Do you search social media of a potential employee?

[Japanese2024]

A friend of mine works in HR. Lately I have found her to be very gossipy/talking badly about other friends etc and it's getting my back up.

Today she told me they won't be hiring someone because they searched her Facebook in the office and it's all about being drunk/hungover/badly spelt words etc. She was talking about it like gossip, saying she can't believe someone would post like that. Surely that's not OK, do people actually not hire someone for a private search of their social media? The job is with kids and my friend seems to think the woman shouldn't post that but it's her private business!

Yabu - friend is right. This is quite normal to do

Yanbu - someone hiring shouldn't judge on social media

apparently its common in some high profile companies to use social media as part of their recruitment and in your case op, seems a good thing that they did imagine the employee trying to work half drunk still or once drunk starts spilling company details etc , a Hr risk straight away

It's normal now. We teach in PSHE that much care needs to be taken with what you post because it can be out there, against your name, forever. Lock down your social media and only friend people you know and trust.

As far as I'm aware it's been perfectly normal for many years. People should lock down their SM better or stop over sharing constantly.

Yes we check, family run business and will do a search of any potential candidates especially for important positions

Yes I think you need to be careful with your social media if applying for a job now. I've heard of a similar story of this happening too. X

Where I work they mention on the job advert that a social media search will be done on you.

I think it's a common thing to do when recruiting. Not right as if in your own time, getting drunk etc shouldn't affect your job chances. But sadly, as is seen here, it very much can

I use a different surname on social media. Very protective of my privacy. Not that I post much anyway.

It's always a risk that anyone could look you up. The Internet is public.

I’ll give a good example of why it’s so
important - it also throws up convictions, I don’t want to be employing anyone violent / Paedophiles….

Yep, poor judgement in posts and slagging off previous workplace or bosses publically is something I check for.

Its very normal for job adverts to state these searches are done now, people should expect them to be completed and pleasantly surprised if they're not.

Social media screenings are quite common. If the profile is publicly available, then the general consensus is that it's fair game. In the way that you wouldn't hire someone walking round a pub in earshot of potential employers shouting things you thought made them seem like a bad candidate, a publicly available social media page saying things you think would make them a bad candidate could put an employer off.

I think it's open to massive misuse - people not being hired for protected characteristics they hadn't otherwise disclosed, for example - but it's pretty common and generally I'd encourage people not to post things on their social media that they wouldn't want a potential employer seeing.

Your HR mate sounds a bit of a dick, but presumably she wasn't naming names. If she was then that's a much bigger issue.

Also if they are working with kids you might be thinking, will the paying parents be checking out social media accounts too and wondering why we hired that person to care for our children.

Yep it completely normal to check, and it has stopped me hiring on occasions. However your buddy in HR sounds unprofessional. I certainly wouldn’t be gossiping to my buddies about potential hires.

i have to check potential employees social media from time to time which is a pretty standard policy these days but unlike your friend, I wouldn’t be unprofessional and gossip about what I found.

Yep, totally standard. If it's publicly available then it's also there for customers, colleagues etc to see. I'm not recruiting someone who is happy to post shite publicly and identifiably. Even more so if they're working with children.

It is entirely possible to lock your social media down so it's not visible to anyone and everyone. All recruiters will tell you to make sure it's not showing anything public you wouldn't want a potential employer to see.

About 15 years ago, I read an article in the airline passenger magazine whilst on a flight. I think it was by Deborah Meeden. Her top tip advice for social media users was that employers check FB etc. So, yes I’ve known this for ages

Yes, I run social media checks on any potential new employee.

Why wouldn't I?

If they can't be discreet about their own lives and opinions, why would I trust them as a representative of my business?

I wouldn't stand for gossip about what anyone found though, that's unprofessional.

It's been normal for about twenty years!

It just felt bitchy

She was sharing this with me as if I was going to join in and say 'OMG what an idiot'. Obviously she didn't give me any details/personal info on the person

Well, she's kind of not wrong. As you've seen, it's so common to check potential new hires' social media that is it pretty idiotic not to either lock your socials down or not post stuff that might make you look like someone you don't want to hire.

This why my SM is locked right down . A troublemaker colleague remarked that my FB was locked right down . This is why I'm so glad it is locked down . Knowledge is power and dangerous in the wrong hands

you need it locked down as if you are the security services level of anonymity

the saying goes sometimes certain people add you for surveillance rather than as friends

What would happen if a real wrong 'un with the same name as you was a prolific poster and they thought it was you?

Or do they demand that you give them your exact profile details?