CHICAGO, Sept. 10 IL-CareerBuilder-Find
CHICAGO, Sept. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Could your future boss be perusing your
profile? Twenty-two percent of hiring managers said they use social
networking sites to research job candidates, up from 11 percent in 2006,
according to a nationwide survey of more than 3,100 employers from
CareerBuilder.com. An additional 9 percent said they don't currently use
social networking sites to screen potential employees, but plan to start.
Of those hiring managers who have screened job candidates via social
networking profiles, one-third (34 percent) reported they found content that
caused them to dismiss the candidate from consideration. Top areas for
concern among these hiring managers included:
-- 41% -- candidate posted information about them drinking or using drugs
-- 40% -- candidate posted provocative or inappropriate photographs or
information
-- 29% -- candidate had poor communication skills
-- 28% -- candidate bad-mouthed their previous company or fellow employee
-- 27% -- candidate lied about qualifications
-- 22% -- candidate used discriminatory remarks related to race, gender,
religion, etc.
-- 22% -- candidate's screen name was unprofessional
-- 21% -- candidate was linked to criminal behavior
-- 19% -- candidate shared confidential information from previous
employers
On the other hand, social networking profiles gave some job seekers an
edge over the competition. Twenty-four percent of hiring managers who
researched job candidates via social networking sites said they found content
that helped to solidify their decision to hire the candidate. Top factors
that influenced their hiring decision included:
-- 48% -- candidate's background supported their qualifications for the
job
-- 43% -- candidate had great communication skills
-- 40% -- candidate was a good fit for the company's culture
-- 36% -- candidate's site conveyed a professional image
-- 31% -- candidate had great references posted about them by others
-- 30% -- candidate showed a wide range of interests
-- 29% -- candidate received awards and accolades
-- 24% -- candidate's profile was creative
"Hiring managers are using the Internet to get a more well-rounded view of
job candidates in terms of their skills, accomplishments and overall fit
within the company," said Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources
at CareerBuilder.com. "As a result, more job seekers are taking action to
make their social networking profiles employer-friendly. Sixteen percent of
workers who have social networking pages said they modified the content on
their profile to convey a more professional image to potential employers."
Haefner recommends the following tips to keep your online persona in a
favorable light:
1) Clean up digital dirt. Make sure to remove pictures, content and links
that can send the wrong message to a potential employer before you
start your job search.
2) Update your profile regularly. Make sure to include specific
accomplishments, inside and outside of work.
3) Monitor comments. Since you can't control what other people say on
your site, you may want to use the "block comments" feature.
4) Join groups selectively. While joining a group with a fun or silly
name may seem harmless, "Party Monsters R Us" may not give the best
impression to a hiring manager. Also be selective about who you accept
as "friends."
5) Go private. Consider setting your profile to "private," so only
designated friends can view it.
Survey Methodology
The survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Interactive on
behalf of CareerBuilder.com among 3,169 hiring managers and human resource
professionals (employed full-time; not self-employed; with at least
significant involvement in hiring decisions) and 8,785 employees (employed
full-time; not self-employed) ages 18 and over between May 22 and June 13,
2008, respectively. Percentages for some questions are based on a subset of
U.S. employers and employees, based on their responses to certain questions.
With a pure probability sample of 3,169 and 8,785, one could say with a 95
percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 1.74
percentage points and +/- 1.05 percentage points respectively. Sampling error
for data from sub-samples is higher and varies.
About CareerBuilder.com
CareerBuilder.com is the nation's largest online job site with more than
23 million unique visitors and over 1.6 million jobs. Owned by Gannett Co.,
Inc. (NYSE: GCI), Tribune Company, The McClatchy Company (NYSE: MNI) and
Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT), the company offers a vast online and print
network to help job seekers connect with employers. CareerBuilder.com powers
the career centers for more than 1,600 partners, including 140 newspapers and
leading portals such as AOL and MSN. More than 300,000 employers take
advantage of CareerBuilder.com's easy job postings, 28 million-plus resumes,
Diversity Channel and more. CareerBuilder.com and its subsidiaries operate in
the U.S., Europe, Canada and Asia. For more information, visit
http://www.careerbuilder.com.
Media Contact:
CareerBuilder.com
Jennifer Grasz
773-527-1164
Jennifer.Grasz@careerbuilder.com
SOURCE CareerBuilder.com
