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With the rapidly growing obsession of social media occurring in our world today, we seem many things being posted online that are both appropriate and not appropriate. Many parents try to teach their kids the difference form right and wrong with posting things online but some don’t listen or have found new things that they don’t know are inappropriate. This topic will discuss what employers are looking for in regard to both good and bad things that they screen on your social medias while you are applying for a job. Unfortunately, some don’t realize what is at risk when they are posting on social media and aren’t thinking if it is a good thing for an future employer to see. This page will be informative on what employers are looking for on social media!

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The 7 Social Media Mistakes Most Likely to Cost You a Job

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The 7 Social Media Mistakes Most Likely to Cost You a Job

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Identifying what you shouldn't have on your Social Media and adding what you should!

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Identifying what you shouldn't have on your Social Media and adding what you should!

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When we hear the words "Social Media" and "Hiring" we immediately think of our past and things we have posted. Almost all of us begin to think back and try and remember what risky things we may have posted in the past. When you think to go back and look for things that shouldn’t be posted, it is usually too late. When you post something, it is on the internet forever in most cases.  It is important that everyone tries to understand this before it’s too late.  Unfortunately, there are many more things that can hurt you, than help you on your social media profile.  After reading the 7 social media mistakes that will cost you a job, many of you are probably hoping there are at least 7 more ways to improve your social media account.

Although you can’t erase mistakes that could cost you a job before you even start, the next article discusses 3 things that hiring managers are looking for. After you clean up your social media if you have posted any of the 7 harmful ways to ruin a job opportunity, you should add the three ways to improve your profile to what Employers are looking for.  It is important that we do these things because Social Media is becoming so used by everyone that employers can see your everyday life style as a lot use social media as a type of diary. Please be safe and refer to the 7 tips on what not to have and improve your profile with the 3 tips for success!

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The top three things that employers want to see in your social media profiles

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The top three things that employers want to see in your social media profiles

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We've all heard that potential employers are going to be looking for us on social media. But why do they do it? What is it that companies want to see about our private life activities before making a professional assessment of us?

Sometimes, they're just looking for potential passive candidates in the first place. Increasingly, networking sites are used as tools by recruiters and hiring managers to seek out sources of talent. Some 44% of employers surveyed said that they had hired a candidate through social media.

That's an impressive number, but it pales beside the fact that almost all employers (93% to be exact) say that they will search for your social media profiles during the interview process.

While not limited to these, the most common websites for recruiters to screen candidates on are LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. What you post and how you behave on these sites can create a first impression of the sort of person you might be.

For example, do you share insightful information? Do you have a sensible professional-looking photo? Are you well-connected in your field? Do you appear to be social and outgoing? Do you seem to be the sort of person who would fit in with the team at work they are considering hiring you for?

This last point, cultural fit, is key for most employers according to a survey of recruiters and hiring managers by Jobvite. So you're in contact with an employer. They have your resume. You've met, or are about to meet for an interview. What do they say that they go looking for on your social media profiles?
The top three things employers look for in your social profiles? More than half of hiring managers (51%) say that they're looking to see if the candidate will be a good fit with the corporate culture.
Think about it, your Facebook profile is a far more accurate portrait of what you're really like than an employer could get from a screening questionnaire. In a questionnaire - you can always give the answers that you think an employer wants to hear. On Facebook your friends would call you out for 'posing' as something you're not.

45% are researching potential hires on social media to find out more about that candidate's qualifications. If you've mentioned your communication skills - are these supported by your online activity? What do you post or tweet about? Are you articulate, intelligent, and friendly, or are you argumentative, belligerent, and foul-mouthed? Most importantly, employers want to see if the information you've listed about your education, experience and previous jobs matches up with what you listed in your resume.

Almost as many, 44% of hiring managers want to see if a candidate is creative. How you choose to use the latest networking tools and technologies can say a lot about how social, savvy and skilled you are. Employers will be looking to see how innovative and original you are in what you do online.
And we've said it before, it seems like it bears repeating: employers will also be screening out candidates for what they deem as inappropriate behaviour online.

