Preview

Social Media in the Hiring Process

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1126 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Social Media in the Hiring Process
A current and somewhat controversial topic regarding the hiring process is employers’ use of social media screening. The most popular sites to be checked are Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter and now more than ever, companies are looking on the Internet to see if applicants are active on these social media websites (Swallow). Harris Interactive conducted a survey of 2,303 respondents from February 9, 2012 through March 2, 2012 to find out how many companies used social media sites to check on job applicants. The results showed that 37 percent of respondents indicated their companies used social media web sites to check on job candidates. Sixty-five percent indicated they were looking to see if a job candidate appeared professional and 51 percent indicated that they were checking to see if the candidate would be a good match in the company’s culture (“Social Media A Big Part of Hiring Process”). Another survey done by a social media monitoring service, Reppler, reveals even higher results. Their study found that over 90 percent of recruiters and hiring managers have visited a potential candidate’s profile on a social network as part of the screening process. The study also shows that 69 percent of recruiters have rejected a candidate based on content found on his or her social networking profiles although 68 percent say that they have actually hired a candidate based on his or her activity on those sites. The most common reasons for rejection include lies about qualifications, inappropriate photos (racy or indicative of drug or alcohol use), negative comments about a previous employer, and poor communication skills. The most common reasons that an employer has hired someone after viewing his or her social media profile include demonstration of a positive personality and good organizational fit, evident creativity, and good references posted by others (Swallow). Although screening social media profiles can provide employers with a wealth of useful


Cited: Ahearn, Tom. "Social Network Screening by Employers May Make Companies Unattractive to Job Applicants." ESR News: Background Check News from Employment Screening Resources (ESR) ». N.p., 10 July 2012. Web. 18 Oct. 2012. <http://www.esrcheck.com/wordpress/2012/07/10/social-network-screening-by-employers-may-make-companies-unattractive-to-job-applicants/>. Michale, Robert. "Using Facebook To Screen Potential Hires Can Get You Sued." Fast Company. N.p., 20 July 2012. Web. 18 Oct. 2012. <http://www.fastcompany.com/1843142/using-facebook-screen-potential-hires-can-get-you-sued>. Quast, Lisa. "Recruiting, Reinvented: How Companies Are Using Social Media In The Hiring Process." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 21 May 2012. Web. 18 Oct. 2012. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/lisaquast/2012/05/21/recruiting-reinvented-how-companies-are-using-social-media-in-the-hiring-process/>. Quast, Lisa. "Social Media, Passwords, and the Hiring Process: Privacy and Other Legal Rights." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 28 May 2012. Web. 18 Oct. 2012. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/lisaquast/2012/05/28/social-media-passwords-and-the-hiring-process-privacy-and-other-legal-rights/>. "Social Media a Big Part of Hiring Process." UPI. N.p., 18 Apr. 2012. Web. 18 Oct. 2012. <http://www.upi.com/Business_News/2012/04/18/Social-media-a-big-part-of-hiring-process/UPI-39211334725479/>. "Sterling Infosystems - Why Screen?" Sterling Infosystems - Why Screen? N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2012. <http://www.sterlinginfosystems.com/why-screen.htm>. Swallow, Erica. "How Recruiters Use Social Networks to Screen Candidates [INFOGRAPHIC]." Mashable. N.p., 23 Oct. 2011. Web. 18 Oct. 2012. <http://mashable.com/2011/10/23/how-recruiters-use-social-networks-to-screen-candidates-infographic/>.
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Tanglewood Case-3
    • 2541 Words
    • 11 Pages

    Tanglewood Case-3

    "Social Media Recruiting - The Passive Job Seeker Solution." Social Media Recruiting - The Passive Job Seeker Solution. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2012.…

    • 2541 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Project Proposal Mis535
    • 405 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Project Proposal Mis535

    The recruiting tools utilized generate unneeded costs for the company and it only reaches a limited audience, proposing social media recruiting not only as advertisement but also as a recruiting tool, will reach a wider audience and possible passive job seekers.…

    • 405 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Business Level 3 Unit 13 P1
    • 449 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Business Level 3 Unit 13 P1

