Social Media and Recruitment

It is claimed that 1 in 5 employers have rejected candidates having looked at their social media profile and activity. However, this is an area which is likely to have discrimination implications so employers must be careful about the “weeding out” process.

The most common reason for candidates being deselected is offensive language on social media. Other reasons include evidence of heavy drinking or even drug taking.

In terms of social medial, LinkedIn profiles are most commonly checked but employers may also surreptitiously screen potential job candidates using Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. There may be potential difficulties of social media scanning as part of a recruitment selection process if no clear evidence can be provided as to why a particular candidate who, on paper, has all of the necessary skills and qualifications for a role.

If a candidate asks for feedback it may be very difficult to justify using this method of screening as part of a robust recruitment process – particularly if that candidate feels that their gender or race may have affected the decision. There is a difficult balancing act to consider – candidates must be aware that employers might look at social media profiles to see how they present themselves to the outside world but future employers must not discriminate during the recruitment process and ensure that taking social media comments into account does not amount to or result in unwitting discrimination.