There are two parts to this. One is that while drinking too much at a party and passing out shouldn't disqualify someone from a job. However, the act of posting evidence of it online and boasting about how wasted you got can demonstrate that you're quite unsavvy about personal branding and how to market yourself. That's the bigger problem.

The other issue is that there are some online behaviours that just turn employers off. 42% of those surveyed say that they have changed their mind about whether or not to hire someone based on what they have found online.
Here's what employers say they least want to see in candidate social profiles:

83% of employers say they are turned off by references about using illegal drugs. (If this comes as a surprise to you, it's definitely time to cut down on the illegal drug use).

71% are turned off by posts of a sexual nature. (Nobody wants to see that).

65% are turned off by use of profanity.

61% are turned off by bad spelling or grammar.

51% are turned off by references to guns, and

47% are turned off by photos of consuming alcohol.

Interestingly, displaying poor grammar and spelling online appears to be more detrimental to your prospects than guns or alcohol. So if you're going to post about getting drunk and shooting guns, make sure you spell everything correctly and use proper punctuation. Seriously, regarding drinking, there is quite a large difference between a picture of someone making a toast with a glass of wine versus being passed out on the floor surrounded by a sea of empties. Use some common sense. That's what employers want to see.

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The top three things that employers want to see in your social media profiles - Workopolis Blog

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We've all heard that potential employers are going to be looking for us on social media. But why do they do it? What is it that companies want to see about our private life activities before making a professional assessment of us? Sometimes, they're just looking for potential passive candidates in the first place.

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Twitter discusses the impact of social media on your job life.

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Twitter discusses the impact of social media on your job life.

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Social Media can help you land or lose a job. Finding the balance of personal and professional is key. Here's how. https://t.co/Afu4g9egk3

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Social Media can help you land or lose a job. Finding the balance of personal and professional is key. Here's how. https://t.co/Afu4g9egk3 https://t.co/3byk6bA5ZB

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Social Media can help you land or lose a job. Finding the balance of personal and professional is key. Here's how. https://t.co/Afu4g9egk3 pic.twitter.com/3byk6bA5ZB
— iFuse Solutions (@ifusesolutions) July 8, 2017

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Social Media can help you land or lose a job. Finding the balance of personal and professional is key. Here's how. https://t.co/Afu4g9egk3 https://t.co/3byk6bA5ZB

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Social Media can help you land or lose a job. Finding the balance of personal and professional is key. Here's how. https://t.co/Afu4g9egk3 https://t.co/3byk6bA5ZB

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Social Media can help you land or lose a job. Finding the balance of personal and professional is key. Here's how. https://t.co/Afu4g9egk3

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See what percentage of employers use social media to screen job applicants...

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See what percentage of employers use social media to screen job applicants...

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Number of Employers Using Social Media to Screen Candidates Has Increased 500 Percent over the Last Decade - CareerBuilder

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Depending on what hiring managers find, candidates' online information can help or hurt their odds of getting a job. Forty-nine percent of hiring managers who screen candidates via social networks said they've found information that caused them not to hire a candidate - on par with last year 48 percent.

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How Social Media Can Help (Or Hurt) You In Your Job Search

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How Social Media Can Help (Or Hurt) You In Your Job Search

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Social media is a key player in the job search process today.

Sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+ allow employers to get a glimpse of who you are outside the confines of a résumé, cover letter, or interview-while they offer job seekers the opportunity to learn about companies they're interested in; connect with current and former employees; and hear about job openings instantaneously, among other things.

That's probably why half of all job seekers are active on social networking sites on a daily basis, and more than a third of all employers utilize these sites in their hiring process.

Career transition and talent development consulting firm Lee Hecht Harrison asked hundreds of job seekers via an online poll, "How active are you on social networking sites?" Forty-eight percent said they're very active on a daily basis, while 19% said they log on about two or three times per week. Another 22% said they use social networking sites one to three times per month, or less. Only 11% of job seekers said they never use social networking websites.

"I was really excited to see how many job seekers are active on social media," says Helene Cavalli, vice president of marketing at Lee Hecht Harrison. "As strong advocates, we spend a lot of time coaching job seekers on how to develop a solid social media strategy. While it isn't the only strategy for finding a job, it's becoming increasingly important."

