Job seekers wary of social media

CHECKING UP: Job seekers know that bosses use social media as part of the recruitment process but don't think it's entirely appropriate, according to a new survey.

Opinion poll

Would you be happy for recruiters to trawl your social media profiles?

Yes - I've got nothing to hide

No - that's personal stuff

Vote Result

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Job seekers are aware that bosses are using social media as part of the recruitment process but don't think it's entirely appropriate, according to a new survey.

The Hays online survey of 885 people found that 38 percent of respondents believe employers use social networking profiles to help vet applications, but should not do so.

It says 35 percent not only believe employers use social networking profiles, but also believe that they should use such information to vet applications.

Just 27 per cent think employers do not use social networking profiles as part of the recruiting process.

"This survey reignites the debate about public versus private life, but this time it's not celebrities or politicians that are arguing their right to privacy, but every day job seekers," said Jason Walker, Managing Director of Hays in New Zealand.

"The majority of job seekers feel that their personal life is their personal life, and their social media profile should not be used as part of the decision making process.

"The opposing argument says any actions that take place in the public domain are open to public scrutiny and assessment. From this position some might say reviewing a candidate's social media profile is not that different to conducting a security check - although consent is required for the latter.

"So is a social media profile really any different from any other publicly available data? 38 per cent of job seekers certainly think it is."

Walker said that he their experience, most employers do not leap to check a candidate's online profile.

"It is far more common that an employer will extend their vetting process to include social media only if they feel a candidate might not be what they are portraying themselves to be in their face-to-face interview.

"In such cases, a Facebook profile with a public setting may reveal content that could make an interviewer see you in a different light.

Walker recommends job seekers would be wise to change their privacy settings so that they do not share all their posted content with everyone, and to think beyond pure social sites like Facebook or Twitter.

"What about content on video-sharing sites, online forums or blogs? What about comments you've made on social bookmarking sites? A potential employer who is using cyberspace to gather information about you will not stop at Facebook, so neither should you when editing your social media profile."

- © Fairfax NZ News