August 20, 2009
World At Work

Nearly half of employers surveyed recently said they use social networking sites like Facebook to research job candidates — up significantly from the 22% reported in September 2008.

A new CareerBuilder survey found that 45% of employers use social networking sites for research and 11% said they plan to start using social networking sites for screening. The survey found that of those who conduct online searches/background checks of job candidates, 29% use Facebook, 26% use LinkedIn, 21% use MySpace, 11% search blogs and 7% follow candidates on Twitter.

According to survey results, the top industries most likely to screen job candidates via social networking sites or online search engines include those that specialize in technology and sensitive information:  information technology (63%) and professional and business services (53%). 

Survey results show that 35% of employers reported they have found content on social networking sites that caused them not to hire the candidate. The top examples cited include: 

• Candidate posted provocative or inappropriate photographs or information — 53%
• Candidate posted content about them drinking or using drugs — 44%
• Candidate bad-mouthed their previous employer, co-workers or clients — 35%
• Candidate showed poor communication skills — 29%
• Candidate made discriminatory comments — 26%
• Candidate lied about qualifications — 24%
• Candidate shared confidential information from previous employer — 20%.

The survey also found that 14% of employers have disregarded a candidate because the candidate sent a message using an emoticon such as a smiley face, and 16% dismissed a candidate for using text language such as GR8 (great) in an e-mail or job application. 

On the other hand the survey found that 18% of employers said they have found content on social networking sites that caused them to hire the candidate. The top examples include:

• Profile provided a good feel for the candidate’s personality and fit within the organization — 50%
• Profile supported candidate’s professional qualifications — 39%
• Candidate was creative — 38%
• Candidate showed solid communication skills — 35%
• Candidate was well-rounded — 33%
• Other people posted good references about the candidate — 19%
• Candidate received awards and accolades — 15%.

Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Interactive on behalf of CareerBuilder.com between May 22 and June 10, 2009 among 2,667 hiring managers and human resource professionals (employed full-time; not self-employed; with at least significant involvement in hiring decisions; non-government) ages 18 and over. With a pure probability sample of 2,667 one could say with a 95% probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 1.9 percentage points. Sampling error for data from sub-samples is higher and varies. 

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