Recruitment Agencies Turn To Facebook

Tuesday Feb 5

When uploading your latest set of photos from your night out onto your social networking profile, think twice before you do it.

More and more employers are beginning to research their candidates online by searching on popular websites such as Facebook and Myspace. When searching for candidates they can get an idea of their personality.  For example they can see their hobbies, interests and how they are likely to handle themselves after a few drinks!  If they don’t like what they see, then they may well decide not to take their application any further.

Yes, uploading a gallery full of alcohol induced photographs is a regular habit by many to show their friends.  But just think, would you want somebody who doesn’t know you to see them? Do you think they would find them as amusing as you do?

In a recent survey conducted by Viadeo, one in five employers admitted the using sites such as Facebook to check up on any candidates that apply for positions within the company.

Some of the employers that participated in the survey said that they use them to find out some personal information, however some did admit that they wanted to see how a potential new employee would project themselves.
To prove the dangers of uploading such photo’s, or even video’s, almost two thirds of the employers interviewed said that any content on such a profile had affected their decision on whether to continue the recruitment process with a candidate.

There is no question that more and more recruitment companies are using networks like Facebook to find candidates.  One of the leading Recruitment agencies that places thousands of staff every year stated that checking such sites is now routine.