Social media platforms have proven to be useful in business on many levels, and for some companies, that includes recruiting. In the recruiting category, there are multiple ways social media can be helpful. Using channels like Facebook, LinkedIn, and others can potentially help employers screen job candidates, but there is some question about whether or not this is a good idea. Following are pros and cons of social media screening for recruiting.
Pros
Cheaper Than Outsourcing a Background Check
Utilizing social media as a background check is easier and cheaper than hiring a third-party to conduct one. You can simply do it in-house for free and potentially obtain enough information to make a decision.
"Unlike other background checks, social media screening can often be done by an HR professional, without the need for outside help or additional funds," says Recruiters Lineup.* "A simple Google search will lead to most of the candidate’s social accounts. Through Facebook, the employer can learn about their social interactions, through LinkedIn, about their past experience, through Twitter about their opinions and through Instagram about their day-to-day life or their portfolio, if they’re in a visual field of work."
Spot Problematic Behavior
Some people are less than careful about what they choose to share on social media, and as a result, it can help an employer spot problematic behavior that can serve as a red flag. Even if the issue isn't very serious, the person's lack of discretion might tell you enough about whether or not you'd want to hire them.
Get a Better Look at Their Professional Information
Social media can be useful simply to get a better handle on what a candidate's professional career has been like. You can use social media to verify positions listed on the resume, and see how other professionals in their network have interacted with them, including recommendations or endorsements on LinkedIn, for example.
Cons
Ethical Concerns
Some people believe that using a person's social media as a barometer for whether or not they'd make a good hire is unethical or an invasion of privacy. Much of what is posted on social media is public, which users should be aware of before they make any post. You'll also need to consider whether or not you're discriminating based on what you're reading on social media that shouldn't be impacting your decision.
You Could Be Wasting Your Time
Social media platforms like Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) have been around for quite a long time. How deep are you willing to dig? You can spend a lot of valuable time going through available social media content. If you have a significant number of candidates to check out, this can take a lot of time. Yet there is no guarantee that you'll actually find any information that is useful to the hiring process.
You May Not Be Getting a Complete Picture
There's also a good chance that you're not getting the complete picture of a candidate by looking at their social media. Relying on it may even steer you away from the more qualified candidate.
"No two people use social media in quite the same way," notes Max Freedman at Business News Daily.** "One job candidate might post inspiring content every day, and another might not have posted at all in the past five years. You can’t fairly compare these candidates, since you’re missing too much information on the latter."
You might like what you see on a person's social media account, and that can influence your decision to hire them, but try to avoid penalizing another candidate for not posting frequently. Not everyone feels the same way about using social media, and unless this is directly related to the position, it probably shouldn't play a significant role.
If you're undecided about whether or not you should be using social media as a candidate screening tool, consider the above points to help you make a more informed decision.
* https://www.recruiterslineup.com/social-media-screening-pros-cons-and-tips
** https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/2811-social-recruiting-norm.html
