Filtering the GOOD Candidates from the BAD

Cara Pring | June 2011

How should you use social media to help the recruitment process?

Filtering the GOOD candidates from the BADHow should you use social media to help the recruitment process?

1. About me.

Boring stuff:• B Media & Communications / B Arts – UOW• Background in marketing, media and events

Exciting stuff:• Pure social media management – Bupa + Qantas• www.thesocialskinny.com + guest blogger for DM• Crazy cat lady• Trained ninja.

2. Question time....

a) Who has used social media to screen potential employees? (not just to find them, but also to screen them)

Which profiles did you use?

Did you change your mind about someone? Why/why not?

Filtering the GOOD candidates from the BADHow should you use social media to help the recruitment process?

3. The world of recruiting pre-SM

• Resume

• Interviews

• Educational experience

• Work experience

Filtering the GOOD candidates from the BADHow should you use social media to help the recruitment process?

4. The world of recruitment post-SM• Google

• Twitter

• Facebook

• LinkedIn

• MySpace

• Blogs

•Resume

• Interviews = holistic viewFiltering the GOOD candidates from the BAD

How should you use social media to help the recruitment process?

5. Nothing is sacred.

“A new survey by recruitment firm Robert Half has found that more than a third of employers…admit to checking potential candidates’ Facebook profiles before offering them a job” – Sky News

“US employers have taken screening one step further, asking some job candidates to log into their Facebook pages during the interview” – The Age

“Ms Kendall said she had conducted an hour-long internet search on an IT position candidate and discovered a Twitter reference to him smoking marijuana” – The Age

Filtering the GOOD candidates from the BADHow should you use social media to help the recruitment process?

6. Statistics

According to a WorkPro survey….

• 4% of respondents felt comfortable with employers conducting internet searches on prospective employees

• 54% had never changed their Facebook profile with their employer in mind

Filtering the GOOD candidates from the BADHow should you use social media to help the recruitment process?

7. The most common sites

• Google – The Google Test is irresistible but depends on uniqueness of name

• LinkedIn – treat this like a resume (fair game)

• Twitter – public but still a little personal

• Facebook/MySpace – mostly personal

Filtering the GOOD candidates from the BADHow should you use social media to help the recruitment process?

8. “Good” vs “Bad” social profiles

• Public photos / profile photos / private photos

• General attitude / company fit

• References to past jobs (overt or subtle remarks)

• Matching information to resume

• Alarming / illegal behaviour

Filtering the GOOD candidates from the BADHow should you use social media to help the recruitment process?

9. “Good” vs “Bad” social profiles

Vs.

Filtering the GOOD candidates from the BADHow should you use social media to help the recruitment process?

Filtering the GOOD candidates from the BADHow should you use social media to help the recruitment process?

10. Using social media to screen employees

• Double-edged sword

• Don’t be hyper-critical

• Consider your own social profiles / those of your friends

• Consider the audience, channel and reach

• Consider the degree of identification

• Consider the role itself + the industry

• Consider your company culture

Filtering the GOOD candidates from the BADHow should you use social media to help the recruitment process?

11. Questions to ask

• Will the person have much contact with general public?

• Would member of public be able to find their profiles?

• What sort of personality are you looking for?

• Just how bad is their behaviour really – is it something you might do

when you’re off the clock?

Filtering the GOOD candidates from the BADHow should you use social media to help the recruitment process?

12. Always remember…

Everyone has a professional personality and a personal personality – try not to be overly judgemental.

Lastly…

Social Media Policy – create it, teach it and live by it.

Filtering the GOOD candidates from the BADHow should you use social media to help the recruitment process?

Filtering the GOOD candidates from the BADHow should you use social media to help the recruitment process?