Table of Contents
Is it legal for employers to use social media in the hiring process?
Bottom line: a compliant social media screening is legal, and you should consider it an extension of the traditional background screening process.
Why do employers use social media for hiring?
With the advent of social media, more and more employers are using the Internet to check on potential employees. Many employers find the information on these sites to be particularly helpful because they perceive that this information reflects a more accurate representation of the applicant.
Can employers look at your social media before hiring?
The short answer is yes. It is completely legal for employers to check employees’ social media profiles. Some states even allow employers to solicit social media usernames and passwords from their workers.
Is it ethical for employers to use social media in hiring and employment decisions?
The use social media in making hiring and employment determinations, when social media communication or content is not relevant to the employee’s ability to do the job, would be disrespectful, demeaning, and unfair to job applicants and employees, again, regardless of consent.
What discrimination risks are involved when using social media in hiring?
The purpose is to find desirable candidates, but it can also trigger discrimination claims. Social media can reveal race, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion, a disability, and other protected characteristics that may not be revealed in a resume.
Why social media should not be used in the hiring process?
Employers Risk Lawsuits If They Don’t Conduct a Legal Social Media Background Check. This is the single most important reason employers shouldn’t run social media screens on their own. When done improperly, a social media background check can put your organization at risk for lawsuits.
How does social media affect hiring?
CareerBuilder recently conducted a survey of over 2,000 hiring managers and human resource professionals and found that 51% of employers who did their due diligence and used social media to research a candidate have not hired candidates due to the content on their social media pages.
What are some legal ramifications of using social media during the recruitment process?
When an employer posts a position with its company by using targeted advertising, it may violate federal statutes such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act or the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. It may also run afoul of state or local laws. This can give rise to claims of disparate treatment or disparate impact.
Do employers check social media?
Social media sites such as Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram have given many organizations a new hiring tool. According to a 2018 CareerBuilder survey, 70% of employers check out applicants’ profiles as part of their screening process, and 54% have rejected applicants because of what they found.
How might social media be used in recruitment selection?
At the same time, social media tools enable recruiters to identify candidates with desired credentials, such as particular degrees or skills. Social media allows recruiters to spread information about job openings and the organization so that passive and active candidates receive such messages.
How social media can affect the hiring process?
Social media gives staffing agencies a behind the scenes look at whether or not a candidate is a good fit for the culture of the company they are recruiting for. It can show positive aspects of an individual like community involvement, but it can also reveal negative behaviors like racism and hate-filled speech.
How does social media have an impact on the hiring process?
With the advent of social media, employers now have access to much more candidate information than before, including information regarding personal interests, social interactions, and even previous work samples. From a job seekers standpoint, social media has made the task of finding a job much easier.
How to get your employer to use social media?
Select a platform. It is advisable to keep a company’s online communications within as few channels as possible.
Should companies let employees use social media at work?
Employees should be ethically allowed to use social media at work, but company policy should discourage its use. Social media use adds very few positives to a work environment.
How can companies use social media for recruiting?
SignalHire. Signal hire has an internal searchable database with millions of candidate profiles you can browse through and find information for.
How many employers check social media before hiring?
– Information that supports their qualifications for the job (61 percent) – If the candidate has a professional online persona at all (50 percent) – What other people are posting about the candidates (37 percent) – For any reason at all not to hire a candidate (24 percent)