We can all agree that social media has revolutionized humanity. This could be the way we engage with one another or even the way people and organizations exchange information. While we can say a lot about this issue, we should let the numbers do the talking. A recent study conducted by Fama found out that 50% of the American population uses social media actively. At the same time, 84% of American millennials engage in social media activities on a daily basis. While none of us could have thought that this would be possible today, we can all agree that social media is becoming part of our lives. Human resource departments have also not been left behind. In the last year, 56% of recruiters found their workers on the social media. 90% of recruiters in America have used social media to learn about their prospective employees. This has, on the other hand, led to the emergence of what is referred to as social media screening. Some experts have also referred to the screening using other terms such as social media check or social media background check. Regardless of the term used, they all refer to the same issue.
Advantages of Social Media Screening
There are plenty of benefits that are associated with social media screening. For instance, organizations can use the process to learn about the professionalism of an employee, his accomplishment and the character of the candidate. By understanding the social circle of a person on the internet, it’s possible to tell how these candidates will fit in the culture of the organization. At the same time, this can enable the employer to learn about the communication style of the candidate, their creativity, references and even endorse qualifications. Some experts in social media screening say that it can be very effective in uncovering the hidden behaviors of a candidate which may expose the company in one way or the other. This is the part where the organization can discover negative attributes such as communication skills, inappropriate photographs as well as undesirable attitudes that may hurt the organization in terms of harmony. This way, the past of a person with sensitive issues such as gun use and drug use can be discovered. It’s also possible to learn about the sexual posts that a candidate has placed in their timelines.
Experts have also determined that through social media screening, an organization can be able to determine whether a candidate is fit for a position. This is because timelines can offer some information about the family history of the candidate and can also reveal some hobbies and interests about the candidate. It has also been reported that social media background check can help an organization avoid negligent hiring claims. This is usually the case if the candidate being hired has portrayed some workplace violence in the past. This can be avoided by looking into social media reports.
Choosing a company to do the screening for you
While social media screening seems like an easy task, you should go for an organization that is knowledgeable on the issue. For instance, go for the organization that can confirm whether the data is authentic. This way, it will be possible to protect your organization from prohibited information.
