Job hunting? Take those wild party pics off the Net

WASHINGTON: Nearly half of US employers research the online profiles of job candidates on social networks such as Facebook, MySpace or LinkedIn, according to a new survey.

Forty-five per cent of the employers surveyed for CareerBuilder.com, the largest US online job site, said they usesocial networking sites to check on job candidates, up from just 22 per cent in a survey conducted last year.

Another 11 per cent said they plan to start using social networking sites for screening.

'As social networking grows increasingly pervasive, more employers are utilising these sites to screen potential employees,' CareerBuilder said in a statement.

It said job seekers should 'be mindful of the information they post online'.

CareerBuilder said that of those who conduct online searches as background checks on job candidates, 29 per cent use Facebook, 26 per cent use LinkedIn and 21 per cent use MySpace.

Eleven per cent search blogs while 7 per cent follow candidates on micro-blogging service Twitter.

According to the survey, 35 per cent of those polled said they have found content on a social network that caused them not to hire a candidate.

Examples included 'provocative or inappropriate photographs or information' or content about drinking or using drugs.

Other reasons cited were badmouthing a previous employer, co-workers or clients; poor communication skills; making discriminatory comments; lying about qualifications; or sharing confidential information from a previous employer.

But information found on social networking profiles was not always a negative factor in finding a job.

Eighteen per cent of employers said they have found content on social networking sites that caused them to hire the candidate, according to CareerBuilder.

Some profiles 'provided a good feel for the candidate's personality' or supported their professional qualifications while others demonstrated creativity or solid communication skills.

Ms Rosemary Haefner, vice-president of human resources at CareerBuilder, recommended that candidates 'clean up digital dirt' before beginning a job search, by removing photos, content and links which could hurt their chances.

The survey of 2,667 hiring managers and human resource professionals was conducted by Harris Interactive between May 22 and June 10. It has a sampling error of plus or minus 1.9 percentage points.

In Singapore, experts told The Straits Times that background checks on social networks are not yet part of formal recruitment processes here. But a few multinational companies, such as those from the United States, may have such a practice.

Employers are usually more concerned with a candidate's skills, attitude and knowledge, said Mr David Ang, executive director of Singapore Human Resources Institute.

What photographs or comments on a social networking site may show are only aspects of the candidate's personality which 'may not be relevant to his performance...or relate to the position he is being hired for', he pointed out.

Even for employers who conduct such checks, it would be more 'a casual attempt to get a generic understanding of this person's background and see if anything stands out that may conflict with what was conveyed during the interview', said recruitment consultant Mark Melo from headhunter Robert Walters.

But experts said the trend may eventually catch on in Singapore, given that it is a highly connected country.

Said Mr Ang: 'Because of the pervasiveness and accessibility of these sites, the likelihood that an employer may ask to see your Facebook site may increase.'

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE