Employers concerned about hiring the wrong candidate should conduct a social media screening. It is essential for the company’s success and the right candidate. Screening candidates’ social media profiles start with reviewing their backgrounds. Social media background checks can help employers identify candidates with positive attributes and identify any potential problems.
Legal Considerations
Social media screening in recruitment is a useful and practical tool for companies that want to ensure that they are hiring the right people. Social media profiles often reveal information about an applicant that is not readily available in other documents, such as a resume. It means that employers can make more informed hiring decisions and avoid the risk of hiring someone who might commit a crime.
In addition to determining whether social media screening is ethical, it is important to assess whether the process is fair. Inequity affects the psychological well-being of the applicant and can affect their future decision-making processes. It can also affect job applicants’ commitment, loyalty, and compliance. In addition, a job applicant’s perception of justice is important in determining whether they will recommend the company.
Although social media screening is often used in recruitment, it must be done carefully. The process may expose protected information, such as racial or national origin, pregnancy, disability, and marital status. It may also contain information about sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.
Benefits of Social Media Background Check
Social media screening has several advantages, and many companies use it to find out more about prospective new hires. This screening method can reveal a candidate’s interests and personality outside of a traditional interview. It can also help you better understand how the applicant will act in the workplace.
While social media can provide extensive information, it is not always the best source for background checks. A person may have multiple accounts using the same name, or they may use a fake account. It can make it difficult to tell who is telling the truth. Moreover, a person’s social media presence may reflect their personality, as opposed to their work ethic or ability to fit into your organization’s culture.
While social media screening is cheap and convenient, it should be used alongside other hiring screening tools, such as reference and background checks. To minimize risks, you can outsource social media screening to a third party, which can also handle the logistical aspects and legalities involved in hiring people online.
Identifying the Right Candidate
Social media screening for recruitment is a useful way to find red flags and determine a person’s fit with a company. According to the FCRA, companies that perform social media screening must provide accurate information. In addition, they must follow pre and final adverse action processes and the federal FCRA notice requirements. Furthermore, employers must document and store their actions to avoid legal repercussions.
Before screening social media for recruitment, employers should ensure that the screening complies with state and federal laws. They should also know what information is public and should not ask for a password. Additionally, they should only look at the information related to the job rather than a general personality profile.