Nowadays, it is common for companies to analyze the social networks of potential candidates, exploring their blogs, Instagram, Facebook and X accounts to better understand their personality, interests and communication skills. In fact, a 2020 study by US market research firm The Harris Poll found that 67% of those surveyed were recruiting professionals using social media sites to research potential job candidates, of which 55% had found content that dissuaded them from hiring the applicant. More than 20 percent are unlikely to hire a candidate with no social media presence, the study found.

“Companies are increasingly using social media profiles – beyond LinkedIn to include Facebook and Instagram – to support their hiring decisions,” says Upasana Raina, director of human resources (HR) at the services organization of human resources GI Group. “While the initial stages of the recruitment process are still based on conventional methods, additional information from social media profiles plays a significant role in the final stages.” A candidate’s content, Raina adds, highlights passions such as volunteering, creative pursuits or additional technical skills, providing a more comprehensive view of the person.

It’s no wonder more people curate their feed to showcase the best versions of their professional and personal lives. For freelancers, especially in creative fields, social media often drives business from clients. For recruiters, it can help discover whether a candidate is a cultural fit for an organization.

But there are risks in using social media in the recruitment process. A Facebook or Instagram profile is a space for creative expression and individual opinion. Bias can occur if recruiters base their decisions on the content they see. The profile may, for example, reveal details irrelevant to a person’s professional skills, such as marital status, sexual orientation, political views and pregnancy status, which may inadvertently influence a recruiter’s decision.

The New Google

Instagram isn’t just the new LinkedIn, “it’s the new Google,” says Rhea Mehta, 28, founder of marketing and PR agency Digi Duck.

“Check the legitimacy of the company or brand you want to work with, or check out a person to see if they follow similar pages to you and if they have connections in common,” says Mehta. Most of her clients discover her through social media. media — Mehta’s company and personal Instagram accounts are public — and while she doesn’t deliberately curate her feed, she “subconsciously puts things that people would relate to me.” She shares personal tidbits—food, travel, hobbies—but is wary of sharing too much detail, lest clients misinterpret or take something out of context.

Screening often works to the candidate’s advantage, exposing strengths that aren’t apparent on the resume or interview.

“This is common for roles that don’t require a candidate to be a great conversationalist,” says Janoo Motiani, founder and chief executive of talent solutions firm Reed & Willow, recalling how a client once rejected a candidate for that he could not express himself well during the interview This was for a graphic designer position, which required minimal stakeholder management of the design function at the same office, says Motiani.

There’s another plus of social media scanning: It alerts businesses to potential red flags, such as the posting of inappropriate or offensive content or frequent displays of unprofessional behavior. “We avoid candidates whose online presence could have a negative impact on the company’s reputation or reflect poorly on our team culture,” says Rakesh Goyal, director of Probus, an InsurTech platform. “Furthermore, if a candidate consistently posts about sensitive topics in a way that may disrupt workplace harmony, it could impact our decision.”

Biases and inaccuracies

A big problem with evaluating people based on their social media personas is, as I mentioned earlier, the biases that occur if recruiters disagree on aspects unrelated to professional skills and accomplishments. They can also see details they can’t ask about during an interview, such as sexual orientation. There is also the issue of inaccuracy, as people only share content they want others to see, sometimes exaggerating or understating things, giving a distorted portrait of themselves.

“We should remember that there is behavior in front of the stage and behind it. Front of the stage refers to how people behave in certain ways when others are watching, while behind the scenes refers to their true selves,” says Ernesto Noronha, professor of organizational behavior at the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad. “Companies need to understand behind the scenes and be cautious. their behavior in front of the stage colors their decisions.”

A 2020 research report in the Journal Of Applied Psychology indicated that recruiters are affected by everything they see on social media. For example, in the study, candidates with married or engaged status scored higher than those who were single; older individuals rated more highly than younger individuals; and those who indicated their religious beliefs received lower ratings.

So how does one navigate this terrain? It is unlikely that biases will not occur, but companies try to limit this. “We focus on making sure our decisions are based on qualifications and professional interactions,” Goyal says, adding that they use a diverse pool of interviewers and clear hiring guidelines to help mitigate personal bias.

It’s also important not to rely heavily on social media to determine a candidate’s suitability. “Individuals can present themselves differently on social media, which makes it unwise to base decisions solely on these profiles,” says Raina. She recommends a similar approach with current employees, where their lack of engagement with the company’s social media posts should not automatically lead to disengagement. .

Thota agrees. “Companies should have the maturity to respect employees’ personal and professional lives, separate from each other, and should not make decisions based on social media profiles.”

Prof. Noronha advises against following current employees or evaluating candidates based on their social media content. “But they could use that information to probe the employee during the interview.”

Aware that social media screening is a common practice, some individuals are becoming more careful about what they share. Some of Mehta’s friends, for example, have “finsta” (fake Instagram) accounts, which they can share publicly, and use their private accounts to express themselves more freely. “I’ve had employees hide their stories or posts from me. That is understandable,” says Mehta.

Any information that is not related to professional skills should be taken with a pinch of salt, Motiani believes. “We all have an Instagram account and we have a life. Oftentimes, these are two different worlds, and people behave differently depending on who shares these worlds with them.”

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