    Some organizations are using Web 2.0 technologies to search for recruits online through social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace. Websites such as Linkedin, which provide personal profiles, can be consulted. Other organizations are providing 'blogs' from existing employees covering their experiences in working for the organization.…

    • 449 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Hrm 531 Week 4 Job Analysis Paper
    • 1663 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Hrm 531 Week 4 Job Analysis Paper

    The technique an organization employs for its recruiting practice depends on how employment opportunities come available. However, the size of an organization will have an effect on recruitment functions. Job analysis is considered to be the cornerstone of an (HRM). Therefore, internal selection of candidates can come through employee profiling (Snell and Bohlander, 2013). In most cases, larger firms may provide their own intranet websites for job opportunities that come available. There are employees that meet additional qualifications in other positions within the organization. In addition, electing to recruit internally can also cut cost for advertisement. Hiring internally allows the organization to find employees that quality for other jobs openings. On the other hand, recruiting externally is another way organizations are adopting a source for posting career opportunities. Organizations are using Facebook now as their social network. More and more people are seeking job opportunities through social networking. In addition, organizations have started to create their own facebook page as a way of promoting career opportunities as well (Snell and Bohlander, 2013). Recruiters have also taken out ads to post or attract external employment opportunities that come available. One reason for hiring externally is to avoid losing top performers of the…

    • 1663 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Elejalde-Ruiz Analysis
    • 146 Words
    • 1 Page

    Elejalde-Ruiz Analysis

    The article is expressing social media if for recruiters verifying job applicants. Social media helps with details of the applicant such as ethnicity,age,religion, and health. Positive reasons to search someone's, such as job candidates or employees, social media profile could appear if they are artistic, not socially awkward, and in the occasion has a particularly grounded life.…

    • 146 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Would You Mind, Can I Have Your Facebook Password?
    • 831 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Would You Mind, Can I Have Your Facebook Password?

    Social media has connected the entire world to one another. It has become a cornerstone of communication in the 21st century with websites such as Google, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to name a few. Since this large boom in social media usage in the past 10 years, many issues have arose with it as well. One of these issues was addressed and discussed in the essay, “Why Asking for a Job Applicant’s Facebook Password is Fair Game” by Alfred Edmond Jr. Edmond’s main argument is that, from the perspective of the business owner, it is appropriate for the employer to ask a job applicant for their Facebook password before being hired. The reasons that he gives for this are in multitude (Edmond, 2012).…

    • 831 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Blown To Bits: A Case Study
    • 382 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Blown To Bits: A Case Study

    Social media, a digital platform that has gained a great proportion of users, develops a well-connected digital society. Workplace and professional people are not expelled from this digital society and according to Career Builder, an end-to-end human capital solutions company focused on helping employers find, hire and manage great talent, the use of social media has helped companies find virtuous qualities of candidates such as good personality, background information that fortifies their…

    • 382 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    The impact of the Internet on Practices of Recruitment
    • 1889 Words
    • 8 Pages

    The impact of the Internet on Practices of Recruitment

    Evaluate the impact of the Internet on practices for recruitment and selection employed by firms.…

    • 1889 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Distraction Of Social Media In The Workplace
    • 482 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Distraction Of Social Media In The Workplace

    Social media can be distracting in the workplace. People are constantly checking their social media accounts throughout the day. People often find themselves using social media when they are supposed to be focus on their work. For some people it is hard to balance work and social media. In the article Examining Applicants Reactions to the Use of Social Networking Websites in Pre-Employment Screenings by J. William Stroughton, Lori Foster Thompson, and Adam W. Meade says, “The use of social networking websites has proliferated in recent years (73).” In recent years’ social media has become more a distraction to people in the workplace. Social media has become more of a factor in peoples’ everyday life which is not good. This means that social media is starting to take over peoples’ life.…

    • 482 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Should Employers Use Social Media when making Hiring Decisions?
    • 4480 Words
    • 18 Pages

    Should Employers Use Social Media when making Hiring Decisions?