Greg Simpson, a senior vice president at Lee Hecht Harrison, said in a press statement that job seekers must understand how hiring managers and recruiters are using social media in all phases of the selection process.

To help job seekers better understand the role of social media in their job search, CareerBuilder.com conducted a survey last year that asked 2,303 hiring managers and human resource professionals if, how, and why they incorporate social media into their hiring process.

First they found that 37% of employers use social networks to screen potential job candidates. That means about two in five companies browse your social media profiles to evaluate your character and personality--and some even base their hiring decision on what they find.

"Social media is a primary vehicle of communication today, and because much of that communication is public, it's no surprise some recruiters and hiring managers are tuning in," says Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder.

CareerBuilder also asked employers why they use social networks to research candidates, and 65% said they do it to see if the job seeker presents himself or herself professionally. About half (51%) want to know if the candidate is a good fit for the company culture, and another 45% want to learn more about his or her qualifications. Some cited "to see if the candidate is well-rounded" and "to look for reasons not to hire the candidate," as their motives.

So, if you're among the 89% of job seekers that use social networking sites (daily, sometimes, or rarely), you'll want to be careful.

A third (34%) of employers who scan social media profiles said they have found content that has caused them not to hire the candidate. About half of those employers said they didn't offer a job candidate the position because of provocative or inappropriate photos and information posted on his or her profile; while 45% said they chose not to hire someone because of evidence of drinking and/or drug use on his or her social profiles. Other reasons they decided not to offer the job: the candidate's profile displayed poor communication skills, he or she bad mouthed previous employers, made discriminatory comments related to race, gender, or religion, or lied about qualifications.

(Haefner says no matter what information is found on a candidate, and regardless of where it's found, the process has to abide by fair and equal hiring practices.)

"If you choose to share content publicly on social media, make sure it's working to your advantage," Haefner says. "Take down or secure anything that could potentially be viewed by an employer as unprofessional and share content that highlights your accomplishments and qualifications in a positive way."

Brad Schepp, co-author of How To Find A Job On LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Google+, adds: " Make sure any profiles you write are free of typos, the information is coherent and applicable to your industry [or job you're trying to land], and your photos present you in a favorable light. You can verify the applicability of the information by checking profiles of others in the same field."

The information you provide online about your job background and accomplishments should also be consistent, he says. "Don't assume an employer will only be checking you out on LinkedIn. They may also check Facebook, or even Twitter and Google+. The story you tell on each site should be pretty much the same, although it's fine to adapt the material for the site."

The good news is that hiring managers aren't just screening your social media profiles to dig up dirt; they're also looking for information that could possibly give you an advantage. The CareerBuilder survey revealed that 29% of surveyed hiring managers found something positive on a profile that drove them to offer the candidate a job.

In some cases it was that the employer got a good feel for the candidate's personality. Others chose to hire because the profile conveyed a professional image. In some instances it was because background information supported professional qualifications, other people posted great references about the candidate, or because the profile showed that the job seeker is creative, well-rounded, or has great communication skills.

This means the job seekers shouldn't just focus on hiding or removing inappropriate content; they should work on building strong social networks and creating online profiles that do a really good job of representing their skills and experience in the workplace, Simpson said in a press statement. "Job seekers who are silent or invisible online may be at a disadvantage. They need to engage on social networking sites to increase their visibility and searchability with prospective employers," he said.

Cavalli agrees. "It's not enough to only post a profile and check your news feed. There are a lot of lurkers--people who have an online profile but don't do anything or engage in any meaningful way. You need to give to the social networking communities, participate in group discussions, share expertise, point someone to an article. You have to work it. While it can feel uncomfortable putting yourself out there, if you're looking for a job, it's not the time to be timid."
Here are seven tips for landing a job using social media.
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How Social Media Can Help (Or Hurt) You In Your Job Search

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What's one way for hiring managers to learn who you are outside the confines of the résumé, cover letter and interview? Scanning your social media profiles. Here's what you'll want to do with you social profiles--and how to find a job on those sites.

