Rhode Island employers looking at social media when hiring employees?

Posted on July 7, 2013

It looks like Rhode Island employers, among many others across the nation, are taking social media into consideration when hiring employees.

What they find is impacting their decision to hire, according to a new study from CareerBuilder.

Nationwide more than two in five (43 percent) hiring managers who currently research candidates via social media said they have found information that has caused them not to hire a candidate, up 9 percentage points from last year.

“Employers are using all the tools available to them to assure they make the correct hiring decision, and the use of social media continues to grow,” says Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder. “For job seekers it is essential to be aware of what information they’re making available to employers, and to manage their online image. At the same time, hiring managers and human resources departments must carefully consider how to use information obtained from social media and whether it is relevant to a candidate’s qualifications.”
Employers who took a candidate out of the running for a job after researching social media sites reported finding a variety of concerning content. Top mentions ranged from evidence of inappropriate behavior to information that contradicted their listed qualifications:

· Candidate posted provocative/inappropriate photos/info – 50 percent

· There was info about candidate drinking or using drugs – 48 percent

· Candidate bad mouthed previous employer – 33 percent

· Candidate had poor communication skills – 30 percent

· Candidate made discriminatory comments related to race, gender, religion, etc. – 28 percent

· Candidate lied about qualifications – 24 percent

At the same time, some employers also noted that they came across information on social media sites that made a candidate more attractive or solidified the decision to extend a job offer. One in five hiring managers (19 percent) said they found something that has caused them to hire a candidate – top mentions include:

· Candidate conveyed a professional image – 57 percent

· Got a good feel for candidate’s personality – 50 percent

· Candidate was well-rounded, showed a wide range of interests – 50 percent

· Candidate’s background information supported professional qualifications – 49 percent

· Candidate was creative – 46 percent

· Great communication skills – 43 percent

· Other people posted great references about the candidate – 38 percent