Welcome to this week’s Discuss HR, the HR blog written for and by members of Human Resources UK.
This week there is good news and bad news. The good news is that there is no long winded introduction; the bad news is that it is my turn to write the blog post! Today I have written about how job seekers really need to be aware how they use social media as they could be harming their chances of securing work. (Ed Scrivener)
Beware of Big Brother
I suppose the title should read “Beware the Big Brothers” as I do feel any sane person should run from the recurring reality show, never mind the haunting original Orwellian Big Brother! But in this instance this Big Brother is the spying eye of your future employer.
I am sure you are all aware of numerous cases of people not being hired, or even fired, due to the content of their Facebook account. Scantily clad photos or referring to your current boss in unflattering terms is often the sure fire way of not being offered the new job. Quite frankly though, I am sure 99% of you reading this are fully aware that you shouldn’t undertake such practices so I am not going to preach to the converted, instead my focus is on a more subtle area.
You will be reading this either via LinkedIn, Twitter or directly via the blog site. In which case, you will have a certain level of understanding about the world of social media. One of the key aspects about social media, in whatever guise you look at it, is that what you post is there for the world to see and invariably will be there to see forever. It is with this in mind that I ask you to think about how you use social media and to be aware of the long term repercussions.
In recent months I have become increasingly shocked by the content added by job seekers to various social media mediums. They haven’t been posting scantily clad photos (although some people’s LinkedIn profile photos are wholly inappropriate!), likewise, they haven’t been tweeting about how they hate HR whilst looking for an HR Manager role (although again you’d be surprised!). These job seekers have been involved in posting what appears to be professional content, be it via URLs or simply partaking in a forum discussion. However, when you scratch beneath the surface the content they are using does not paint them in a positive light. Essentially what they are doing is complaining about certain professional related facets, for example tweeting they just had an interview with someone “rather boring”! As it has been stated that over 80% of potential employers will do a search on applicants social media presence this kind of tweet is not going to be received well (especially if you are the boring person reading it!).
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| Don't get caught whinging! |
The example I have cited is a more extreme case which again I feel most of you would know not to do. However, there are further examples where job seekers may not understand the negative impact their content may have. Searching for work can be an extremely frustrating process, we all know recruiters and companies alike can have rather dubious recruitment processes that leave us angry. I believe it is good for the soul to air your frustrations as it puts them behind you. But it is important these frustrations are aired in private with your closet friends and not in a public arena where anyone, especially the hiring manager reviewing your CV can read them. A few months ago, a rather honest contact of mine explained to me that he had Googled a person he was due to interview and found numerous comments by that person on a variety of sites and he stated that she just came across as whining, something he really didn’t want in his team. Whilst he didn’t say as much, I am sure he would have gone into the interview with that preconception the person was a whiner, regardless of whether that was the truth. Again this is probably an extreme example, but it does go to show how content can have a negative impact.
It is also very important that your content matches up to what you actually feel or verbally state. I interviewed someone recently whose comments to me verbally where at complete opposites to their social media content. This left me rather confused as to what I should believe and what the person’s genuine thoughts were and as such it was only natural that I then cast doubts on the credibility of other statements they made.
If you are not sure of the level of impact this can have why don’t you try Googling yourself or a colleague. You will be amazed about how much you can find and how easy it is to do. This is what 80% of hiring managers do...
A casual look at my LinkedIn profile or for those that know me, will know I am a HUGE fan of social media. It is has now been adopted as the central theme to how I work, simply put, I think it’s fantastic! So this is not an attempt by me to put you off the medium, as I firmly believe you will gain far more than you will lose by using social media. Instead, it is just to err caution when you are posting to think how that comment could be received. Written communication is renowned for being misunderstood, so try to understand the different ways your comments can be read before you vent your spleen!
About the author
Ed is an HR recruitment specialist and social media trainer. He holds over 8 years industry specific experience recruiting mainly for middle and senior HR management positions. He stumbled upon social media a few years ago and has since become passionate about the subject. He now trains companies and individuals alike in social media techniques. He is the Group Manager of Human Resources UK and Editor of Discuss HR and occasionally his humour will creep into articles!
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Discuss HR is the blog for Human Resources UK, the leading LinkedIn group for those involved with HR in the UK. Next week’s Discuss HR will be published on Thursday 26th January when we will welcome back guest writer and employer and personal brand specialist Paul Goring.
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