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This Facebook post talks about the correspondence between personality and habits developed that hiring managers can see from your social media

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This Facebook post talks about the correspondence between personality and habits developed that hiring managers can see from your social media

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Hiring managers can look at your profile, for example, to see if your personality and habits would fit well into the company culture, vision and goals.

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Post by Inc.

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Keep It Clean: Social Media Screenings Gain in Popularity

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Keep It Clean: Social Media Screenings Gain in Popularity

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Your personal social media profiles can potentially seriously affect your professional life.

"Because we tend to view our personal social media accounts as being 'personal,' there's a good chance that by viewing someone's profile, you'll get a glimpse into their personality beyond the resume," said DeeAnn Sims-Knight, founder of Dark Horse PR. [Read related article: Tips for Creating a Great Resume]

What is a social media screening?

A social media screening is usually done prior to employment, when a candidate is applying for a job. It involves researching a prospect's social media profiles and their activity, including what they post, like and comment on. Some of the platforms they are likely to check are LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and WhatsApp.

In a survey conducted by The Harris Poll, 70 percent of the employers who responded said they believe every company should screen candidates' social media profiles during the hiring process. Moreover, 78 percent of employers believe that current employees should maintain a work-appropriate social media profile.

And it's not just job candidates who are at-risk if they post certain content on social media; it's also current employees. In a survey conducted by Express Employment Professionals, an overwhelming majority of employers said they would fire existing employees for posting certain social media content.

So, what are hiring managers and employers looking for when screening candidates' and employees' social media profiles? Generally, they're looking for red flags that include the sharing of illegal activities, offensive comments, violent or aggressive behavior, sexually explicit material, and confidential information.

Which social media channels can employers check?

Audit your social media accounts before applying for a position. While it's important to check every account, there are some platforms hiring managers are more likely to check, such as LinkedIn.

"The three main platforms that most employers check are LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter," said Matt Erhard, managing partner of Summit Search Group. "I am personally most interested in the candidate's LinkedIn profile, as it's the most relevant."

Most employers view LinkedIn as a secondary resume, and some even post jobs on LinkedIn. However, they are still likely to check other social media channels, such as Instagram. In addition to what you're posting, make sure you are cognizant of who you follow and how they are interacting with your content.

"When I check a candidate's Facebook or Twitter, my aim is more to get a sense of them as a person than to look for damaging information," Erhard said.

Here are some details about the major social media outlets:

Instagram: As a highly visual social media platform, it's important to select images and videos that won't land you in hot water on Instagram. Keep your page professional and positive to give potential employers a sense of your attitude and personality. This extends beyond what you post and into content from other users that you share as publicly viewable stories.

Twitter: Unless your profile is set to private, anyone can view what you post on Twitter and the other tweets that you like or reply to. Setting your profile to private prevents potential employers from seeing your content on Twitter, but it may eliminate an opportunity to make a favorable impression.

Facebook: Facebook is often seen as a more secure form of social media because only people you are friends with can typically see your profile if your settings are private. However, you still want to make sure that you are keeping tabs on what users post to your wall, tag you in and comment on your posts.

TikTok: TikTok is quickly becoming a major social media platform, and employers often check it. If you create videos on the app, it helps your potential employer get a sense of who you are and how you might work with others at the company. Of course, you should make sure your content is appropriate and professional in order to survive a social media screening.

Tips for passing social media screenings

Follow these tips to benefit from potential employers performing social media screenings:

1. Don't erase your profile.

While the fear of something embarrassing or negative being discovered might tempt some job candidates to completely erase their online persona, employers say that strategy can backfire.

About 1 in 5 employers in The Harris Poll's survey said they won't call a person for an interview if they can't find them online. In addition to seeming like you're trying to hide something, it's not a good idea to delete your profile, because it doesn't guarantee the data is completely gone. Instead, the best practice is to keep your social accounts clean and up to date.

"Erasing all of your profiles often implies that you have something to hide," said Dana Case, VP of operations at MyCorporation. "Many LinkedIn or Instagram accounts may still show up in Google searches [after you delete them], even on a cached basis."

