Post responsibly, as employer screening of candidates’ social media posts is at an all-time high, according to a CareerBuilder survey of 2,300 hiring managers and human resource professionals.

Nearly three-quarters (70 percent) of employers use social media to screen candidates before hiring, up significantly from 60 percent last year and 11 percent in 2006, according to the survey conducted online on behalf of CareerBuilder by Harris Poll.

Perhaps even more interesting: while employers are more apt to dismiss a job candidate for inappropriate postings, they are also more likely to shy away from people who have no social media presence, according to the survey. Fifty-seven percent of employers are less likely to call someone in for an interview if they can't find a job candidate online. Of that group, 36 percent like to gather more information before calling in a candidate for an interview, and 25 percent expect candidates to have an online presence.

“Most workers have some sort of online presence today -- and more than half of employers won't hire those without one,” says Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources officer at CareerBuilder. “This shows the importance of cultivating a positive online persona. Job seekers should make their professional profiles visible online and ensure any information that could negatively impact their job search is made private or removed.”

The survey found that 61 percent of employers who use social networking sites are looking for information that supports their qualifications for the job; 50 percent are looking to see if the candidate has “a professional online persona;” 37 percent are researching what other people are posting about the candidates, and 24 percent are looking for a reason not to hire a candidate.

But employers are not just looking at Facebook posts, Twitter tweets and LinkedIn profiles -- 69 percent are researching anything that pops up about candidates on Google, Yahoo and Bing, compared to 59 percent last year.

Of those who decided not to hire a candidate based on their social media profiles, the reasons included:

Candidate posted provocative or inappropriate photographs, videos or information: 39 percent did not hire such candidates
Candidate posted information about them drinking or using drugs: 38 percent
Candidate had discriminatory comments related to race, gender, religion: 32 percent
Candidate bad-mouthed their previous company or fellow employee: 30 percent
Candidate lied about qualifications: 27 percent
Candidate had poor communication skills: 27 percent
Candidate was linked to criminal behavior: 26 percent
Candidate shared confidential information from previous employers: 23 percent
Candidate's screen name was unprofessional: 22 percent
Candidate lied about an absence: 17 percent
Candidate posted too frequently: 17 percent

Moreover, people should continue to refrain from posting or tweeting negative comments after being hired, as more than half of employers (51 percent) use social media sites to research current employees, and 34 percent have found content online that caused them to reprimand or fire an employee.

“Just because you got the job doesn't mean you can disregard what you post online,” Haefner says.

Instant Insights /

Employer screening of social media at all-time high

More From HR Executive

Related Stories

Recommended For You