8 Things Employers Look for on Social Media Accounts

Do employers look at applicants’ social media accounts before they make a hiring decision? Absolutely!

There is no guarantee that your social media is going to come under scrutiny when you apply for a job, but chances are high that it will. What aspects of your social media presence do you need to be aware of when you're on the job market?

If you have questions about your job search, Liberty Staffing Services has answers. Contact us today to find out how we can help you find a great job!

Today’s employers and hiring managers judge your social media presence by looking for red flags that you may not even realize you're waving. However, even posts that are not questionable in nature may make a bad impression.

Here are the 8 things employers are looking for on your social media accounts.

1. Suggestive Content

HR professionals don’t want to be met with tons of suggestive content when they look up your social media. A study released in 2020 found that job recruiters were less likely to recruit someone who had posted content related to drug or alcohol use.

2. Uncivil Behaviour

If your social media posts are full of incivility, arguments, and insults, that’s a bad look. Uncivil behaviour online suggests to your potential employer that you may be the same way at work. Almost universally, hiring managers stay away from candidates who may turn out to be argumentative, uncooperative, dismissive, disrespectful, or prone to outbursts.

3. Criminal Activity

This one is pretty obvious, but it needs to be on the list: any evidence of criminal activity will spell the end of your chances with an employer. Engaging in drug use, violence, assault, trespassing, hate speech, animal cruelty, and posting explicit material are all disqualifying behaviours.

4. Derogatory and Discriminatory Posts

This is a subcategory of uncivil behaviour. Employers want nothing to do with a job seeker who posts derogatory or discriminatory content about any group or individuals.

Today’s employers are looking for employees who value diversity and inclusion, and seeing your discriminatory posts online immediately identifies you as someone they don’t want to hire.

5. Communication Deficiencies

Another thing that employers look for on social media is compatibility with the specific job. If your social media posts display poor communication skills, that reflects on your ability to communicate at work.

This is especially important for jobs that require a lot of communication. Social media posts full of poor grammar or disrespectful communication will create doubts about your ability to communicate professionally on the job.

6. Deceitful Behaviour

Your social media presence must match any information you provided in your resume, cover letter, and interview. Lying about your qualifications, work experience, or any other aspect of your life is a certain disqualifier for the position.

There are very few employers (if any) who are willing to risk hiring someone who is dishonest in their job application, as revealed through their social media posts.

7. Defamatory Posts

Posts that defame other people, whether those are colleagues, supervisors, companies, or even public figures can make potential employers view you as a volatile new hire. They may even see you as untrustworthy or a liability.

This is especially true if you post inflammatory complaints about previous employers and coworkers. Even though they only see your side of the story from your posts, they will wonder what your current or previous employer’s version of events was. They are likely to see these posts as a sign that you are not good at handling conflict in a mature manner.

8. Other Content That Goes Against Company Ethos

This last category is a little bit harder to predict because each company has their own values and ethos. For example, a company that values social responsibility and volunteering isn’t going to be interested in hiring someone who has posted significant amounts of content criticizing eco-consciousness and responsibility.

What Should You Do About Your Social Media Presence?

If you want to impress recruiters and hiring managers, here are 8 easy steps you can take:

Review and clean up your profile, thinking about how each recent post may be perceived. If it could be interpreted as unprofessional, offensive, or controversial, you should delete it or at least make sure it is not public.
Showcase your skills and achievements through articles, updates, and posts.
Engage positively with others.
Be mindful of how you use language and grammar in your posts, shares, and comments.
Follow industry leaders and influencers to stay on top of trends in your industry.
Take advantage of your privacy settings. You don’t have to hide everything, but very personal, inflammatory, and controversial posts should be locked down instead of being public.
Use social media networks to network professionally. LinkedIn is especially good for this!
Keep your information up-to-date, including your job history, education, and skills.

Liberty Staffing Can Help You Impress Potential Employers

Liberty Staffing Services has been helping job seekers impress hiring managers and land great positions for 24 years! If you have questions about how to manage your social media presence while you're in the job market, we can answer them.