Social Media | The Hiring & Hire Me Assistant

ByL J Doulton

#hiring, #recruitment, #recruitmentlife, #social

Social Media | The Hiring & Hire Me Assistant

Social media platforms are becoming one of a recruiters or employer’s main weapons in finding talent. It’s important to understand how they’re used and how your profile affects your progress when looking for a job. Once you have an understanding though, you’ll know where to improve your online appearance. This can be the difference between getting the opportunities you want or being left behind.

Social media is a tool for candidates too: 

Job searching relies on a number of factors; a resume, your cover letter, specific form filling or background checks and an interview. But before all of this most Hiring managers will look you up online. A social media profile could affect whether you get a job. This isn’t a creepy or weird thing to do (I’ve had people say this), it’s good recruitment and makes perfect sense. That’s why it’s worth checking the following:

• Search yourself online to see what results come back, and clean up any damaging finds.
• Go through any images you’ve posted or are tagged in and remove any inappropriate images and comments that look unprofessional.
• If you have no online presence at all, it could be assumed that you do not understand or engage in technology which is more embedded in businesses than ever so if you don’t have one, make one.
• 64% of HR and Hiring managers use social media and Google to help screen candidates, do you show yourself in the best light online?

Some employers use screening tools to speed hire which can also promote discriminative shortlisting. Restrict personal social media accounts, instead focus on highlighting skills and expertise on your public profile.

Recruiters recruit smartly but only with the information they are given and judge how you portray yourself using this information, don’t let them use one bad comment made in anger to conclude what you’re really like!