Come you moths to my social media flame.
Ha Ha! Made you listen to The Bangles! Good luck getting that song out of your head. Maybe this will help. #Sike
So, while you curse me for planting kitschy 80’s ballads in your head, check out the top ten social media red flags (according to a CareerBuilder survey) why companies are passing on job candidates:
- 46% Posted provocative or inappropriate photographs or information
- 41% Posted information about them drinking or using drugs
- 36% Bad-mouthed their previous company or fellow employee
- 32% Poor communication skills **Meyer curses survey**
- 28% Discriminatory comments
- 25% Lied about qualifications
- 24% Shared confidential information from previous employers
- 22% Linked to criminal behavior
- 21% Screen name was unprofessional
- 13% Lied about an absence
Among the worst social media content that employers had identified as candidate disqualifiers: (1) A social media profile included links to an escort service; (2) Posting a photo of one’s own arrest warrant (although a sexy mugshot has been known to lead to a modeling contract); (3) Candidate had sued his wife for shooting him in the head.
But all is not lost for us social media dorks — holla if you hear me! Survey says: social media can help separate you from the pack (in a good way, as opposed to a shot-in-the-head way) too. Among the common reasons employers hired a candidate based on their social networking presence are:
- 46% Got a good feel for the job candidate’s personality, could see a good fit within the company culture
- 45% Background information supported their professional qualifications for the job
- 43% Job candidate’s site conveyed a professional image
- 40% Well-rounded, showed a wide range of interests
- 40% Had great communication skills
- 36% Job candidate was creative
- 31% Received awards and accolades
- 30% Other people posted great references about the job candidate
- 24% Job candidate had interacted with my company’s social media accounts
- 14% Job candidate had a large amount of followers or subscribers
Well, now I’m not sure if it’s the “site conveyed a professional image” personal validation ** fart ** or the lingering sugar high from yesterday’s Fluffernutter gorging, but I’m going to extend a final opportunity to snag a copy of my slide deck from my SHRM presentation, “Social Media: Practical Guidance from the Youngest Attorney in the Room.”
Send me an email, and the PowerPoint is yours.
Image credit: Imgur