Employers and hiring managers are looking for red flags on social media posts by applicants. Recent studies report that 88 percent of employers would fire current employees for certain types of content posted online.
However, conducting a social media background check manually can have limitations. Hiring a reputable company to search is one way to ensure it is done legally and accurately.
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Know Your Legal Requirements
Social media background checks have become a popular tool to help employers learn more about potential employees. However, knowing your legal requirements before checking social media on a potential employee is essential. According to experts, social media background searches are a detailed examination of an individual’s online content, such as posts, pictures, or other content. It includes looking for red flags that may indicate a negative personality or character traits, such as bullying, racism, extreme religious or political views, and excessive foul language.
As with any other background check, a company must get consent from the candidate for a social media screening before proceeding. This is required by federal law. It is also critical to only review public content; asking for passwords or friend requests can violate privacy laws in many states. It is also important to document the reasons for not hiring a particular candidate, as this can be used in a discrimination lawsuit.
While a human resources manager can do a social media screen on an applicant, it is best to outsource this function to a third party that is FCRA certified and has experience with these kinds of searches. This will avoid biased decisions from one person and help ensure all candidates are screened equally.
Know the Platforms
With over 4.2 billion users worldwide (likely increasing post-pandemic), finding people with large social media footprints is unsurprising. In addition to Facebook (where users spend an average of 33 minutes daily), there is Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and many more. These platforms offer information about the user’s beliefs, values, and attitudes. Whether they’re supporting a charity, cheering their favorite sports team, or sharing photos of their children, it’s essential to consider the impact an employee’s online behavior can have on the organization.
Social media searches are also important because they can uncover warning signs of illegal activities or inappropriate content. If these are uncovered, they can save a company money and reputational damage down the road. Discrimination claims are another reason why it’s imperative that any social media screening is left in the hands of experts who understand what can and cannot be found. A quality vendor should be able to provide an ethical and compliant search that is legally permitted. They should also be able to limit results to business-related “actionable” information and redact protected class information when presenting the findings. This ensures the information can be shared with HR and managers who need it for hiring purposes. Moreover, it ensures that the information is presented fairly and accurately to all candidates.
Know the Privacy Settings
Many people share much personal information on social media, and some do not set their privacy settings to private. This means that it may be easy for an employer to find content on social media that could be deemed inappropriate, illegal, or contradicting the company’s policies. This can be a significant risk when hiring employees, and employers need to know that they should only be checking public profiles and not private ones.
It is also important to know that not all social media sites are the same and that the privacy settings on different platforms may vary significantly. This can affect how much information you can learn about an applicant. For example, Instagram is a platform that allows you to control who sees your posts, but this is only true of some sites. You must check each site’s privacy settings before deciding how extensive of a search you want to conduct.
Lastly, companies must understand that performing a social media background check can lead to discrimination claims if not done properly. It is important to follow all applicable laws and ensure that any search results are based on the facts about an applicant.
Know the Risks
Social media checks can be expensive, time-consuming, and they don’t always turn up useful information. Additionally, they can cause legal issues if not conducted correctly. For instance, if a candidate has a picture of them drinking, the employer may incorrectly assume that the employee isn’t fit for the company – even though the drink was in moderation and has nothing to do with their ability to perform the job. Candidates are also able to manipulate the information that shows up on their profiles. For example, they might write that they’re a misogynist on their profile but not mention it in the interview. Companies must hire third-party background screening providers for these searches to be compliant and avoid legal issues.
Finally, social media checks can emotionally drain current and potential employees. They can feel burdened, judged, untrusted, and irritated when they know employers are sifting through their personal lives. Using a skills test or other assessment methods is far better than rejecting a candidate based on their online post. This helps protect the candidate’s rights and can still provide valuable data for the hiring decision.
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