Social media is an increasingly popular source for recruiters to monitor candidate behaviours. Due to its recent popularisation it presents agencies with a much more efficient practise to discover anything incriminating about candidate activities outside of the workplace.
Upon receiving an application I will often ‘Google’, ‘Facebook’ or ‘LinkedIn’ the applicant (or a combination of all three). Privacy issues notwithstanding, some companies will use social media religiously in a bid to cast a wider net during the recruitment phase whilst intruding on a prospective candidate’s private affairs.
As a business we are cognizant about protecting applicants reputations from exploitation. In practise anything that could be manipulated, considered derogatory or explicit on social media regardless of how well intentioned, the position of ‘Consultant’ is truly tested, ensuring that prospective applications are as desirable to a client as possible. In practise, anything that might be considered inappropriate would be addressed by Thompson & Terry in the strictest confidence.
For this reason transparency is key when taking on any new recruit. Check out my top four tips for staying on top of your social media profiles:
Be vigilant. Do not post anything you wouldn’t mind an employer or potential employer seeing
Change your privacy settings and continually check for changes. Facebook is constantly amending its privacy settings in a bid to reap the rewards. For this reason it’s worth considering what others can view across an extended period of time
How do you want to be seen? Employers will not take too kindly to inappropriate photos. Do not forget Instagram and Twitter – Many applicants will assume employers will not dig for information. Remember to represent your employer favourably at all times and remain conscientious about your activity
Conflicts of interest. Any political affiliations that could ignite fierce conflict could be viewed negatively by recruiters
