Social media is such a prevalent part of everyday life that it can impact jobs. That’s why many employers wonder if it’s a good idea to look through potential candidates’ social media accounts before continuing with the hiring process. There are definite benefits to knowing what someone does online.

Social Media Savvy

A social media presence is necessary for most businesses today. You need to hire someone who is savvy enough about how to use social media that they can help your business. This is especially important when hiring a social media manager.

Looking through a potential employee’s social media accounts will give you an idea of how well they know how to interact with the platform. You can easily figure out what skills a candidate has when it comes to social media use, and this is important to know if promotion on social media is going to be a part of the job.

Unprofessional Representation

When you hire someone to work for your company, they also become a representative for the company. Unprofessional representation can harm your brand, and this happens when employees post offensive material to their social media accounts. Be advised that people get fired for racist, sexist or homophobic behaviors.

Even after an employee is removed for posting inappropriate content, your company may still carry the stain of the behavior. That’s why looking through social media accounts before hiring someone can be helpful. You can avoid applicants who post offensive material before they have a chance to impact your company negatively.

Decision Making

Just as offensive online behavior can rule a candidate out, finding promising, positive information on a social media page can help you decide who is a good fit for the job. You may be able to access information from others about a potential employee’s abilities. This information is free, and you can find it quickly if the person you are thinking of hiring updates their social media platforms often.

Potential candidates may stand out due to experience and accomplishments you see on their social media pages. Since over 70% of employers now use social media to screen applicants, it’s not a bad idea to try it. You may find information that confirms your positive feelings about the applicant.

Social media can be a great resource when you are looking for people to represent your company. Use it wisely to make the best hiring decisions.

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