With the rapid evolution of social media and potential employees' interaction with their networks via sites like Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn, most employers today use social media as part of their overall recruitment process. That makes sense, given that more than 70% of online adults are using social networking sites.
Although the integration of social media into your recruitment programs can produce some important benefits, there are some potential pitfalls of which employers should be aware before using social media especially as a tool for background screening.
Understand the risks: Employers' hesitation in using social media as part of the background screening process may be due to a deficit of established legal guidance, concerns over applicants' privacy, and uncertainty regarding best practices. Legal consultation must be sought for assessment and risk mitigation.
Develop a Policy: A social media policy written and well communicated to employees is a basic foundation every organization should build upon. A policy protects an organization from legal risks by outlining background screening practices and provides guidelines to HR personnel or vendors conducting background checks.
Social Media as a Resume: Most candidates primarily have a controlled professional presence on LinkedIn and a more personal presence on other networks. Treat social media as a supplementary signal, never a substitute for structured verification.