How Hiring Managers Profile Candidates The job race is more competitive than ever. Almost all employers today use some kind of Internet job application to screen applicants, but hiring managers are going a step further. They are using social media, search engines, background checks and even credit reports to make a decision on you whether a candidate gives them all of their information or not. Social media has actually become one of the top ways that employers profile potential job candidates. According to a poll by CareerBuilder.com, 45 percent of employers screen job candidates, and some of the reasons they reject candidates can be completely ridiculous. What Your Facebook Says About You Most people have by now learned that Facebook is a keyhole look into someone's life. You can make that hole larger or smaller depending on what information you share and how much you allow others to see. Polls show that 35 percent of employers rejected a candidate based on what they found in a social network profile. If you aren't making sure that your Facebook profile is professional and private during a job search, you're likely going to alienate some hiring managers who even dislike the use of emoticons. In fact, 14 percent of hiring managers rejected a candidate for using an emoticon. Do You Have a LinkedIn Profile? LinkedIn has grown in popularity, and it's one of the go-to places for recruiters to see just how much of an asset you can truly be to their company. Hiring managers like LinkedIn because they can see your picture, look at your job history and check out your connections. They can tell by your interests and resume if you're a good fit for the company, and they don't even have to speak to you if you're not. They can even check out your references. When developing your LinkedIn profile, you should make sure to have a complete job history, multiple references, professional photo and links to all social network profile and websites. Even if you don't include these on your LinkedIn, your hiring manager will be able to find your other profiles or may outright ask what they are during an interview. Why Social Media Could Be Your Rejection Letter Employers are conducting thorough research on every candidate because they can. The technology is available. They don't have to meet with you or even speak to you on the phone before already making a decision about you. Most of this comes down to the information in your social network profile. Some of the reasons that employers rejected an applicant based on a social media profile include: • Provocative or inappropriate photos • Drinking and using drugs • Badmouthing previous employers • Poor communication skills • Discrimination against races, religion, gender, etc. Candidates were also rejected if it was found that they were lying about their qualifications. However, studies show that hiring managers may be too quick to assume something from a social network profile. What Hiring Managers are Looking For Studies have shown that social network profiles also make hiring managers want to extend a job offer based on the information that they provided whether intentionally or not. A noteworthy candidate would have the following: • High quality, professional headshot for profile picture • Personality information that matched company beliefs • Wide range of interests • Background information supported resume qualifications • Creativity • Excellent communication skills • Great references posted about candidate Since so much of the world is about online shopping today, it's easy to see why so many hiring managers are choosing to be selective about their candidates. They are conducting extensive profile research online before ever making a decision. Combined with a background check, your social network profile may say a lot more to an employer than what you wanted.
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