As the New Year approaches, it is not uncommon for companies to anticipate change. Although some change will cause turbulence within the organization, there are other changes which can positively impact the operations of the company. As a result, businesses are becoming more proactive in revamping processes and procedures, and placing an emphasis on those with an online human resources degree, to meet the challenges the New Year brings. The hiring process is among the many processes businesses will begin to look at as they evaluate procedures for the New Year. As a result, qualified human resource professionals will be significant in modifying and assessing current processes to minimize company liabilities.
Why Businesses Conduct Social Media Checks
You may have recognized the hiring process undergoes many modifications over the years to safeguard the company. With the many risks businesses are subject to, implementing a thorough hiring process can help in reducing unexpected risks. Although it has become common practice for companies to conduct reference checks, drug testing, criminal background checks and other verifications, more companies have recognized the need to conduct social media checks. In fact, according to a CareerBuilder survey, thirty-seven percent of companies have used social networks
to research potential job applicants. There are many reasons a business decides to perform social media checks. For example, a business will conduct these checks to determine if an applicant will fit in the culture of the organization. Another reason companies consider implementing these checks within the hiring process is to enhance retention. Ultimately, carrying out these checks can also assist in establishing uniform company policy, encourage consistency within the hiring process and ultimately result in thorough procedures.
Benefits of Social Media Checks
There are many anticipated changes for 2014 that are expected to be seen within social media. Although Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter will remain to be popular websites used in the New Year, there have been some predictions made regarding changes seen in search capabilities, content reliability enhancements and increased usage of the Google+ social media network. Even other predictions anticipate an increase in individual branding, personal marketing and the capability to access behavioral data. Due to these anticipated changes, human resource professionals have become increasingly aware of the need to ramp up the hiring process.
In today’s society, it is not uncommon for your applicant to have a profile posted on a social media website. As a result, it is essential to understand how to utilize these services to ensure it is effectively implemented within the hiring process. Through social media checks, businesses are able to evaluate an applicant’s character, ethics,
values, etiquette and professionalism. Keep in mind, while all data found on these websites may not be reliable, social media checks do provide a host of benefits human resource professionals can use to determine if an applicant will be a good fit for the organization. Being able to conduct a social media research by identifying what information is being sought will result in a thorough investigation. Here are some of the most common benefits businesses have found in conducting these checks:
- Identify any associations the applicant is involved with
- Validate data included on the employment application
- Discover any derogatory information
- Find inappropriate postings, comments, videos or pictures
- Locate any reasons why not to hire the applicant
- Draw conclusions about the appropriate use of the website
- Obtain a better understanding of how an applicant conducts him/herself
All in all, social media checks can assist human resource professionals in developing and carrying out effective processes. Needless to say, there have been many predictions that have been made regarding how businesses will be able to use social media to improve the hiring process in the New Year. Some advances within social media networks in 2014 will enhance the effectiveness of data which can positively impact the hiring process.
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