Social Networking: Your Online Brand

Working for a staffing company is never boring. We are a people business, so daily I hear tales of great candidate successes and every once in a while, shocking defeat. Last month we had to navigate a social networking snafu with a candidate. For most employers and employees, this is new territory.

Employers and recruiters are increasingly using social networking tools to sort through potential job candidates. CareerBuilder recently conducted a survey about employers and their relationship with social networking. The survey was telling. Twenty-two percent of employers said they used social networking sites when they were looking for or evaluating potential job candidates. Thirty-four percent of those that use social networking sites to screen candidates found content that convinced them to remove a candidate from their search. Ouch.

The internet is a public place. It is a permanent record of sorts. There is no doubt at this point, that usage will grow and employers will view a person’s online image as a part of their personal branding.

Here are a few basic guidelines that we give to our candidates when we advise them about social networking: