Forty-five percent of employers now use social media sites to screen job candidates. Whether you are securely employed or seeking new opportunities, understanding how to market your own personal brand online is now more important than ever. Here are some “do’s and don’ts”.
CareerBuilder recently released the results of their survey of 2,667 hiring managers which investigated the use of social media in the recruiting process. The survey provides valuable insight for both current and future job candidates.
What the survey makes glaringly obvious is that the days of simply spinning a rolodex, submitting a resume and hoping for the best are over. In today’s competitive job market, online social networking has become the game changer.
Forty-five percent of employers reported in the survey that they use social networking sites to research job candidates, a big jump from 22 percent last year. Another 11 percent plan to start using social networking sites for screening. That represents 56 percent of employers – a big majority!
According to the survey:
“Of those who conduct online searches/background checks of job candidates, 29 percent use Facebook, 26 percent use LinkedIn and 21 percent use MySpace. One-in-ten (11 percent) search blogs while 7 percent follow candidates on Twitter.
The top industries most likely to screen job candidates via social networking sites or online search engines include those that specialize in technology and sensitive information: Information Technology (63 percent) and Professional & Business Services (53 percent).”
In a two-part blog post entitled “How to Use LinkedIn for Executive Job Search”, Neil Schaffer, talks about the hidden job market on sites like LinkedIn which claims to attract over 45 million professionals and where “the majority of positions are being filled, even more so at the executive level.”
“LinkedIn Jobs boards are different. LinkedIn is, at the heart of its platform, a place for you to connect and develop relationships with otherprofessionals. And because of this, LinkedIn is a very attractive place for recruiters to be”, Schaffer points out.
“You hear the stories that other job sites get hundreds if not thousands of applicants for each job posted. LinkedIn gets only 30 on average. 30 people on average is not a lot of competition. Searching for your next position on the LinkedIn Jobs board may be the best kept secret out there!”
Matt Warburton concurs in a recent Recruiting With LinkedIn blog post claiming the 40% of Fortune 500 companies use LinkedIn corporate recruiting solutions such as LinkedIn Recruiter, its flagship product introduced in February 2008.
“These Fortune 500 LinkedIn customers represent every industry category and include companies such as Kraft (Consumer Products), Lockheed Martin (Aerospace), EMC (Technology), Intuit (Software), Allstate (Insurance), and ConAgra (Food & Beverage). These companies are passively sourcing talent directly using LinkedIn Recruiter.”
Top Reasons Why Candidates Are Disqualified After Social Network Screening
- Candidate posted provocative or inappropriate photographs or information – 53%
- Candidate posted content about them drinking or using drugs – 44%
- Candidate bad-mouthed their previous employer, co-workers or clients – 35%
- Candidate showed poor communication skills – 29%
- Candidate made discriminatory comments – 26%
- Candidate lied about qualifications – 24%
- Candidate shared confidential information from previous employer – 20%
In addition, the Careerbuider survey showed that 14% of employers have disregarded a candidate because the candidate sent a message using an emoticon such as a smiley face while 16 % dismissed a candidate for using text language such as GR8 (great) in an e-mail or job application.
Top Reasons Why Employers Hire Candidates After Social Network Screening
- Profile provided a good feel for the candidate’s personality and fit – 50%
- Profile supported candidate’s professional qualifications – 39%
- Candidate was creative – 38%
- Candidate showed solid communication skills – 35%
- Candidate was well-rounded – 33%
- Other people posted good references about the candidate – 19%
- Candidate received awards and accolades – 15%
So there you have it. It may sound a bit pompous to say that everyone has an “online reputation” to manage, but given the stakes in the hiring game, learning how to market your own personal brand on social media sites is now an essential skill. That was certainly the best advice I could give two marketing VP’s recently ousted from manufacturing companies who called to pick my brain about new employment opportunities.
Please share your experiences and comments here on the value of social media to your company. I’d be happy as well to connect with you on LinkedIn and Twitter!
Photo Credit: Fred Cavazza
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Great article and a must-read for many networkers, especially young people who are just starting their careers. Thank you for sharing, Kat
Thank you for your kind feedback!