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

How do you know you're searching the right person?
You don't know what the person looks like - so how do you know you are searching at the right profile?

If they were convicted via the courts though, then just Googling will bring their name up anyway, as the local press will have reported on it (including the road they live in too).

That seems so over the top.
I remember a thread on here where OP was asked to give her MN login and passwords too.

If they were convicted via the courts though, then just Googling will bring their name up anyway, as the local press will have reported on it (including the road they live in too)

They really won't, unless it's a major snd newsworthy case. Very few newspapers cover even Crown court any more, let alone magistrates. A DBS check is the only way.

I was referring to social media, not a general Google search. I thought that was perfectly clear.

I don't think our HR would do it for every role in my organisation but I personally would as I work in digital and part of my remit is social media. I would absolutely want to see activity from potential employees as there is a lot of scope for reputational risk there. I could well imagine disgruntled stakeholders or members of the public searching for the names of people and finding things to kick off about.

It was for a public sector organisation where being something like an animal rights activist would be considered to be a reason not to employ someone.

Well it's not her private business if it's splashed all over SM is it?

"was referring to social media, not a general Google search. I thought that was perfectly clear."

Same difference. If someone hadn't secured their privacy settings, information is publicly available.

And a search on social media for a name will show other people who have posted about someone - so while an individual may not put their own criminal history on their own media, others very well might.

And it's very naive to think it's only social media employers or any other organisation search. Often the social media posts will come up through a google search.

Not all cases, but I do regular Google searches as part of my work and it is surprising what it throws up.

Not 100% foolproof, and as you say a dbs check will guarantee the answer, but not always required. But there is a wealth of information available publucally that satisfies a general enquiry.

My local rag covers the magistrates, and a lot of it is very minor stuff (there is a daily round up in the paper of what goes on in there).
I supported someone through it all... he should have never gone to court, but he refused a caution. His name now in the paper/Google, and future employment chances fucked.

Most local rags cover the local court proceedings. But employers will judge you differently if you're applying for a non-driving job and have a speeding conviction over someone applying to work in care with an assault charge. The thing with convictions is to declare them.

Yep, I have cautions that will never filter off. But if I got to interview stage, then I could at least explain them.
Someone who has 'failed' a Google search will get their CV binned. And it sounds like it will based on how they present on SM too.

Applications ask for conviction history so you have a chance to be honest right there.

Be better off doing a DBS check!

I look at LinkedIn profiles - mostly to check the cv is consistent with that.

I opened a facebook account 16 or more years ago.
Thought it was daft and never really used it - still exists,
If a potential employer comes across it they'll think I'm dead.

Twitter a bit more embarrassing - lots on twitter conversations with cats 🐯

Absolutely yes
You need to be careful with SM
Hubby says we should not consider anyone who supports Arsenal or West ham but that is going too far
We were interested in employing someone - looked at her SM
There were a number of comments there from friends about how she had "pulled a sickie"
She did not get an offer
me companies will not consider people who may have comments made not by them but by friends that they do not consider acceptable

I don't personally, but it is part of our background/screening check by the recruitment team.

We were hiring students once on Nov 1st.

We hired one guy who I could not believe got every speck of green paint off his face from the night before.

I mainly scanned social media to check if they were sensible enough to have locked it down. I didn't care about the content generally.

In my last job before I retired the company did not express in the advert that a Facebook search would be carried out.
The post was for a temporary accounts clerk for about 6 months, supplied through an agency.
The accounts manager & her assistant who were doing the interviewing, and who would be selecting the candidate trawled through Facebook to find as much info as possible.
This didn't seem right to me, felt like a massive invasion of privacy for a short term temporary, menial job. It's the way of the world though.
At the time I was glad my privacy was locked down & I wasnt Facebook friends with them.
Not that I have anything to hide, I wouldnt give them the satisfaction of being able to nose about my family & social life.

I don't see why you wouldn't - if they've volunteered a lot of information about themselves to the whole wide world then it seems remiss not to take a look. I don't really care what a potential employee gets up to outside of work so long as it doesn't affect work and is more-or-less legal, but working in an industry where discretion is of great importance I don't really want people that are given to posting every brain fart they have on social media. And it's maybe telling that most of the people I work with do keep a low online profile.

Edit: and it's quite surprising to read how many people in 2026 still think stuff on social media that any Tom Dick or Harry can access is somehow 'private'.

I work for a company that hires apprentices. I will absolutely look at their social media when I'm shortlisting.

This has been happening for years. We have passed on people for professional roles if their SM profiles are public and they post about politics, views and generally gives a negative impression.

Lock your SM down and only add actual friends. It’s attention seeking IMO to have them public anyway.

Yes always

Given how difficult it is in this country to get rid of an employee, you can bet your bottom dollar that I'll be leaving no stone unturned before any offer of employment.