Regarding employment, checking a potential employee’s social media profile is crucial. This can protect you from hiring someone who will damage the employer’s brand image. However, there are some legal considerations you should consider. Performing a social media check comes with risks.
Performing a Social Media Check For Employment
Nowadays, nearly everyone has an extensive social media profile, which can provide employers with a wealth of information about their background. Performing a social media background check for employment can give employers valuable insights into a candidate’s character. It’s essential to avoid risk and avoid poor hires; this type of check can help.
Employers use social media to find red flags, which can include offensive or illegal posts, violent or sexually explicit content, or even information that may be sensitive or confidential. Auditing social media accounts is an essential first step in the job application. While the most popular platform for this check is LinkedIn, some employers also check other channels. They’re not just looking at the content of your posts but also their interactions with others.
Social media background checks can raise ethical and legal issues. Employers should consider using a trusted third-party vendor. These companies use a legal and ethical framework to conduct social media checks. They will obtain the appropriate authorizations and redact any personal information.
Legal Requirements
If you’re planning to conduct a social media check on potential employees, you should know the legal requirements for this practice:
- You must comply with the federal and state laws governing computer interference. You also need to ensure you’re not violating the terms and conditions of any site you’re checking.
- You need to develop a social media screening policy and document your process to demonstrate that you’re following the law.
- Your social media screening should be based on legitimate, non-discriminatory information.
If you’re planning to run a social media check on your applicants, use a third-party screening company. These companies will filter out any information that could be used to discriminate against a protected class. Lastly, your social media screen should only include public profiles. If you’re conducting a social media check to check for employment purposes, don’t look at a person’s private accounts. This is illegal in several states.
Risks
Employers can benefit from performing a Social Media Check for Employment Risks before hiring new employees or reviewing the social media profiles of current employees. An employee posting inappropriate content on social media may be an employment risk. Additionally, employers might be required by law to keep an eye out for this content and take appropriate action when they do. Failure to take action could lead to negligence claims, defamation, or workplace harassment.
Employers may also want to make sure that potential employees do not have any offensive or embarrassing posts on social networks. This information may contain sensitive and personal information, and employers may be worried that it may cause discord in the workplace. Moreover, if an applicant has a public profile on social media, the employer may be liable for the content.
While performing a Social Media Check for Employment Risks may be time-consuming, it can provide employers with valuable insights into the applicant’s past behavior. Furthermore, this screening can help employers comply with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) requirements.
Benefits
A Social Media Check is essential to evaluating an employee before offering them employment benefits. However, the process is not without risk. Employers may be exposed to protected information, including race, national origin, age, pregnancy, marital status, disability, and sexual orientation. As such, employers should take appropriate precautions to protect their employees’ personal information.
Social media checks use online behavior evaluation and screening tools to reveal a prospective employee’s past and current behavior. The information uncovered can confirm the details provided in a candidate’s application and may provide new insights into the individual’s character and conduct. They also help employers identify potential problems in their recruitment processes.
Social Media screening is similar to pre-employment background screening, but it is more specific. A Social Media Screening report can reveal a potential hire’s online presence using cutting-edge technology and human oversight. It can identify potential issues such as violent language, pornographic photos, or even defamatory posts.