2. Use social media to your benefit.

Despite what job candidates might think, most employers are looking for reasons to hire someone. The Harris Poll surveyed over 1,000 employers and found that 67 percent of them look for information that supports a candidate's qualifications to get them through the door.

You can use your social media profiles to promote content that shows your knowledge, professionalism and commitment to growth - characteristics that any employer will want to see. If you're truly passionate about your career, share your accomplishments and interesting content from others in the same space as well. This will showcase your personal interest in the job and encourage employers about your ability to perform and grow in the role you're applying for.

3. Google yourself.

Every few weeks or months, take a minute to Google yourself in an incognito window. This is likely where your employer is going to start when they take a look at your online presence, so it's good to know what will pop up. This will also help you get ahead of anything negative, so you can make sure all the top search results are things you would be fine with your employer seeing.

You might even consider setting up Google alerts for yourself, so if anything new pops up, you'll know right away. If everything remains positive, you're good to go. If there is something you'd rather erase, there are companies you can work with to help improve your online presence.

How to make your profiles private

Since it's legal for employers to check public social media accounts, consider creating at least one account for professional purposes and keeping personal accounts private.

"One of the best strategies I have seen is creating multiple, separate social media accounts on social media platforms," Case said. "Job seekers may have a professional Instagram account, for instance, where they share their office and work wins. They may also have a more private personal account that is locked and only allows a select number of individuals to follow it."

Be wary of hiring managers requesting information beyond what's available online. This is similar to employers asking inappropriate questions during interviews, and should raise a red flag about the firm.

"I have heard of employers asking candidates to provide their password and login credentials for social media," Erhard said. "This is not technically illegal in many places, though, in my mind, it's an uncomfortable invasion of privacy."

Does social media show up on background checks?

Social media accounts don't typically show up on background checks. Most background checks include employment history, credit information and legal problems. However, there may be some cases where social accounts show up on a social media background check.

"There are companies that run social media-based background checks, but that is a separate paid service," Erhard added. "While I'm aware of its existence, I don't personally know any employers who have utilized that kind of service."
[Read related article: Types of Background Checks Employers Should Run]

What to avoid on social media

The study found that a whopping 55 percent of employers who use social media screenings said they have found content that caused them not to hire a candidate.

Follow these guidelines from The Harris Poll's survey to keep your online presence professional:

1. Avoid posting anything potentially offensive. If you wouldn't bring in a particular picture and post it in your cubicle, or say something at the workplace, remove it from your public page.

2. Be purposeful in your posts. Ask yourself: What is my goal with posting this? Is this best for a private or public page?

3. Keep it simple: Remember that less is more in your public profiles.

4. Never complain about employers or colleagues - past or present - on social media.

While these tips are geared toward job seekers, the results of the Express Employment Professionals survey also make clear that existing employees should take this advice to heart. Not only are employers sometimes monitoring their employees' social media behavior, but future employers may conduct social media screenings as well.

Think before you post

Social media is an extension of yourself, and although it sometimes feels like cyberspace is detached from the real world, your actions online can have consequences for your professional life. When creating and sharing content on your social media profiles, stop and take a moment to think about how it may reflect on you beyond your immediate friend group. If a potential employer were to see it during a screening, would it harm your chances of landing that big job you've been hoping for? If so, consider not sharing it in the first place, or at the very least creating separate profiles for recreational posting and setting them to private.
Tejas Vemparala and Nicole Fallon contributed to this article. Source interviews were conducted for a previous version of this article.

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Social media screenings are more popular than ever with hiring managers, so job seekers should be aware of what they're posting online and how it could affect their prospects of being hired.

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Many people aren't aware of how much the internet plays apart in the hiring process, even something small such as your bio can have an effect!

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Many people aren't aware of how much the internet plays apart in the hiring process, even something small such as your bio can have an effect!

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When applying for a job, many of us don't realize that the employer that we are applying to is going to be checking out our social media accounts.  In 2006, only 10 percent looked online.  Now over 70% screen your social media when you apply for a job.  Even when you think your accounts are clean, the screen has the ability to bring up things from the past you may not have any memory of ever posting online. In the article on business news daily it was said that having your account clean is one thing, but if your account isn’t very open and always locked, the employer can’t necessarily see that.

