Hiring Managers Are Checking You Out

A new CareerBuilder.com survey reports that 22% of of hiring managers use social networking sites to research job candidates, up from 11% in 2006, and an additional 9% plan to start checking out candidates soon.

What did they find when they started looking at LinkedIn and Facebook? In the "make you cringe" column, they found that 34% of the hiring managers reported that they found content that caused them to dismiss the candidate from consideration:

• 41% - candidate posted information about them drinking or using drugs
• 40% - candidate posted provocative or inappropriate photographs or information
• 29% - candidate had poor communication skills
• 28% - candidate bad-mouthed their previous company or fellow employee

On the plus side, there were more candiates who were networking the right way:

• 48% - candidate’s background supported their qualifications for the job
• 43% - candidate had great communication skills
• 40% - candidate was a good fit for the company’s culture
• 36% - candidate’s site conveyed a professional image
• 31% - candidate had great references posted about them by others

Since most of us have a LinkedIn profile, a Facebook page, and perhaps a MySpace page, too, what should you do to be one of the candidates that makes a good impression?

First of all, make sure that your online presence is professional, use privacy settings to ensure that hiring managers only see what you want them to see, and bolster your LinkedIn references - as you can see references are important.

Social Networking and Job Searching

• Using Facebook for Professional Networking
• LinkedIn and Your Job Search
• Changing Your Social Networking Privacy Settings
• Social Networking and Your Career