Is it time to clean up your social media profiles? Source: Shutterstock
Recruiters stalking your LinkedIn page would most likely not come as a surprise to you. But what about your Facebook profile, your Twitter feed, and even your Instagram?
The silly memes you tag your friends in, the pictures of you and your friends on the latest boozy vacation, and the rant you just tweeted on your train journey home. Are these things a recruiter might actually be interested in?
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Well, it turns out that these personal details might be exactly what your potential employer is keeping tabs on. Your activity on social media can help recruiters get a more accurate image of the person outside of the information you provide on the resume.
While your resume and application can tell an employer about your qualifications and career history, your social media profile can give them a more authentic idea of whether you would make a good fit for the company culture.
With over 3 billion active social media users today, with each user having an average of 5.54 social media accounts, it is no wonder that social media platforms are becoming such an important part of the hiring process.
According to a survey conducted by CareerBuilder, seventy percent of employers are already using social media to screen candidates before hiring.
Here’s what recruiters are actually looking for when scoping out your profiles.
When heading to your Facebook page, recruiters are likely to focus their attention on your “about me” section, your photo albums, and your general timeline.
They’ll be checking to see if how you describe yourself matches up to how you’ve described yourself in your resume.
On top of this, your photo album will give recruiters a chance to see how you present yourself outside of work. Are you presenting yourself in a professional way? Or perhaps it’s time to have a quick scan through your tagged photos?
Social media has become a major part of the recruiting process. Source: Shutterstock
Recruiters may also take a look at what kind of pages and people you are interacting with on the platform.
For instance, extreme viewpoints relating to religion, race or politics could portray you in an unfavorable way to employers.
Recruiters will be scanning through your tweets to see what kind of content you’re posting.
It would be wise to take a look through your tweeting history and delete anything that doesn’t portray you in the best light.
For instance, rants about work colleagues or getting into “Twitter feuds” with others will only show negativity and may portray you as a difficult person to work with.
Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me "old," when I would NEVER call him "short and fat?" Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend – and maybe someday that will happen!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 12, 2017
While Twitter is generally a more personal place to share your thoughts, many people use the platform for their professional self also.
Therefore, it will be great to share and engage with content relevant to your trade. This will show recruiters that you have a genuine, authentic passion for your job outside the realms of your resume and LinkedIn.
Recruiters may head over to your Instagram profile to get a grasp of how you interact with your followers. How friendly and social are you? And what kind of followers do you attract?
These details will give recruiters an insight into your personal relationships to see if you would fit the company culture well.
Of course, they may also take a quick scan through your photos to see how you present yourself to the world of social media.
So if your profile is open to the public, it may be wise to consider if you’d feel comfortable with a potential employer nosing at your content.
This is an expected social media platform for recruiters to scan since this is where they will find information relating to your professional life- so you’d better make it good.
The obvious things recruiters will be looking for are details on your skills and qualifications, so it’s vital to clean this up before applying for jobs, ensuring no spelling mistakes!
Potential employers will also be curious to take a look at your networking skills on the platform. Do you engage well with others in the industry? Do you share insightful content?
Most companies view a well-connected, industry-aware employee as an asset that could create business opportunities through their online connections.
Does your linkedIn profile need a polish? Source: Shutterstock
You may also want to consider whether your headshot is in need of an update. This is the first thing a visitor to your profile will see. So if your picture is one of you at a bar with a pint in your hand or a graduation picture from 10 years ago, it’s time for an update.
You can view more tips on how to clean up your LinkedIn profile here.
Unless you’ve tried to hide your online identity by changing your name from Joe Blogs to Bloe Jogs, then it’s likely to be in the eye of a potential employer.
Ask yourself, would you want a future employer to see what’s on your profile?
While recruiters shouldn’t make a sole judgment based on a candidates social media profiles, there’s no questioning the fact that it’s becoming an essential part of the recruitment process.
6 March 2024