Friday, August 16, 2013

How Social Media Can Build or Ruin Your Career, Job Opportunities



By Clive M Siachiyako
Throughout the past decade, social media has taken over our society. People are making these websites a part of their daily routine. Some feel the need to update the cyber world on every little thing they do. Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn allow users to update their friends through the use of pictures, statuses, and accomplishments. Without these three social networks, our society would be changed completely. Employers would not be able to see what these potential applicants do “after hours” and be able to determine if they are the right fit for their company

Social media sites help filter-out unprofessional candidates, as hiring new employees has become more and more expensive. Employers look for three top traits in prospective employees which are: conscientiousness, agreeableness and emotional stability. An employer can make a judgment just by looking at an applicant’s profile. That is why it is crucial that applicants create their personal brand in a positive way on the social media.
 
On the contrary, social media websites have become more of a negative and controversial issue. Some believe it is unjust to obtain information about someone without their consent. However, when one displays personal information on the Internet, they are then making it public information. Others think social media websites are a waste of time and do not think they help finding a job. Nevertheless, if an employer goes to look for a potential employee’s social profile and cannot locate one, they may think the applicant is irrelevant or trying to hide something. A major social media ‘fraud’ is spelling and grammar mistakes. According to hiring managers, poor grammar and spelling mistakes are worse (54%) social networking sins than posting about a binge-drinking adventure.

According to a study called “The Impact of the Big Five Personality Traits on the Acceptance of Social Networking Website,” with the outstanding number of people interacting with social media websites every day, employers are searching for potential employees in the all the right places. The study showed that the main personality traits used by employers to gauge the potential candidate for the job are: agreeableness, openness, extraversion, neuroticism and conscientiousness.

Agreeableness is associated with traits of courtesy, flexibility, trustworthiness, forgiving, etc. The study also showed that individuals that are agreeable were more likely to contemplate social networking technology as valuable, as it would help them foster their personal relationships with others and use it to build their persona and the brand of their employers. Openness to experience is associated with traits of curiousness, originality, intelligence, etc. Since these types of people are more curious than others, communicating with friends and co-workers should be appealing to these them.

 Extroversion is associated with traits of sociability, talkativeness, activeness, etc. Since these individuals are assertive and social, social networking would be another way to assert themselves and be quite useful. Conscientious is associated with traits of responsible, organised, good at planning, etc. Conscientiousness people are persistent and are better capable of following directions. They would find that social networking is easier to use than others. Neuroticism is associated with traits of anxiety, worry, insecurity, etc.  People who are neurotic have trouble trying new experiences and are more likely to have problems with social networking or simply want to avoid this technology completely.

The study states that some employers said “we no longer have the excuse of relying on self-reports of graduates. We can now reach out to other groups and see the actual electronic traces of their behaviour." Other findings in the study were that when screening job candidate, 1 in 10 employers use or has used social networking sites. Employers browse potential employee’s personal social media pages to discover any related information that was not exposed in the interview. Some employers use social networking sites to check on a potential candidate’s personality on the social media, which is basically a pre-interview process.

According to Careerbuilder.com’s survey, 63% of managers who used social networking websites did not hire the person based on the negative things they found on their profile. “They are using these networks to fish where the fish are…If you do not like a person there (on Facebook), you probably won’t like working with them.” Employers are using these networks to find potential employees because that is where they spend the majority of their time. With the outstanding number of people interacting with social media websites every day, employers are searching for potential employees in the all the right places. Social media is now being used as an effective source to assess potential employee’s professionalism, personality, level of intelligence, or, in many cases, lack of it.

 Sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+ allow employers to get a glimpse of who you are outside the confines of a curriculum vitae, cover letter, or interview; in as much as they (the sites) offer job seekers the opportunity to learn about companies they are interested in; connect with current and former employees; and hear about job openings instantaneously, among other things. That is probably why half of all job seekers are active on social networking sites on a daily basis, and more than a third of all employers utilise these sites in their hiring process.

