Michael Specht just completed a blog post series on ‘Social Media as Part of Background Checking’ during the recruitment process:
- Part 1 (Access to a unique view)
- Part 2 (Research into cultural fit)
- Part 3 (Legal issues)
- Part 4 (Bringing it all together)
I personally think that social media checks – or, at the very least, Google searches – are an essential part of recruitment. And I think that goes both ways:
- recruiters and companies learn all they can about candidates
- candidates learn all they can about recruiters and the companies they’re applying to
This is important because:
- both parties get to find out more about each other
- both parties get to assess cultural fit
- candidates get to show off their online portfolio and social media participation
While the last point is certainly vital for people working in Internet-related industries, it is also becoming increasingly relevant for people working in other industries (as more of their lives move online).