One-in-Five Employers View Social Network Profiles of Potential Candidates
Remember that funny photo of you getting drunk that your friends posted to Facebook? No? Well, if it’s out there, anyone you interview with may have a look-see –possibly before meeting you in person. According to a nationwide survey of more than 3,100 employers from CareerBuilder.com, twenty-two percent of hiring managers said they check out the social network profiles of potential employees.
The good news is, a solid profile can give you an edge over others competing for the same job. I remember hearing about someone who lost out on a position simply because he had no “web presence.” Twenty-four percent of hiring managers who researched job candidates via social networking sites said they found content that helped to solidify their decision to hire the candidate. Factors that influenced their decision included:
48% – candidate’s background supported their qualifications for the job
43% – candidate had great communication skills
40% – candidate was a good fit for the company’s culture
36% – candidate’s site conveyed a professional image
31% – candidate had great references posted about them by others
30% – candidate showed a wide range of interests
29% – candidate received awards and accolades
24% – candidate’s profile was creative
On the other hand, a bad profile can put you out of the running. One third of the hiring managers said that content including the items listed below caused them to dismiss a candidate from consideration:
41% – candidate posted information about them drinking or using drugs
40% – candidate posted provocative or inappropriate photographs or information
29% – candidate had poor communication skills
28% – candidate bad-mouthed their previous company or fellow employee
27% – candidate lied about qualifications
22% – candidate used discriminatory remarks related to race, gender, religion, etc.
22% – candidate’s screen name was unprofessional
21% – candidate was linked to criminal behavior
19% – candidate shared confidential information from previous employers
Popularity: 4% [?]
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This entry was posted on Sunday, September 14th, 2008 at 4:37 pm and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
