01 Feb Social Media Screening During the Hiring Process
The process of hiring new employees has certainly changed over the years. Recruiting is done primarily online, where algorithms vet through posted resumes to match the job description and criteria you have posted. Potential candidates are now being initially vetted through telephone and/or virtual interviews using Skype, Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams, etc.
Once the interviews have been conducted, businesses are incorporating social media profile analysis as a component within their background checks. According to a survey conducted by Career Builder, at least 70% of businesses are using social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tiktok and Linkedin to research potential candidates. The way an individual portrays themselves through their social media account can be a good indication of their character and can help to determine if potential employees are likely to represent your company in a professional manner.
Although it can be prudent to review potential employee’s social media accounts prior to presenting them with an offer, employers must exercise caution in how they conduct these searches and evaluate the information they obtain.
Vetting Candidates on Social Media
- While it is not illegal to vet candidates using social media, there are a number of Human Rights issues that could arise from collecting personal information from an applicant’s social media profile. Companies need to make sure that they are not basing hiring decisions on discriminatory factors. Social media sites give employers access to the type of personal information that may not be relevant to an applicant’s job performance capabilities.
What This Means for You
- Although you may not be looking for characteristics that are discriminatory in the hiring process, such as age, sex, race, religion, sexual orientation or disability, you may not be able to avoid seeing this type of information on candidates social media sites.
- Employers can, and have been, sued for discriminatory behaviour during the recruitment process. It is important that you can demonstrate that your decision making process is fair and non-discriminatory.
What You Should Do
- As an employer, hiring someone into your company is one of the most important decisions you will make. There is no doubt that social media can be a powerful tool in this process.
- Below are some tips to help you maintain an unbiased assessment of candidates while conducting your social media evaluation:
- Have a strict and clear policy for online vetting that includes specific criteria for the type of information you are looking for and make sure to apply it to each candidate you are considering.
- Only start your social media screening after you have met the candidate (virtually or in person) for a first interview.
- Notify applicants that social media screening is part of the selection process.
- Apply the same level of care in avoiding unconscious bias as you would in a face-to-face interview.
- Outsource this component of your screening process to a third-party to ensure and unbiased background evaluation of candidates.
YOU DESERVE MORE THAN YOU THINK®
If you would like guidance in the area of hiring – or with any other HR issue – please contact Lori Brudlo, Senior HR & Technology Advisor – [email protected].