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Aug 22, 2009
Net profile matters
A third of employers in US have rejected job applicants after checks on networking sites
Forty-five per cent of the employers surveyed said they use social networking sites to check on job candidates, up from just 22 per cent in a survey conducted last year. -- PHOTO: AFP
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 use social 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. 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.
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.
Aug 22, 2009
Net profile matters
A third of employers in US have rejected job applicants after checks on networking sites
Forty-five per cent of the employers surveyed said they use social networking sites to check on job candidates, up from just 22 per cent in a survey conducted last year. -- PHOTO: AFP
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 use social 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. 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.
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.
