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Recruiting: The You in Social Media

By: Allie Milbrath

A lot of candidates are not aware or unsure how their profiles on social networking sites like Twitter, MySpace, Facebook and LinkedIn are perceived by potential employers. Do recruiters and hiring managers even look at these sites when considering a candidate? The answer is yes, and although social networking is in its toddler phase, it is here to stay and you need to be aware of how it can affect you.

I worked with a candidate about two years ago for a sales position in the Midwest. This candidate had a great background for my client. He was articulate, energetic and seemed to be the perfect fit. This candidate went through six interviews and did a fantastic job each round. When it came time to check references, a search was done for the candidate on MySpace. The content and pictures this person had on their page prevented them from getting the offer. My client dismissed him from the process and moved on.

Facebook has become a powerhouse in the social networking world in the last few years. Facebook allows you to connect with friends, join various groups in which some are professional while some are for fun, you can even read or create a blog. It also allows you to enter in your personal information including where you work and your education. What most probably do not realize is that Facebook is also becoming a favorite sourcing tool for recruiters.

Social Networking Sites: A Recruiter's Advantage

If I am looking for a Controller with Big 4 experience, I can easily source hundreds of names by searching Big 4 groups on Facebook. From a very quick search I have names, locations and most importantly: a picture. Let's just say a picture is worth 1000 words and although you can't judge a book by its cover, if there is a picture of a half dressed person with two bottles of beer in their hand, I can probably assume the conservative culture of my client isn't going to be a fit. I can also attempt to join a group (and most of the time, I am granted my request) and gain more information on members such as what other groups they belong to. To each their own, but a good rule of thumb is if you would not want your Mother to see a group you joined, or a picture you posted even if it was all in good fun, keep it off!

LinkedIn is my favorite professional tool to use. LinkedIn allows you to connect with other professionals and people you have done business with. It is almost like having a picture of your business card out there for all to see. By choice, one can also include his/her past employer, which makes it more like a resume versus a business card. You choose your settings and you choose whom you connect with. Seems harmless right? For the most part it is, but you do want to have selection criteria of who is allowed to connect with you. Unless you change your settings, your connections can be viewed by your other connections. Employers are using this to conduct references. There are ethical issues behind this and a great deal of discussion around what is appropriate and what is not. However, if you are connected with someone from a former employer that the recruiter you are working with knows, or potential employer knows, (it happens a lot, six degrees of separation proves to be a real thing and in a lot of markets, like Milwaukee, it's more like three degrees of separation) they just need to make one phone call to get a back door reference. If you burned a bridge, and let's hope you learned from it, do not connect with that person or employer on your LinkedIn profile.

A Shared Secret

If you think it is difficult for others to see what social networking tools you are using, you are mistaken. I want to let you in on a well-kept secret that many do not know about because I want you to be informed. Most have Googled their name. Now when you Google your name, your Facebook page is attached as well as "friends" names. Try http://www.wink.com/ or http://www.yoname.com/. These two sites will search the Internet for your name and once you learn how to use it, one can find what you thought was personal and private information. Again, there are a lot of ethical conversations that are being discussed regarding if recruiters should be going to these sites to find out more personal information on candidates. The fact of the matter is they can and will.

I encourage people to use social networking to their advantage. Recruiters are relying on social networking sites more now than ever, even more so than job boards. Be responsible on how you use social networking and you will not run into problems with your current employer, or on your next job search. It is very hard to erase history from the Internet and with our culture becoming more technology focused, always be cautious. Keep those pictures from a wild Halloween party to your own personal photo album; think twice about the following: what groups you join online, blogs you write and whom it is you connect with. Being connected is very important; it is how you use this tool that makes all the difference in the world.