More than one in five employers search social networking sites to screen job candidates, according to a survey of more than 31,000 employers released by CareerBuilder.com this week and reported in Computer World.
The study found that the number of hiring managers that are turning to social networks like MySpace and Facebook to check out candidates’ online behaviour has increased to 22% of employers from just 11% in 2006. Of the hiring managers who use social networks, 33% said they found information on such sites that caused them to STOP considering the candidate for a job, and 24% found content on social networks that HELPED
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CONVINCE THEM TO HIRE a candidate. These managers said that profiles showing a professional image and solid references can boost a candidate’s chances for a job.
The top areas of concern found on social networking sites include:
- Information about alcohol or drug use (41% of managers said this was a top concern)
- Inappropriate photos or information posted on a candidate’s page (40%)
- Poor communication skills (29%)
- Bad-mouthing of former employers or fellow employees (28%)
- Inaccurate qualifications (27%)
- Unprofessional screen names (22%)
- Notes showing links to criminal behaviour (21%)
- Confidential information about past employers (19%)
“Hiring managers are using the Internet to get a more well-rounded view of job candidates in terms of their skills, accomplishments and overall fit within the company,” said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder.com. “As a result, more job seekers are taking action to make their social networking profiles employer-friendly. 16% of workers who have social networking pages said they modified the content on their profile to convey a more professional image to potential employers”
The report recommends that job seekers:
- Remove pictures, content and links that can send the wrong message to potential employers.
- Update social networking profiles regularly to highlight latest accomplishments.
- Consider blocking comments to avoid questionable posts
- Avoid joining groups whose names could turn off potential employers.
- Consider setting their profile to private so only designated friends can view it.
You have been warned!
Are you on the right or the wrong side of the ‘digital divide’? The gap is nowadays less about if you have access to the web, but more about whether you understand how to participate in the networked society. If you have the skills, time and confidence to navigate the online chaos you will gain access to new opportunities, find audiences for your work and enrich the lives of others. With all the free online resources available to you at University, there is no excuse for being trapped on the wrong side of the divide.
Finding a job and managing your career progression involves understanding how today’s networks work and how to deploy them effectively. Building and maintaining your personal brand (both online and offline) is critical to marketing yourself as a prospective employee or business partner, or entrepreneur seeking funding. If a recruitment consultant thinks you may be suitable for a particular role and he idly Googles your name, what will he find? Perhaps those dodgy Facebook photos will surface to your embarrassment…but hopefully at the top of the list will be the photo of you receiving an achievement award from your University, or your blog which showcases your interests and experience, or your LinkedIn profile which has links to glowing testimonials from people who know you well.
So think of Google “as your reputation management system”. This term comes from the branding guru Chris Brogan whose words of wisdom are well worth bookmarking or following. He notes: “A personal brand gives you the ability to stand out in a sea of similar products. In essence, you’re marketing yourself as something different than the rest of the pack.”
Building your personal brand takes time. Here are a few starting points I’ve summarised for you from Chris’s advice on how to start developing your Google profile:
- Get a Twitter account for real time micro blogging
- Get a Flickr account for photo sharing
- Get a YouTube account for video uploading
- Get an Upcoming account to promote events
- Get a Del.icio.us account for bookmarking all those articles and other useful links that you find
- Get a WordPress account to start your blog
- Get a LinkedIn account for your professional network
- Get a Gmail account for use with Google Reader, Calendar, Docs, and other innovative free tools
There’s more to come in a future blog post. If you can’t wait J there’s much more about how to interact effectively on these sites and build your brand along the right lines in http://www.chrisbrogan.com/img/broganbranding.pdf
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