You probably already know this – and if you don’t, you’re about to find out – that with the rise of social media networks, anyone can now find out a lot of information about you with a simple Google search. This includes potential employers!
But do recruiters really use information gleaned from social media when evaluating a candidate for a job? We asked two professional recruiters to weigh in with their opinions and policies.
A first look
“I rarely examine the social media profiles of potential candidates; but on the other hand, I’ll often visit the LinkedIn or Facebook profile of a person who has been referred to me by someone in my personal network. Around half the time, the candidate’s profile will be ‘locked’, which is reassuring – it shows that the person has an understanding of the importance of information security, and shows that they are protecting themselves against prying eyes like mine!
In terms of LinkedIn, I consult it primarily to confirm the candidate’s interests, activities, competencies and achievements. This allows me to get a good initial impression of the person and to effectively prepare an interview plan.”
– Élise Boulerice-Guay, Director of Human Resources at Fenplast
Complimentary information
“The more information we have about a candidate, the better informed we will be when it’s time to make a hiring decision. This is why we regularly consult the LinkedIn profiles of candidates, as we can find out details about their career paths to date, their competencies, and references from previous employers. As well, we can gather supplementary details that help to complete the profile of the candidate. This is information that goes beyond what we can find on their CV.”
– Lucy Rodrigues, Head of Acquisition and Talent Management at Metro