Am I allowed to check a candidate’s social media accounts when reviewing their resume?
You can check a candidate’s public social media accounts, like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, but before you do, there a few factors to consider. Using Social Media as a Disqualifier The biggest issue with using social media before you’ve met a candidate is that you may end up disqualifying them for non-job related qualities. People […]
You can check a candidate’s public social media accounts, like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, but before you do, there a few factors to consider.
Using Social Media as a Disqualifier
The biggest issue with using social media before you’ve met a candidate is that you may end up disqualifying them for non-job related qualities. People often don’t realize that uncharacteristic comments or actions live on in social media forever. Monster suggests that potentially negative information found on social media should be taken with a grain of salt because it may not fully reflect the candidate.
Using Social Media To Dig Deeper
A positive way to use social media accounts is to get a feel for personalities as you’re outlining interviews. Knowing you have an alma mater or favorite charity in common can help break the ice in an introductory discussion. You can also use social media as a way to verify information on a candidate’s resume or application. For instance, you can compare information you’ve received from a candidate to their LinkedIn profile.
Final Tips
If you want to check out a candidate’s social media accounts, it is usually best to wait until you’ve actually met the candidate. It’s also smart to keep your social media information gathering consistent across all applicants.
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