One of the most popular forms of social media for all ages is Twitter.  Twitter has also been around for a fairly long period of time compared to Instagram or Snapchat.  But, with most platforms, comes that point of your profile that is called the “bio”.  Many people would think that this wouldn’t mean a lot to an employer or whatever is there wouldn’t make much of a difference as long as it’s appropriate.  But, that isn’t the case according to The Muse.  This is different than any of the other articles that I have shared because many of them discuss posting regarding specific posts or photos, not something small like a bio, not being aware that although it’s small, it has more value than one would imagine.  Take a look at the three biggest turn offs for an employer to see in your twitter bio.

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The 3 Twitter Bio Phrases That Turn Off Hiring Managers

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The 3 Twitter Bio Phrases That Turn Off Hiring Managers

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Today, the possibilities of job hunting through Twitter are almost endless: You can follow your favorite companies, connect with the heads of HR, and show that you're a valuable candidate through your industry-specific tweets.

In fact, hiring managers are on there right now looking for potential candidates. And before reading your tweets, they're checking out your Twitter bio. In other words, you have 160 characters to make recruiters love you-or hate you.

We're here to make sure it's the former. While there's no perfect recipe for crafting the bio that will make hiring managers want to shoot you a direct message (though here's a good start ), there are certain ingredients that turn them off pretty fast. If any of the following phrases look familiar, be prepared to make some changes.

1. Anything Ending With "Expert/Guru/Ninja"

Experts never call themselves experts-they let others give them that praise. And unless you're a Hindu spiritual leader or trained in martial arts, don't say you're a guru or a ninja. If you truly have extensive knowledge on certain topics, show that expertise through your tweets. Recruiters will be much more impressed by your engagement in professional Twitter chats and your thought-provoking questions than they will by your self-acclaimed titles.

And, because hiring managers won't always read your tweets, consider replacing the "expert/guru/ninja" phrase with your job title using the common "position @company" format. I don't know about you, but I'm much more likely to follow "Tech Reporter @Publication X" or "Content Marketing @Company X" than I am to follow a "technology expert" or a "marketing guru."

2. "I Follow Back"

Do you now? What does your Twitter feed look like from following 11K people? Even if your main purpose for using Twitter is to increase followers , you don't want to advertise it to the world. Sure, you might have thousands of followers because of fellow #TeamFollowBackers out there. But announcing it tells recruiters that you're the kind of person who values appearances over everything else. And quality should always be more important than quality when it comes to Twitter-and your career.

Sign Up Now for "How to Get a Job Using Social Media"

It's a free class from The Muse with short, practical and-dare we say-fun lessons sent directly to you.

3. Phrases With Hashtags in Front of #Every #Single #Word

I'm glad that you're passionate about #media #startups #tech #design and #healthyliving, I really am. But all of these hashtags make your bio look like a spam account. By using more than one hashtag in your bio, you transform from looking like someone who gets how the platform works to an overzealous user who didn't take the time to figure it out. Yes, hashtags exist. But no, you don't need to use them on every single word. Remember: You only have 160 characters for your bio. Remove those hashtags and make each character count.

Are there other Twitter bio phrases that you avoid at all costs? Let me know on Twitter !

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The 3 Twitter Bio Phrases That Turn Off Hiring Managers (and Offend Real Ninjas)

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Today, the possibilities of job hunting through Twitter are almost endless: You can follow your favorite companies, connect with the heads of HR, and show that you're a valuable candidate through your industry-specific tweets. In fact, hiring managers are on there right now looking for potential candidates.

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THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA DURING HIRING PROCESS

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For more information head to our website: http://www.valleycentral.com.

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Employers are looking at your social media!

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Employers are looking at your social media!

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Back To Career News

If you grew up with social media, then your parents and teachers warned you throughout your life about the damage you can do to your reputation online. But, will prospective employers really check your profiles while evaluating you for a job? The latest research says: probably. In fact, the number of employers who look at candidates' social media has increased 500 percent in the past 10 years, according to one survey.

