Sixty-six percent of respondents say they do not use social media to screen job seekers because of legal risks and the possibility of discovering protected characteristics, such as age, race, gender and religious affiliation, though 48 percent of respondents say they cannot confidently verify this information. Of the respondents, 45 percent also say information posted on these sites may not be relevant to work-related potential or performance.
In 2008, SHRM conducted a similar survey in which 54 percent of respondents revealed concerns regarding legal risks and discovering protected-class characteristics. Forty-three percent of respondents said they could not validate the information found on potential employees' social media sites while 36 percent of respondents said information found from social media may not be relevant job potential or performance.
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Based on the 2011 survey findings, only 18 percent of respondents say their companies use social networking sites, such as LinkedIn and Facebook, to screen potential employees, and 26 percent of respondents say their companies use search engines for the same purpose. Still, 71 percent of respondents say their companies have never used or have stopped using social networking websites to screen job seekers.
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