    An employer turns down a job application after seeing on the candidate’s Facebook profile that they are a heavy drinker. A company rejects an application after seeing on Twitter that the candidate is a Muslim with a veil around her head. Another employer rejects an application after seeing on their Facebook profile that they use derogatory terms when commenting on pictures and posts. These examples illustrate how technology has changed the way companies screen prospective employees and how these may eventually lead to legal implications based on protected grounds. In this rapidly-growing world where technology is accessible almost everywhere, employers and recruiters are utilizing technological methods to screen and evaluate prospective employees. In order to ensure the candidates are right for the position, employers are looking far beyond just resumes and interviews by reviewing their personal social networking sites out of which Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter are the most popular. This has also landed some employers in trouble as there are legal issues in interfering into others’ privacy. Statistics have shown that most employers and recruiters admit to using social media as an evaluation tool for recruiting. Data analysis has also showed that most candidates are aware of employers viewing their information through social media which could also indicate that potential employees may polish their social networking sites to appeal to their prospective employer. Majority of candidates claimed that they do not have anything to hide on their profile and do not see their profile as private information. Some candidates agree that employers do have a right to use the information online in decision making. Internet screening presents new opportunities as well as challenges for hiring as it is able to reveal job-relevant and irrelevant information about the candidate, which may not be available through other resources. Although it is not illegal for employers…

    • 4480 Words
    • 18 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Best Essays

    need Access
    • 596 Words
    • 3 Pages

    need Access

    Delaney, J. (2013). EMPLOYER USE OF FACEBOOK AND ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORKS TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST APPLICANTS FOR EMPLOYMENT AND EMPLOYEES: AN ANALYSIS BALANCING THE RISKS OF HAVING A FACEBOOK ACCOUNT AND THE NEED FOR PROTECTIVE LEGISLATION. Labor Law Journal, 64(2), 86-102.…

    • 596 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Best Essays
    Read More
  • Best Essays

    Society's Social Redefinition
    • 2198 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Society's Social Redefinition

    Employers struggle to get policies on social media. (2011, January 30). The Blade. Retrieved January 31, 2011, from The Blade Web site: http:/ / toledoblade.com…

    • 2198 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Best Essays
    Read More
  • Best Essays

    Exploratory Essay on Student Issues
    • 2220 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Exploratory Essay on Student Issues

    Employers have difficult decisions to make when hiring employees and they want to use all the resources that are available to find out who the applicants really are. When we apply for jobs, we work hard to put our best foot forward and employers often want to know what we are really like. Information on the Internet is one way to see how an individual interacts with friends and family, personal issues he or she may have, and problems he or she may have. Many of us may feel it is an invasion of our privacy to have employers looking at our personal relationships or how we use our private time. However, we need to accept that information we put on the Internet, whether it is on Facebook,…

    • 2220 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Best Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Social Media in the Workplace
    • 615 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Social Media in the Workplace

    A growing hot topic, and cause for concern is the increasing use of social media in the workplace. The landscape for communication has changed, and the line between personal and professional communications has been blurred. How will your employer manage the risks associated with the use of social media and at the same time, gain the benefits that this media form provides? While many employers were initially concerned that employees would use company time and equipment for socializing with friends, they are quickly learning that many social networks can also be used directly for work purposes.…

    • 615 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Synthesis Essay On Social Media Hiring
    • 478 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Synthesis Essay On Social Media Hiring

    Therefore businesses and colleges are using social media as a place to look for additional information. Colleges and employers are looking for partial information to add to the applicant's profile. There are fair amounts of reasons why it is appropriate for employers and colleges to check applicant’s social media profile. the First utmost reason is every individual on social media is portraying certain image and employers and colleges are looking for a presentable image because they do not want to embarrass their schools and companies. Schiffman Elizabeth state that “ in all cases, the intent was to protect the school from potential embarrassment” ( source C ). Colleges and employers compare and contrast the applicant’s social and professional life. How one presents him or herself is very important because the way the individual present him or herself is how that individual is going to present the company or college. One's good public image is very necessary. Cartwright, Jeffrey also stated that " at Harvard, the demand for all information available pushes the university to turn to social networking sites. and admissions counselors who check social networking sites are mostly looking for content that people would find objectionable like racist comments or would raise concerns about the student" ( source C ). It is all about portraying oneself in an…

    • 478 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics