Social media screening is a common and increasingly necessaryway for employers to learn more about their candidates and coverall their bases during the hiring process.

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In fact, a recent study done by CareerBuilder states that 60 percent of U.S.businesses are currently screening social media prior to hiring acandidate.

Additionally, a study by SHRM has shown us that over one-third oforganizations have disqualified a job candidate in the past yearbecause of concerning information found on public social media.While screening social media has become more prevalent in the pastfew years, it is important to ensure you remain legally compliantwhile doing so.

Here are five important guidelines for screening socialmedia:

1. Beware of in-house analysis

Companies who use an employee to manually scrub throughcandidates’ online identities are almost always at a disadvantagebecause they are unlikely to be aware of the constantly evolvingemployment laws.

Companies are left vulnerable to discrimination lawsuits andwill have a tough time proving which information was used duringthe hiring decision. As the EEOC states, once you see something youaren’t supposed to see you cannot “unring the bell." This comes inaddition to the fact that manual screening can be very laborintensive and can yield inconsistent results.

2. Be transparent and compliant

All organizations must be Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)compliant, both for legal reasons and to ensure the candidate hastheir own voice in the decision-making process. Companies must takecare to give candidates the opportunity to explain any potentiallyadverse social media posts and activities. Without being fullycandid with applicants, businesses expose themselves to potentiallitigation.

Related: 5 social media behaviors employers dislike most

3. Understand there is no silver bullet

Social media and online identity analysis help fill in the gapsof information on a candidate’s background, but rarely provide thefull picture.

This sort of analysis should be done in conjunction with other,more traditional types of background checks, interviewing,references, and personal assessments.

4. Be consistent and do not discriminate

Using inconsistent screening criteria in determining what isacceptable on a candidate’s online background and what is not makesit easy to unintentionally discriminate against certain groups ofpeople.

It’s important for companies to set consistent and precisecriteria to ensure a focus on job-related factors. This will alsohelp measure an individual against the rest of the candidatepopulation.

5. Stay ahead of the curve

Technology and social media platforms are outpacing the law, andit’s impossible for companies to keep up on these changes on theirown. Ask any employment lawyer and they will likely tell you thatthe most important things a company can do is ensure consistency intheir compliance with FCRA, local and international laws, andinvolve candidates in the hiring process.

Many companies now find social media to be a crucial part of thescreening process that can provide a more complete picture of acandidate.

However, every organization should make sure they follow aconsistent set of criteria for all potential hires, involvecandidates in the decision-making process, and adhere to all localand international employment laws.

Related: Millennials spend 140 hours a year on social mediaat work