Consumer tips: poorly-considered sharing may get you not hired!

The Cartwright Law Firm, in an effort to help consumers stay aware of issues that can impact their lives in very real ways, provides periodic Consumer Tips:

According to a recent survey from CareerBuilder.com, the number of hiring managers who are reporting that a job candidate’s social media postings have cost them a possible job is up nearly 10%, while the number of employers using social media searches to vet candidates for a career opening continues to rise.

There is a variety of content observed by hiring managers that has added to the increase in this issue. Managers cited everything from evidence of inappropriate behavior to information that contradicted their listed qualifications:

• 50% – Candidate posted provocative/inappropriate photos/info
• 48% – There was info about candidate drinking or using drugs
• 33% – Candidate bad mouthed previous employer
• 30% – Candidate had poor communication skills
• 28% – Candidate made discriminatory comments related to race, gender, religion, etc.
• 24% – Candidate lied about qualifications

Job candidates need to police and clean up their social media postings before they even go out to apply for a position. Assume the worst — that a hiring manager will indeed make such checks as part of the decision-making process. Clean up postings that might cause a manager to reject you out-of-hand. Check your Privacy settings regularly, to know whether older posts you may have made got shared on someone else’s page, and may still be visible to a prospective employer.

And don’t rely on your privacy setting to keep a potential employer from seeing your past indiscretions: some employers will demand that you open such content to their inspection if you want to be considered for the job.

Remember: what seemed like fun at the time with your friends may come back to haunt you in some very bad ways. Social media is no longer just for the party-time — it is likely to be for your lifetime!

This Consumer Tips moment is provided by The Cartwright Law Firm. Contact us today with your employment-related concerns. Call us direct at 415-433-0444 today for a free case evaluation.