Why Browsing a Candidate's Social Media Can't Replace a Background Screening

November 21, 2021

Many employers scan the social media accounts of potential hires to get a better sense of how candidates present themselves, personalities beyond applications and résumé details, and to check for any red flags. While this can sometimes be enlightening, it can also offer inaccurate and incomplete information and expose you to liability. Relying instead on solid background screenings provides efficient, accurate, reliable results you can use to make effective hiring decisions.

Risks of Reviewing Social Media Accounts for Potential Hires

While scanning job candidates' social media accounts may seem like a quick and easy way to get a better picture beyond what's presented in an application or interview, reviewing these accounts is actually a minefield of potential problems. Some issues involved include:

Remembering employers can't ask for social media passwords, or they are likely to violate the federal Stored Communications Act and other state and local laws
It's not always clear if information on social media has been posted or even approved by the account owner, and many spoof accounts or those hard to accurately identify may exist
Not all details gathered there may be used in making hiring determinations, including age, race, disabilities, political or religious views, and others
Use of much information gathered about candidates on social media may open you to liability if it is used in making any hiring decisions

How Background Screenings Are More Effective Than Social Media Reviews

Background screenings, such as those we offer at Employers Reference Source, Inc., are performed by professionals and are carefully designed and executed to ensure effective, legally compliant results. Reliable screenings guarantee accurately identified records for individuals under consideration, and focus only on legitimate sources of information rather than questionable social media accounts. In fact, at least one study has shown that the impressions recruiters have of job candidates based on their social media accounts do not accurately reflect future job performance.

At Employers Reference Source, Inc., our expert team has the skills and resources to offer thorough and effective background screenings. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you hire the best people for your workforce.

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