How social screening can help the recruitment process [infographic]

A while ago I wrote an article on how the recruitment industry was shifting due to social media technology. I would like to add to that conversation by talking about social screening. Social screening is the process of searching for potential candidates in social websites like Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter and “checking them out.” This is a hotly debated topic at the moment and I have been working tertiary education institutions recently to educate students about the importance of knowing what image they portray online.

The infograhic in this post reveals how social screening is becoming a popular trend in the recruitment industry.

Social screening allows employers to find out information from candidates that is often difficult to discover through the interview process. These discoveries can be both negative and positive.

The positive side of social screening:

1. 1. They get a feel for the personality of the candidate
   2. The can verify the qualification of the candidate
   3. Creative people often use social platforms to express their creativity
   4. Employers can get an idea of the communication skills of the candidate
   5. Social Sites like Linkedin can provide further recommendations for the candidate

The negative side of social screening:

1. 1. Inappropriate photographs can raise warning flags about the personality of the candidate
   2. Drug abuse could become apparent
   3. Bad mouthing previous employers can show the candidates work ethic
   4. Identify poor communication skills
   5. The candidate may be sharing confidential business information of previous or current employers