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Have You Checked Your Employee's Social Quotient?

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PCQ Bureau
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Hey employers have you checked the social quotient before employing. Here Rahul Belwalkar, CEO, SecUR Credentials is

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Rahul Belwalkar, CEO, SecUR Credentials

telling about disadvantages of not carrying out a social media background check for the people you hire.

In an age of technological advancements, it comes as no surprise that recruiters are now conducting social media background checks on potential employees, as a part of the hiring process. The objective of conducting these checks is largely to verify if the candidate is a good fit for the job at hand. Social media background checks lend perspective about their nature, mindset, aggressive streak, violent tendencies, and viewpoints on societal norms, suggestive sexual behavior, discriminatory behavior and such. Here is how unchecked social media footprint can cause embarrassment and bring disrepute to the firm:

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  1. Image Management

Traditionally, there has always been a clear divide between an employee’s personal and professional life. Lately, employees have been seen as default brand ambassadors of the firm they are working with. To the extent, that when an employee of a company misbehaves in public, the name of that company is smeared as well. To maintain and enhance the image of the company, the recruiter should take this into consideration when hiring a candidate.

  1. Timing of online activities
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Work hours are meant for the employees to be productive ensuring deliverables on time for the company’s clients.However, there are many slackers who appear ‘busy’ on their office machines while actually whiling time on social media. Checking the frequency and time of their posts is a pretty good way to judge their productivity.

  1. Beyond basic social media

Major social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook aren't the only sites that employers visit for their social media background checking. Recruiters also explore Google, Bing, Flickr, YouTube, LinkedIn, and even various blog domains to produce more information on the employee, apart from regular background checks.

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  1. Warning Signs

When browsing through an employee’s social media accounts, watch out for posts or comments that highlight negative or aggressive viewpoints. Display of aggressive streaks or appreciation of someone’s deviant behavior in the candidate’s profile serves as a warning sign to not hire a candidate, should they mirror the same sentiments at the workplace.

  1. Bad-mouthing past employers
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Browsing through public photos and posts exposes any past bad mouthing about employers or reporting heads, which will indicate whether the candidate is a team player or immature and inadept at handling work stress or feedback. It is also indicative of whether he or she is racist about current or former colleagues and places of work.

  1. Professional profiles contradicting the resume

Professional networking sites have developed into a great place for job seekers to connect with recruiters and network. Such sites have peer rating systems and work experience sectors as well as recommendations which might contradict the information provided in the resume.

Social media platforms, like Facebook and Twitter, are no longer new concepts. Employers have been evaluating potential employees on social media for years. Although some candidates may not prefer potential employers perusing their Facebook pages and Twitter feeds, recruiters have come to realise social media background checks are sometimes more informative than regular background checks. By displaying who the candidate is, the beliefs they hold strong, the friend circle they keep and how they spend their time, social media has grown transparent. Every candidate is on their best behaviour in the interview; but it is only on social media that the employer is able to aptly gauge the true personality of the candidate in question. Of course, privacy settings may be at play to camouflage their personality; however a certain part of their profile is still public and could serve as a snapshot of the larger picture.

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