having absolutely no online presence can even seem suspicious to some people. Use these platforms to highlight your skills, accomplishments, and all the good things you do.

How To Prepare For A Social Media Screening

More employers turn to social media before making a hiring decision. As a job applicant, here’s what you can do to prepare for this

• Use the privacy settings on social media
• Choose the right username that reflects you in a professional way!
• Take down pictures and posts you wouldn’t want an employer to see
• Untag yourself from photos others have uploaded of you
• Remove any posts that paint you in a negative light
• Update your LinkedIn profile to look as professional as possible
• Google yourself and set up Google Alerts for your name
• Update your employment on social media sites

Closing: How Social Media Affects Job Interviews

Social media has the power to impact your job opportunities, but it doesn’t have to be for the worse! By using social media to your advantage, you can improve your online reputation and land the career of your dreams.

If you need help improving your online presence, the professional team at Reputation911 is here to help. We will create a custom plan to improve your image online. Contact us today for a free consultation.