To help job seekers better understand the role of social media in their job search, CareerBuilder.com conducted a survey in 2012 that asked 2,303 hiring managers and human resource professionals if, how, and why they incorporate social media into their hiring process. First they found that 37% of employers use social networks to screen potential job candidates. That means about two in five employers browse candidates’ social media profiles to evaluate their character and personality and some even base their hiring decision on what they find.

“Social media is a primary vehicle of communication today, and because much of that communication is public, it is no surprise some recruiters and hiring managers are tuning in,” states CareerBuilder.

 CareerBuilder also asked employers why they use social networks to research candidates. About 65% said they do it to see if the job seeker presents themselves professionally. About half (51%) want to know if the candidate is a good fit for the company culture, and another 45% want to learn more about their qualifications.  A third (34%) of employers who scan social media profiles said they have found content that has caused them not to hire the candidate. About half of those employers said they did not offer a job candidate the position because of provocative or inappropriate photographs and information posted on their profile; while 45% said they chose not to hire someone because of evidence of drinking and/or drug use on their social profiles. Other reasons they decided not to offer the job: the candidate’s profile displayed poor communication skills, they bad mouthed previous employers, made discriminatory comments related to race, gender, or religion, or lied about qualifications.

 Tips of how to conduct self on social networks
The study findings showed that no matter what information was found on a candidate, and regardless of where it was found, the process had to abide by fair and equal hiring practices. Therefore, if you choose to share content publicly on social media, make sure it is working to your advantage. Take down or secure anything that could potentially be viewed by an employer as unprofessional and share content that highlights your accomplishments and qualifications in a positive way.

Make sure any profiles you write are free of typos, the information is coherent and applicable to your industry or job you are trying to get, and your photographs present you in a favorable light. You can verify the applicability of the information by checking profiles of others in the same field.

The information you provide online about your job background and accomplishments should also be consistent. Do not assume an employer will only be checking you out on LinkedIn. They may also check Facebook, or even Twitter and Google+.  The story you tell on each site should be pretty much the same, although it is fine to adapt the material for the site.

The good news is that hiring managers are not just screening your social media profiles to dig up ‘dirt;’ they are also looking for information that could possibly give you an advantage. The CareerBuilder survey revealed that 29% of surveyed hiring managers found something positive on a profile that drove them to offer the candidate a job.

 In some cases it was that the employer got a good feel for the candidate’s personality. Others chose to hire because the profile conveyed a professional image. In some instances it was because background information supported professional qualifications, other people posted great references about the candidate, or because the profile showed that the job seeker is creative, well-rounded, or has great communication skills.

This means the job seekers should not just focus on hiding or removing inappropriate content; they should work on building strong social networks and creating online profiles that do a really good job of representing their skills and experience in the workplace. In this www era, job seekers who are silent or invisible online may be at a disadvantage. They need to engage on social networking sites to increase their visibility and searchability with prospective employers. Can someone Google you and find you?

 It is not enough to only post a profile and check your news feed. There are a lot of lurkers – people who have an online profile but do not do anything or engage in any meaningful way. You need to give to the social networking communities, participate in group discussions, share expertise or point someone to an article. You have to work it. While it can feel uncomfortable putting yourself out there, if you are looking for a job, it is not the time to be timid.

 Takeaways
Whether you like it or not, employers are using social networks to screen job applicants. This means it is important to carefully manage your image on these types of sites. Create a personal brand which will sell you and make you an admirable person to recruit.
 
Facebook and Twitter are being used a lot to screen job applicants. On Facebook and Twitter, we believe hirers are trying to get a more personal view of a candidate, rather than the resume-like view they will see on LinkedIn.

Hirers are looking at the social networking profiles of candidates very early in the process. This means that job seekers need to have their online act in order before they begin looking for a job.

The bottom line is that it is important for users, whether they are looking for a job or building up their professional reputation, to manage their online image across the different social networks they use.  Source: Society for Human Resource Management