As a recruiter, you know how challenging it can be to screen candidates and fill open positions with the right talent. There are many ways to assess candidates before hiring, such as reviewing their resumes, conducting interviews, checking references, and running legal background checks. But are these methods enough to give you a holistic view of the candidates and how they fit in with your company culture and expectations? That’s where a social media background check comes in handy.
If you’re looking for a way to gain more insights into your candidates’ personality, behavior, and values, a social media background check is one way to go, especially in a fast-paced recruitment scene such as today. In this article, we’ll explain what a social media background check is, what benefits it can bring to your hiring process, what red flags to look for on social media, and what tool you can use to conduct social media background checks efficiently and legally.
What is a Social Media Background Check?
A social media background check is the practice of reviewing a candidate’s social media and web presence to learn about them as a person and how they might fit in with the employer’s culture and expectations. It can be done by employers, recruiters, or screening agencies and can reveal information that is not available on a resume or cover letter. It usually involves scanning public profiles and posts on major social media platforms and is more relevant to some positions than others.
A social media background check is not the same as snooping or stalking someone online. It is done with the consent of the candidate and follows the guidelines of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to ensure compliance and fairness. A social media background check should also be consistent and objective, using predefined criteria and keywords to flag potential risks or issues.
Tools For Running a Social Media Background Check
Conducting social media background checks manually can be time-consuming and tedious. You have to search for each candidate’s profile on different platforms, scroll through their posts and comments, and look for any relevant or concerning information. You also have to document your findings and make sure you follow the legal and ethical guidelines.
There are automated tools that can help you streamline your recruitment process while allowing you to assess candidates through social media channels. An ATS (Applicant Tracking System) lets you do exactly that. It helps you manage your hiring workflow from posting jobs to hiring candidates. An ATS like Manatal also comes with the Social Media Enrichment feature, which enables you to get to know your candidates beyond their CVs.
Within a few clicks, Manatal quickly goes through the web and enriches your candidates’ profiles from their available social media accounts such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and GitHub. You can also see their posts and activities on social media and get a glimpse of their personality and behavior, helping you learn more about candidates and make more informed decisions.
Sourcing candidates shouldn't be hard.
Candidate profile enrichment via social media
Benefits of Social Media Background Check
Social media background checks can provide valuable information that can help you make better hiring decisions. Here are some of the benefits of checking a candidate’s social media:
- Vetting culture fit: Some people post about their values, goals, and personality on their social media profiles, allowing you to get a sense of how they could contribute to the company culture. You can also see how they interact with others online, such as their friends, colleagues, or customers.
- Verifying credentials: Social media enables you to confirm the details on a candidate’s resume or cover letter, such as their education, work history, skills, achievements, or awards. You can also check if they have any endorsements or recommendations from their network.
- Identifying red flags: You can spot any signs of unprofessionalism, dishonesty, discrimination, harassment, violence, substance abuse, or illegal activity on a candidate’s social media that could pose a risk to your company’s reputation or safety.
- Discovering hidden talents: Through a social media background check, you can uncover any skills or interests that a candidate may not have mentioned on their application but could be relevant or beneficial to the position or the company. For example, you may find out that they have a blog, a podcast, or a portfolio that showcases their creativity or expertise.
How to Do a Social Media Background Check
Step 1: Obtain consent
Before conducting a social media background check on a candidate, it is important to obtain their consent. Make sure to inform them that you will be looking into their social media profiles as part of the hiring process and get their permission to do so.
Step 2: Determine relevant platforms
Identify which social media platforms are most relevant to the job position and industry. Common platforms to check include Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and professional networking sites like AngelList or GitHub. Focus on platforms where the candidate is active and where they may share information related to their professional life.
Step 3: Conduct the search
Start by entering the candidate’s full name, email address, and any usernames they may use on social media platforms into search engines like Google. Use quotation marks around the name to search for exact matches. This will help you locate profiles that may be associated with the candidates.
Step 4: Review public profiles
Once you have found the candidate’s social media profiles, review their public posts, photos, comments, and interactions. Look for any red flags such as offensive language, inappropriate photos, discriminatory remarks, or negative comments about previous employers. Pay attention to how they present themselves online and whether it aligns with the company's values.
Step 5: Evaluate professionalism
Assess the candidate’s professionalism on social media. Look for indications of good communication skills, industry knowledge, and positive interactions with others. Evaluate whether the candidate’s online presence reflects a professional image that would be suitable for the job.
Step 6: Consider bias and legality
Be mindful of potential biases that may arise from reviewing a candidate’s social media profiles. Focus on job-related information and avoid making decisions based on protected characteristics such as race, religion, gender, or age. Ensure that your social media background check complies with legal regulations and does not violate any privacy laws.
Step 7: Document findings
Finally, keep detailed records of your social media background check findings. Note any relevant information that may impact the hiring decision, as well as any steps taken to address concerns or follow up with the candidate.
Checklist for Candidates with Bad Signs
While social media can reveal positive aspects of a candidate’s character, it can also expose some negative ones that could make them unsuitable for the job. Here are some red flags that you should look for on social media:
- Inconsistent information: If a candidate’s social media profile contradicts their resume or cover letter in terms of their education, work experience, skills, or achievements, it could indicate that they are lying or exaggerating about their qualifications.
- Badmouthing: A candidate’s negative posts about their current or previous employers, coworkers, clients, or competitors; made in bad faith, could suggest that they have poor work ethics, communication skills, or professionalism.
- Discrimination: If a candidate expresses or supports any form of discrimination based on race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or any other protected characteristic, it could imply that they have biased or prejudiced attitudes that could harm your company’s diversity and inclusion efforts.
- Harassment: A candidate who engages in or condones any form of harassment such as bullying, cyberstalking, sexual harassment, or threats could be a sign that they have violent or abusive tendencies that could endanger your company’s safety and well-being.
- Violence: Posts or shares from a candidate that depicts or glorifies violence, such as weapons, fights, crimes, or terrorism could tell you that they have aggressive or extremist views that could pose a threat to your company or society.
- Substance abuse: If a candidate displays or admits any signs of illegal substance abuse, it could suggest that they have addiction problems that could affect their performance, health, or judgment.
- Illegal activity: A candidate who participates in or advocates any illegal activity, such as fraud, theft, hacking, or piracy, could imply that they have criminal records or intentions that could jeopardize your company’s security or compliance.
- Unprofessionalism: Inappropriate language, usage of toxic slurs, and posts indicating behavior that is destructive or destructive for others is also a red flag for making sure unprofessional behavior is avoided for your company.
Conclusion
Conducting thorough background checks on candidates is a key step in the hiring process. Social media can serve as a valuable tool to gain deeper insight into a candidate's personality, values, and professionalism. However, it is important to approach social media background checks with caution and consideration for privacy and discrimination issues. Before conducting such checks, it is essential to establish clear guidelines and policies and ensure that the information gathered is relevant to the job in question. Incorporating social media background checks into the recruitment process responsibly helps you make more informed hiring decisions and ultimately build stronger, more successful teams.
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