If you grew up with social media, then your parents and teachers warned you throughout your life about the damage you can do to your reputation online. But, will prospective employers really check your profiles while evaluating you for a job? The latest research says: probably. In fact, the number of employers who look at candidates' social media has increased 500 percent in the past 10 years, according to one survey.

(Photo Credit: splitshire.com via Pexels)

In February and March of 2016, Harris Poll, on behalf of CareerBuilder, conducted a nationwide survey to better understand social media's impact on the hiring process and workers. The survey included over 2,100 hiring managers and HR professionals as well as over 3,000 employees in the U.S. who worked full-time in the private sector. Here are a few interesting takeaways:
1. Employers check up on their employees, too.
Potential new hires aren't the only ones being researched online. According to the results of the survey, 41 percent of employers research current employees on social networking sites, and nearly one-third use search engines to investigate them. And, they don't necessarily keep the information they glean from this research to themselves. More than one-fourth (26 percent) of employers said that they'd found content online that caused them to fire or reprimand an employee at some point along the way.
2. Employers from every industry use social media to check up on candidates during the hiring process.
A large percentage of hiring managers utilize social networking sites to check up on prospective candidates. The rates at which they did this varied by industry. In IT, the rate was 76 percent, and in sales, it was 65 percent. These industries scored the highest for this practice of all those surveyed. Professional and business services used this resource the least, and even then, 55 percent of hiring managers checked up on candidates via social media.
3. Hiring managers are looking for different things.
When asked what they're looking for when they research a candidate on social media, hiring managers provided a range of responses. Only 21 percent admitted they were looking for reasons not to hire the candidate, whereas 60 percent said they were "looking for information that supports their qualifications for the job." Thirty percent said they were looking into what other people had to say about the candidate, and 53 percent said they wanted to see if the candidate was projecting a professional image online.
4. A lot of employers won't hire people if they don't like what they see.
Employers turn away from candidates because of the information they learn about them online all the time. In fact, 49 percent of hiring managers say they've decided not to hire a candidate because of this. Among those, 46 percent said they did so because of "provocative or inappropriate photographs, videos or information," and 43 percent said they did so because they found information related to the candidate's use of drugs or alcohol. Almost one-third said that it was because the "candidate bad-mouthed previous company or fellow employee." As you can see, there are plenty of reasons to keep your social media presence clean and professional, especially during a job search.
5. Sometimes, candidates turn the tables on hiring managers.
Employers aren't the only ones using social media to do some research during a hiring process. Nearly one in five workers (18 percent) said that they had used social media to research hiring mangers while they were job hunting. So, these folks should be sure to keep their online presence professional as well.

Be sure to check out the full report for more information on the survey and its findings.
Tell Us What You Think
How do you think social media impacts the hiring process? We want to hear from you! Leave a comment or join the discussion on Twitter.

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Employers Are Looking at Your Social Media

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If you grew up with social media, then your parents and teachers warned you throughout your life about the damage you can do to your reputation online. But, will prospective employers really check your profiles while evaluating you for a job? The latest research says: probably.

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Social Media can help you land and lose your job, take a look at this tweet

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Social Media can help you land and lose your job, take a look at this tweet

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#Socialmedia profiles can help you land or lose a #job. When's the last time you checked your privacy settings? https://t.co/7vLcf8i8b7

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#Socialmedia profiles can help you land or lose a #job. When's the last time you checked your privacy settings? https://t.co/7vLcf8i8b7

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#Socialmedia profiles can help you land or lose a #job. When's the last time you checked your privacy settings? https://t.co/7vLcf8i8b7
— TEKsystems (@TEKsystems) November 20, 2015

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#Socialmedia profiles can help you land or lose a #job. When's the last time you checked your privacy settings? https://t.co/7vLcf8i8b7

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#Socialmedia profiles can help you land or lose a #job. When's the last time you checked your privacy settings? https://t.co/7vLcf8i8b7

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#Socialmedia profiles can help you land or lose a #job. When's the last time you checked your privacy settings? https://t.co/7vLcf8i8b7