Social media – isn’t it fantastic? You can connect with friends you haven’t talked to forever, you can post exactly how you are feeling about something and get support from others, you can be yourself without being judged…. Is this all true? Well, there certainly are advantages to social media but you also must be careful with just how much you share if your profiles are openly shared with the world.
There are many cases in front of courts about employees being terminated due to social media posts and actions within those outlets. Instead of diving into the big ugly ball of issues on the employment side….let’s take a quick look at recruiting and social media.
Do recruiters or HR departments really look into your social media accounts when they are looking to possibly hire you? YES! They absolutely do! Yes they will look to see if you have a LinkedIn account. Yes they will look to see if you have a Facebook account. And yes, they may find interesting things in these and other social media outlets that you have been actively involved in. Why do they do this? Well, it helps give a more balanced “picture” of who it is that they may be considering hiring.
In an interview and on your resume, you are (or should be) on your best behaviour and presenting yourself in the best professional light. However, this may not accurately represent who you REALLY are! By talking to references and looking into social media, the recruiter or hiring team feels they get a more accurate picture of who you really are and how you would fit or not fit with their company. So if you are posting all kinds of pictures of yourself in drunken stupors, in provocative poses, etc., you are taking a chance that you could be judged in a hiring situation.
My advice, think long and hard about the things you post…the things you say…and how open you leave your profiles – especially if you are looking for work.