Facebook and the Hiring Process Employers can agree that first impressions are everything; now, what if your first impression was your Facebook profile? Many companies now use Facebook and other social media sites to really get to know who they could be hiring. Facebook is dominating the social media platform with more than one billion active users monthly posting photos, status updates, and personal information. And not all of these users understand how much their Facebook profiles affect their employment opportunities. Employers are looking to hire employees that are reliable, responsible, and get their work done. Employers want to make sure they are hiring people that will be able to reflect the company vision and represent the company in a way that makes customers keep coming back. The way that employees act, talk, and present themselves can affect the way consumers see the company. Facebook is a great source for information when employers are using phone interviews to hire new employees. Companies that use agencies to get qualified candidates are not doing the employer's work for them. Agencies are looking at candidates resumes, LinkedIn profiles, and qualifications, and many agencies contact candidates with phone calls and emails only. When agencies submit candidates to an employer, the first step is most often than not a phone interview. At this point, employers need to research these possible candidates before going any further in the hiring process. Facebook is going to show if their candidate will represent the company in a high standard. Hiring a new employee is an investment that needs to be protected. Between the interviewing, orientation, and training a company does not want to be incorrect in the decision they have made. While employers want to see their potential employee’s Facebook profile, they also want their potential employees to understand when and how to use their Privacy settings. This indicates that the candidate is mindful of how people view them. During the hiring process, a regular interview can be misleading. When going into an interview candidates put on a front to show only strengths. And when asked what their weaknesses are, often interviewees dance around the question. Facebook and other social networks show the hiring managers how potential employees spend their free time; whether they are using drugs or other disregards for the law. When it comes to college students and other young adults, they may not want their parents, or employers to see underage drinking, or drugs, but they do find it acceptable with their friends. It can be a rite of passage for college students to go out drinking and partying, but in the end it will affect their future employment.
The average cost to replace an employee is 20% of the annual salary that position will make. Hiring a new employee takes a lot of time, research, and money. About 37% of employers pre-screen their applicants on Facebook to help eliminate the cost of interviewing a lot of applicants. Employers are looking for provocative photos, drugs, under aged drinking, and if the candidate has ever talked bad about a past employers. Once an applicant is hired, many companies monitor their employees for these items. Pre-screening potential employees, as well as monitoring current employees, helps eliminate future problems. As an example of this monitoring, if an employee that works for an IT consulting services company posts or even just shares a political photo or status that speaks to the conflicts between America and the Middle East, the employer or hiring manager can monitor that and request that the employee remove the post. In a situation like this, many of the consultants that work for the company may be of Middle Eastern decent. The employee that made or shared the post could be representing the company as a racist company. This, obviously, would not end very well and would be very bad for business. Facebook has brought the world together by connecting us all in one place. The world’s favorite connecting website has also changed employer’s hiring process beyond just an interview and background check. A place where you can post pictures from the good times can also destroy your future employment. Employers nowadays are saving on hiring costs by using social media as part of their background check; eliminating candidates posing as something they’re not.