Anti-social media

Job candidates are often eliminated because of online missteps.

The profile picture alone on a job candidate’s Facebook page was enough for former Guthrie nurse manager Jessica Zan to rule out hiring her.

It was a snapshot of the jobseeker’s cleavage, Zan said, with the name badge and scrubs of the organization she was looking to leave. Meanwhile, the woman’s posts were profanity-laced with personal attacks on acquaintances, she said.

“It makes you concerned about how someone will handle the high-stress environment of a hospital, impact the homeostasis of staff relationships, and represent the company in public,” Zan said.

Zan’s experiences are far from unique, based on the findings of a recent national survey conducted by The Harris Poll for Chicago- and Atlanta-based CareerBuilder.

Of 1,012 hiring managers and human resource professionals at private companies of all sizes and across all industries, 70 percent use social networking sites to research job candidates, and 57 percent have found content that caused them not to hire candidates.

Such content includes provocative or inappropriate photographs, videos or information; drinking or using drugs; discriminatory comments; links to criminal behavior; lies about qualifications; poor communication skills; badmouthing previous companies or fellow employees; unprofessional screen names; sharing confidential information from previous employers; lying about absences; and even posting too frequently.

Area employers and business consultants aren’t surprised by the findings.

Gary Bridwell, president of Ditch Witch Oklahoma, said social networking sites are “the first place to go for information and insight.”

Bank administrator Angie Berryman said users who most concern her are those who disclose major character issues like bragging about playing hooky, speaking harshly about their current employers or customers, degrading others, illegal activities or general disrespect for the law, animal cruelty, racist/sexist/homophobic content, bragging about being a lazy person or getting others to do their work for them, and irresponsible/ immature behavior.

Puzzle pieces

“Choosing the right candidate is like putting together the pieces of a puzzle,” Berryman said. “Evidence, intuition, investigation, and a revealing line of questioning generally brings success for both parties,” she said.

Linda McKown, vice president of James Farris Associates outplacement firm, said social media presences especially are considered by organizations where public or donor perception can have a huge impact on the business or the clients served.

Meanwhile, Mike Crandall of Sandler Training of Oklahoma, said candidates’ social presences should be crucial to all hirers.

Most employers check social networking sites before calling a person for a phone screen, Crandall said, noting that common connections often allow them to learn more about candidates.

“Social media allows us to see things like what matters to job seekers, where they check in, and how they interact with others,” he said. “All of these things can help us learn what this person is like when not in the spotlight of the interview.”

While missteps on social networking sites can sink a candidacy, no social media presence isn’t good either, according to the CareerBuilder survey.

Forty-seven percent of respondents said they’re less likely to call candidates for interviews if they can’t find them online. Twenty-eight percent

said that’s because they like to gather more information before calling a candidate for an interview.

Employers like to see information that supports a candidate’s qualifications for the job, if the candidate has a professional online persona, what other people are posting about the candidate, creativity, professionalism, well roundedness, great communications,

Social media allows us to see things like what matters to job seekers, where they check in, and how they interact with others. All of these things can help us learn what this person is like when not in the spotlight of the interview.”

Mike Crandall of Sandler Training

good references, awards received and more.

Jennifer Reiter — church friend, mother of three young boys, and a selfprofessed “left leaner in a red world” — has been on Facebook since 2009, but only recently started checking and reviewing her posts, because she plans to go back to work.

“Mind you, it’s not like I’ve got Mardi Gras photos out there,” Reiter said. “I just was concerned with what I said.”