After reading the posts by Lauren, Kristin and Jamie on the topic of employers looking into prospective employees via social media, I thought I’d provide my own take on this issue, partly because I somewhat disagree with what they’re saying, but mostly because I like to play devil’s advocate. From the beginning, as an employer, I would be more concerned if the potential employee felt they had something to hide on their social media accounts. I’d like to believe (most) employers know candidates have social lives; they understand that those are the photos that go on social media sites. Kristin said, “College students don’t post Instagram pictures of their hard work at their internship, their religiously dedicated library visits to Davis late at night nor their academic achievements.” Employers know that. If they have a Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, they probably don’t post things like that either.
Some people may still worry that employers might see photos of their social life. If this is the case, consider what you would like to see as an employer? Would you rather hire someone who seems to communicate well with others (evident by their photos with friends) and is invested in their community (or on their campus) or someone who just takes a bunch of selfies? I know who I’d hire. Additionally, you can tell a lot about a person based on their profile picture, a point I discussed in a previous post. “Photos seem to be the primary way we make impressions of people on social networking sites,” said Brandon Van Der Heide. For example, if you were to upload a photo of you and your friends to Facebook, you may potentially look more attractive as a candidate because most jobs require some level of communication. (Disclaimer: I am not talking about candidates who post photos themselves passed out under a bar, or anything similar. That’s just stupid.)
That brings me to my next point. People are very different in interviews than they are in real life. Almost anyone can meet a potential employer with a smile on their face and a list of their qualifications, but they might just be terrible people. One look at their Twitter feed and you could likely tell what kind of person they really are. I graduated with someone whose tweets contain racial slurs roughly 75% of the time. They applied for a job, went in for an interview and the company wanted to hire them almost immediately after. One day later, after the company took a quick look at the candidate's Twitter feed, they sent him an email that said they weren't hiring him. Their reason? They saw his tweets, and he was kind of an asshole.
Now, think of someone you’ve come in contact with (someone who has a Facebook) who made you think, “How in the world did this person get a job?” We’ve all met someone like that, and I can almost promise you they did well in their interview. You may also think about someone who you work with who really shouldn’t be allowed to have a job. Just to be clear, I’m only talking about people with a social media presence; I know a lot of older people don’t use social media and therefore, can’t be considered in this category.
We share so much of our lives on these social media sites, regardless if it’s mostly the social part, so they may be a good indication of what kind of people we are. By no means do I tweet things applicable for the jobs I hope to apply for when I graduate. I tweet about the movies I watch on Netflix and who I think should be a celebrity couple, but I don’t tweet racial slurs; already, because of the things I put (and don’t put) on social media, I’m more attractive as a candidate.
I recently applied for an ambassador position for a new company. Right under my name and DOB, they asked for a link to my Facebook page, as well as how many Instagram followers I have. I don’t have a problem giving this information. In fact, I include links to my Facebook and Twitter on my resume. I do this because I want employers to know I have nothing to hide. Yes, I have a few stupid pictures on my Facebook page, and Jamie says she does too. According to this article, that doesn’t matter.
The author addresses the three major things employers look for in the social profiles of potential employees:
- If the candidate will be a good fit
- A candidate’s qualifications – “If you’ve mentioned your communication skills – are these supported by your online activity? What do you post or tweet about? Are you articulate, intelligent, and friendly, or are you argumentative, belligerent, and foul-mouthed?”
- Their creativity
Bottom line, none of these things will be affected by a photo of you making a silly face.
As for me, I don’t mind if future employers look at my social media accounts, silly photos and all. I wouldn’t want to work for anyone who couldn’t find humor in that, anyway.