How Employers use Social Media for hiring

In this day and age, it is virtually impossible not to be influenced by platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Social media is essentially synonymous with the information age. An argument regarding its perceived benefits and potential drawbacks is a lengthy one. However, there can be no debate that social media has altered the landscape of communication in the 21^st century.

Technology and Recruitment

One of the various benefits of these platforms is that they are increasingly being utilized for recruitment.

Potential employers use social media to peruse through an applicant’s credentials as well as evaluating their professionalism and reliability. In addition, they may also gauge the applicant’s negative attributes in order to assess if they are fit for the role.

This process is known as cyber-vetting. Potential employers peruse through a candidate’s information to validate their feasibility for the job. This could be on search engines like Google or social networking portals such as Facebook and Twitter.

How Employers use Social Media

Typically, employers create a social media screening policy followed by creating screening questions for the specific role. Then they conduct the screening and prepare a report that is submitted to the hiring manager.

The primary step of establishing a social media screening policy is imperative. For instance, all hiring decisions must be non-discriminatory in nature. The human resource department should have the capability to carry out this task effectively.

Moreover, the social media screening takes place at an advanced stage of the interview process, in conjunction with references and a thorough background check. This is because attributes like religion, ethnicity, familial links and medical conditions are likely to arise when the check is being conducted and such revelations could potentially lead to discrimination if done earlier.

Given the legal implications involved, it is imperative for organizations to conduct screenings in an appropriate manner. In addition, the human resource department must determine which positions need to be screened. For example, shall screenings be regulated for all positions or only for higher level roles?

Certain jobs may be high profile and require public dealing, which would make screenings mandatory. Other roles lie on the other end of the spectrum and do not warrant social media screenings. The personnel involved in the process may not have enough time to do that for all prospective employees. In any case, the organization must ascertain which applicants must be screened.

As for the search itself, employers must conclude if they will evaluate any information that emerges online or if they plan to limit the search to particular websites like the aforementioned Facebook and Twitter. This will depend on the resources available to the organization since the actual process can prove time-consuming.

Generally, social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn are the most popular sites that are frequented by human resources when they are conducting employee screenings. A pertinent idea would be to expand their search and include professional websites that include online magazines and newspapers.

Finally, it is also significant to comprehend who the research will be presented to internally. The onus lies on the organization to use the information obtained properly. They must ensure that only relevant details found online are used when making recruitment decisions.

The human resource unit must be informed who they will report to when it comes to social media screenings. They must corroborate if the information acquired such as documentation and writing samples were validated effectively before submission.

If employers want to streamline their recruitment process, then they should opt for Prodoo. It is where you can find the best talent without any hassle.