Be Advised: More Employers Are Checking Social Media Use

Nasir asks: I work in the IT industry, and I’m preparing to search for a new job. I know that some companies are using Google and social media platforms to check out prospective employees. Should I be worried about this, and if so, what steps can I take to make sure prospective employers don’t find anything that could hurt me? Should I just get rid of my Facebook profile so I don’t have to worry about potential employers (and my future boss) snooping on me?

Coach Joel answers: That’s an option, of course, but there’s no need to stay off social media. In fact, 57% of recruiters are less likely to interview candidates who don’t have an online presence, a CareerBuilder survey found. And 63% of tech companies surveyed are scouring sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram to get an up-close, behind-the-scenes look at candidates they just can’t get from interviewing or reading resumes.

The key is to increase your visibility wisely. Look at Facebook and other social media sites as networking tools. When that guides every choice you make on social media, you won’t have much to worry about.

You are absolutely right—employers are relying more and more on social networking platforms to screen employees. Information technology companies are most likely to screen candidates this way.

Over half of employers use social media to check the profiles of their current employees, too, according to CareerBuilder—a trend that’s been growing for years. This means you need to stay vigilant regardless of your employment status! Be aware of what you put out on the Internet, whether you’re looking for a new job, vying for a promotion, or simply working to maintain your positive reputation with your company. If it’s out there, it’s just a mouse click away from a hiring manager. And the results can be catastrophic.

Here are some important “dos” and “don’ts” for using social media. 

DO: 

1 – Create a separate professional account.

Your professional contacts probably won’t want to see all those videos of your new puppy. Posting a tasteful photo from your personal life here and there can humanize you, but if you go beyond that, it’s best to create a separate profile for professional use. Set up a professional Facebook account to keep your business contacts in the loop about the things they’ll really care about. Or, use your Instagram account to share family photos and personal updates—setting it so only approved followers can see them—and use Facebook for professional networking.

2 – Set your privacy settings accordingly.

With Facebook and many other platforms, you can choose how much the public sees of your profile. If you’re using one Facebook profile for both personal and professional networking, select privacy settings that allow only certain people to see those photos of you on vacation. If you’re setting up a separate professional account, give the public full access to your information to encourage them to “friend” or “follow” you. Similarly, consider whether you want your boss to see your LinkedIn activity. If you’re in the market for a new job, you may not want your boss to see your flurry of activity, and changing your privacy settings can prevent that from happening.

3 – Review your existing content on social platforms.

Remove any content that reflects negatively on you to avoid having a bad reputation online, though the following steps:

• Google yourself. Find out what will come up if someone searches for your name—like, for instance, an old profile on a platform you no longer use, or that angsty poetry blog you started as a teenager.

• Check out the major social networking platforms. Look yourself up on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter, and any other platforms you’ve used to make sure you’ve made the right impression.

• Curate your photos. Provocative or inappropriate photographs or information top the list of red flags to employers. When in doubt, take it out. Weed through your old photos and remove anything too racy or inappropriate for social media. Even if it’s on your personal profile, don’t take the chance that colleagues or bosses will see it. (What if that friend from college is your coworker one day?)

4 – Look over resume postings.

Identify the web pages where you have posted your resume or other work-related items and make sure they are up-to-date and reflect on you positively. You may want to remove your resume from those platforms if you’re not interested in looking for a new position, so your company won’t think you’re looking elsewhere.

5 – Select your friends wisely. 

The last thing you need after working hard to develop a professional Facebook profile is to have a goofball post something offensive on your wall. Even if you delete it, chances are someone else has seen it and the damage is done.

6 – Review others’ posts before they go live.

If an unprofessional post shows up, you don’t want it to hover there for weeks until you log in, so it’s the first thing any new contact sees when visiting your profile. Change your settings so you’re required to approve all posts or comments that others make on your timeline before they go up. You can also change your settings so you’re the only one who can post on your timeline. Likewise, set your notifications so you’ll receive an email or phone alert right away if anyone tags you. Then untag yourself if you’d rather not have your contacts see that photo or post.

7 – Show personality.

Being professional doesn’t mean hiding your offbeat sense of humor or witty personality—just don’t use them to make crude jokes. Branding yourself well means being authentic.

8 – Create positive content.

Create positive content about yourself and try to get it to be as high as possible in the search results. For example: 

• Comment on other blogs. Write comments on other blogs that show your level of intelligence, expertise, and experience.

• Start a website. Purchase your name as a domain name and create an active website that makes the best impression possible. 

• Publish letters to the editor. Write and submit well researched, articulate letters to the editor to the top trade publications in your industry. Focus on current, relevant issues. 

• Post articles. Write and post articles that show your expertise on free publisher websites. 

• Write a blog. Create a blog and write quality content for it.

DON’T: 

1 – Post things you’d be embarrassed about later.

Remember that once you post something on the Internet, it can never truly be removed. Before you post something, think, “Would I be embarrassed if my employer saw this? Would it potentially detract from my chance of getting hired or forming a relationship with a new client?” The same holds true for words as well as photos. Even if they’re on your personal profile, always err on the side of caution.

2 – Complain

You don’t need to always be singing about sunshine and butterflies, but don’t use Facebook as a place to vent about work. Even if no single comment is over the top, a pattern of work negativity won’t make you seem like someone others want to be around—and it certainly won’t present you as confident and capable.

3 – Get into Twitter feuds or feed into trolling.

These time traps can make you look like you have major anger management issues, and they’re rarely productive. It’s fine to have a lively debate, but keep it courteous.

4 – Post during work hours.

Maybe you’ve kept it professional, posting quality content that colleagues can benefit from. But if you’ve done it during work hours, your boss or HR department might see that time stamp. Post only during lunchtime, breaks, or off-work hours so you’re not wasting time on social media at work.

5 – Go overboard with advertising.

Make your posts and status updates interesting. One of the easiest ways to lose professional “friends” on Facebook is to abuse your status updates by spamming them with advertising. As an example, instead of telling everyone you’re the best realtor in the region, give daily tips on selling a home. Use your Facebook profile to establish yourself as an expert in your field, and your followers will naturally seek you out when they have a need for your product or services.

6 – Stay on too long.

Set a time limit for social media. It may help to go on at a particular time every day, for ten minutes or so. That way, it won’t become a time suck.

Remember these pointers, and social media will serve as an important networking tool. Instead of compromising employment opportunities, it may bring you closer to your dream job or draw in clientele. And if your employer is checking out your social media habits, he’ll be nothing but impressed.