Using Social Media to Screen Candidates
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What recruiters tend to be looking for on social media
90% of recruiters and employers use social media to fill in the informational gaps on candidates during the hiring process. They are looking beyond the professional qualities presented on a resume and in an interview to find out more about a candidate’s personality and culture fit.
Here is a breakdown of what recruiters are looking for on each social media platform, as well as ways that candidates can improve their profiles to stand up to scrutiny.
What recruiters are looking for on social media profiles
1. LinkedIn
As the leading professional social network, LinkedIn is where job seekers and employers focus most of their attention. 90% of recruiters regularly use LinkedIn to find viable candidates for open positions and do research on those already in their funnel.
They are looking for profiles that match the qualifications sought for an open job search, your skills and professional experience, experiences outside of work like leadership roles in professional organizations, volunteering, and a well-rounded professional network. Red flags on LinkedIn include a poorly crafted or insufficient profile, misspellings, inconsistencies in a candidate’s professional record, exaggerated qualifications, criticizing a previous employer, and a weak professional network.
2. Facebook
Here, recruiters and employers are looking to get a sense of how candidates personally conduct themselves. They tend to focus on the About Me information, timeline posts, and photo albums to learn how candidates spend their free time, their personal beliefs, and how they conduct themselves when they're not trying to land a job.
Recruiters understand that candidates have personal lives and that Facebook is a more casual social platform than LinkedIn. However, profiles with multiple mentions of drinking, drugs, discriminatory language, and general inappropriate content will immediately throw up alarms that this candidate could be a liability.
3. Twitter
Recruiters evaluate the types of accounts a candidate follows, and the types of content posted. Is the candidate sharing useful information and connecting with others in the industry? Does the candidate share the same values as the company?
Posting outlandish and inflammatory content or using Twitter to fight with others tells recruiters that a candidate has a confrontational personality that may cause friction inside the company.
4. Instagram
Instagram is not as frequently checked by recruiters as Facebook and LinkedIn. However, as Millennials and Gen Zers take over the workforce, this may change.
Unsurprisingly, recruiters focus on the candidate's photos, captions, and comments to see how they represent themselves and interact with others. Provocative posts and inciting comments do not bode well when a recruiter is looking for a professional team player.
How candidates can prepare
47% of employers say they won’t call a person for an interview if they can’t find them online. Recruiters expect candidates to have some online presence, and there are steps candidates can take to put their best foot forward.
1. Conduct yourself professionally: Recruiters understand that you have a social life. But we also want to know that you take yourself seriously and represent yourself in alignment with company values. Review your profiles in their entirety and remove anything that’s overtly risqué or inflammatory.
2. Bolster your profiles: A few times a year, do an audit of your social profiles and make sure they reflect the best and most current version of you. This is especially important on LinkedIn. Update your experience, expand your network, and add enhancements like certifications and volunteering, where possible.
3. Stay consistent: One of the biggest red flags recruiters look for when combing social profiles is inconsistency. Make sure professional experience, accomplishments, hobbies, and interests are highlighted accurately.
Believe it or not, recruiters don’t expressly look through social profiles to dig up dirt. They are looking for information to round out candidates, get a sense of their personality, and make sure they would be an excellent cultural fit with a team. Candidates that keep a positive and consistent social media presence will be more sought after for their next professional opportunity.
Carrington Legal Search is celebrating 20 years in business: we were in the trenches with our clients during 9/11 and 2008. We partner with our clients to identify leaders and mission-critical talent to shore up and grow companies even during the most challenging times. We are here for you! To make our nationwide network work for you, get in touch at 512-627-7467 or email carrie@carringtonlegal.com.