It involves researching a prospect’s social media profiles and their activity, including what they post, like and comment on. Some of the platforms they are likely to check are LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and WhatsApp. Generally, employers are looking for any red flags.
Do employers really look at social media?
The short answer is yes. It is completely legal for employers to check employees’ social media profiles. Some states even allow employers to solicit social media usernames and passwords from their workers. In general, state and federal privacy laws dictate what employers can and cannot ask for.
What are red flags on social media for employers?
Job candidate posted provocative or inappropriate photographs, videos or information: 40 % Job candidate posted information about them drinking or using drugs: 36% Job candidate had discriminatory comments related to race, gender, religion, etc.: 31% Job candidate was linked to criminal behavior: 30%
Can I get fired for posting on Instagram?
Posting pictures, comments or videos of illegal activity are bound to get you fired (at the very least).
Do employers check social media before hiring?
Social media sites such as Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram have given many organizations a new hiring tool. According to a 2018 CareerBuilder survey, 70% of employers check out applicants’ profiles as part of their screening process, and 54% have rejected applicants because of what they found.
Can employers fire you for social media?
Since California is an at-will employment state — and California Labor Code 2922 states that at-will employees “may be terminated at the will of either party on notice to the other” — employers can fire employees for anything, including their social media posts.
What are the top three things employers look for in your social profiles?
Are you articulate, intelligent, and friendly, or are you argumentative, belligerent, and foul-mouthed? Most importantly, employers want to see if the information you’ve listed about your education, experience and previous jobs matches up with what you listed in your resume.
What do employers look for on social media?
Use social media to your benefit.
The Harris Poll surveyed over 1,000 employers and found that 67% of them look for information that supports a candidate’s qualifications to get them through the door. [Including your social media handles on your resume shows employers that you’re confident in your online presence.]
Is it fair for employers to look at Facebook?
Antidiscrimination laws.
An employer who looks at an applicant’s Facebook page or other social media posts could well learn information that it isn’t entitled to have or consider during the hiring process. This can lead to illegal discrimination claims.
What are some social media red flags that might discourage an employer from hiring an applicant?
Posts inappropriate photos and information
Your applicants have left their high school and college days behind, and they should leave the pictures from those times behind as well. No more posting seductive pictures or statuses on an essentially public forum. Professionals should know better.
What social media posts can get you fired?
8 Social Media Posts that Can Get You Fired
- Political posts.
- Racist, sexist, discriminatory remarks.
- Work complaints and frustrations.
- Confidential information.
- Grammatical errors in profiles and web content.
- “Sick” Day.
- Social media networking during work time.
- Job search posts.
How often do people get fired for social media posts?
In fact, 28 percent of employers report that they’ve fired people for using the Internet for non-work-related activity (such as shopping online or checking out Facebook, for example) during the workday and 18 percent have dismissed employees because of something they posted on social media, according to CareerBuilder.
What jobs should you not post on social media?
What Not to Share on Social Media When Job Searching
- Complaints About Your Current Job or Employer.
- Strong Opinions and Rants.
- Current Work-Related Plans or Projects.
- Excessive Status Updates.
- Overly Personal Photos.
- Home Address and Phone Numbers.
- Bad Grammar and Poor Etiquette.
Can employers see your search history?
With the help of employee monitoring software, employers can view every file you access, every website you browse and even every email you’ve sent. Deleting a few files and clearing your browser history does not keep your work computer from revealing your internet activity.
How can social media prevent you from getting a job?
Interviews don’t start with firm handshakes anymore. They start with Google and Facebook searches. Social media has been around for more than 10 years (Facebook, MySpace, Friendster, etc), and professionals still post inappropriate and irrelevant information that compromises their chance of getting an interview.
Why employers should not check social media?
Employers Risk Lawsuits If They Don’t Conduct a Legal Social Media Background Check. This is the single most important reason employers shouldn’t run social media screens on their own. When done improperly, a social media background check can put your organization at risk for lawsuits.
Can an employer take action on social media posts made by an employee outside working hours?
Yes. An employer may face liability if it is aware of discriminatory harassment—even if it is done through an employee’s personal social media use and outside of work hours—if the conduct creates a hostile work environment, , depending on the facts and evidence in a particular case.
Why do good employees get fired?
Assuming that you are performing your job satisfactorily and not acting crazy at work, firing an employee(s) is a business decision that companies make from time to time. The decision boils down to the fact that your skill set is not aligned with what the company needs from your position at a particular moment in time.
Can you get fired for cursing on social media?
In general, employers have the power to fire employees for any lawful reason–including for what they post on social media.
Is it legal to use social media in the hiring process?
Bottom line: a compliant social media screening is legal, and you should consider it an extension of the traditional background screening process.
Can social media ruin your career?
However, chances are you’re better off spelling everything out. Otherwise, you could be losing jobs because of it. A Jobvite survey found that 66 percent of employers look negatively upon poor spelling and grammar on social media. Any comment meant to offend another person or group could cost you your job.
