In recent years, the practice of ‘cybervetting’ or screening–of job candidates by prospective employers and sometimes vice-versa–through social media platforms has become increasingly common. Proponents argue that it provides valuable insights—that an organisation can get an idea of a candidate’s character, interests, and suitability for the role, while a candidate may be able to gauge whether the company is a good cultural fit for her. However, critics have raised concerns about the potential pitfalls of social media screening, including privacy violations, discriminatory practices, and inaccurate assessments.
The need to tread cautiously
In one study conducted in 2020 by The Harris Poll, 71% of employers surveyed said they checked out applicants’ profiles as part of their screening process, and 55% admitted to having rejected applicants because of what they discovered. In a 2022-2023 survey, 21% of recruiters admitted to rejecting a candidate after looking them up on Facebook and seeing something that gave them a negative impression, and 5% of recruiters surveyed said they had cancelled a job interview due to a bad social media impression. What’s even more alarming is that, as an article in Harvard Business Review points out, “a significant share of profiles contained details that companies may be legally prohibited from considering (in the US), including gender, race, and ethnicity (evident in 100% of profiles), disabilities (7%), pregnancy status (3%), sexual orientation (59%), political views (21%), and religious affiliation (41%).”
It’s also unclear what candidates could do to address concerns about biases in cybervetting, as this 2021 report points out: “For example, while many study participants noted that putting a photo online created the opportunity for bias to affect the hiring process, other study participants noted that not having a ‘professional’ profile picture was in itself a ‘red flag’.”
Top red flags, according to a 2022-2023 survey identified by recruiters (across all social media platforms) include:
- Offensive posts on sensitive topics (politics, religion etc.)
- Posting inappropriate photos
- Public arguments in comments sections
- Unprofessional profile photos (on LinkedIn)
Large companies have a responsibility to ensure a safe and respectful workplace for all employees. Candidates who display aggressive or argumentative behaviour on social media may raise concerns about their ability to work collaboratively and respectfully with colleagues. There’s also the danger that they may engage in similar behaviour at the workplace, creating a toxic work environment and negatively impacting employee morale, productivity, and retention. For large companies, a lot hinges on weeding out such candidates.
On the flip side, however, relying on social media for vetting also has the potential to damage a company’s reputation. Candidates who feel that their privacy has been violated or who believe they have been discriminated against may, for instance, share their experiences on social media or through other channels, which could lead to negative publicity for the employer.
While cybervetting may provide some valuable insights into the culture of a company (for job-seekers) and into a candidate’s suitability for a role (for employers), both groups should, therefore, be wary of its pitfalls. Nanda Majumdar, CHRO, Waterfield Advisors, adds that employers must ensure that their screening practices are fair, ethical, and compliant with relevant laws and regulations.
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What’s good about social media recruiting?
“We do use social media for identifying candidates. What it provides is a little outline of people,” says Majumdar. “That said, it does not give you a full perspective of the candidacy,” she says. Biren Anshu, CHRO, The Hi-Tech Robotic Systemz Ltd. agrees. “Social media provides an enabling view of a candidate… You see some part of the individual in terms of how she expresses herself. For example, is she a thought leader? It’s not enough information, but it can help validate whether the matchmaking you’re trying to do is going in the right direction,” says Anshu.
Majumdar adds: “It’s important to remember that many serious professionals do not spend too much time building their profiles on social media. Usually, people who are very detailed on social media are actively job hunting, but there may also be as many who are equally good for that role, who may not be active on socials, and some of those may well be the candidates you need.”
“A person’s presence on social media will give you a broad sense of the profile of the person, but it doesn’t necessarily serve as a measure of one’s competency; it’s a lighter version of the CV at best,” she says, adding that, “once a candidate is identified, you really need to delve much deeper into the background”. It’s important to remember, she says, that candidates are identified through a detailed process that involves a comprehensive evaluation of candidates’ skills, qualifications, and experience through a multi-faceted assessment process that includes interviews, reference checks, and tests.
It’s important to remember that many serious professionals do not spend too much time building their profiles on social media. Usually, people who are very detailed on social media are actively job hunting, but there may also be as many [candidates] who are equally good for that role, who may not be active on socials, and some of those may well be the candidates you need – Nanda Majumdar, CHRO, Waterfield Advisors
The biases nobody tells you about
One of the biggest hazards of social media screening of candidates, however, is the risk of unconscious bias and discrimination seeping into this process. Employers may inadvertently form opinions about candidates based on their social media activity, leading to discrimination based on race, gender, political leanings, or other factors.
“DE&I has long been recognised as a strong enabler of an organisation. In an age where there is enough understanding about DE&I, a recruiter is expected to be objective, someone who is hiring a person on the merits of their achievements and the job requirements,” says Majumdar.
“A good recruiter will try and park aside cursory views of who the candidate is socially, their nature, and leanings,” she says. However, she adds that as it’s a case of humans judging humans, “if there are people who are very extreme in their viewpoints, it may go against them, as a recruiter is ultimately trying to assess whether the person is a sensible professional–and how someone converses or engages with others on social media indicates a lot about the person’s thinking, the way she communicates. So, it can be an enabler and encourage you to pick a candidate, or, on the flip side, if you observe that the person is very rigid about positions or is unable to be inclusive, engage in a dialogue, or keep an open mind when it comes to someone else’s perspective – it could, then, have the opposite effect.”
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Anshu, too, admits that it’s possible that biases may slant a recruiter’s view, “as people tend to try and validate their thoughts and opinions,” he says. This is exactly why, as both and he and Majumdar point out, the process of recruitment does not and cannot fully rely on social media. That said, like Majumdar, Anshu, too, cautions candidates about being cautious about the content they put out there. “There’s a need to strike something of a balance: If you put all your thoughts and views out there, and in your enthusiasm, you’ve supported something that isn’t rooted in fact, you may run the risk of alienating a recruiter. At the same time, you do want to build some social media presence these days,” says Anshu.
Social media provides an enabling view of a candidate… You see some part of the individual in terms of how she expresses herself. For example, is she a thought leader? It’s not enough information, but it can help validate whether the matchmaking you’re trying to do is going in the right direction – Biren Anshu, CHRO, The Hi-Tech Robotic Systemz Ltd.
Sidestep the challenges
Anshu’s advice to candidates: “Curate and create content which is based on experience or data.”
Meanwhile, Majumdar says, “Good recruiters must be able to filter out what’s irrelevant. The good news is that, mostly, individuals (candidates) are identified based on qualifications. Once a recruiter has gone through the resume, she or he will do a deep dive into the details to ensure the candidate is the best fit for the organisation through CVs and psychometric tools. Only after all that, does one look at other aspects [of a person’s personality] on social media: the objective of that screening is simply to gauge whether the individual is a cultural fit, for instance. It is important, and it adds a bit of colour [to the personality of the candidate]. But unless there are serious factors, this shouldn’t derail the process”.
Clearly drawn-out policies
She also points out that the best organisations have a social media strategy in place and a common understanding among recruiters on how this tool is to be used. “It is imperative that all recruiters are well trained, aligned to the strategy and aware of exactly what the company is looking for,” says Majumdar. “Job descriptions have to be clear and complete so that recruiters know exactly what they’re looking for”.
Such social media strategies should also lay down clear guidelines for screening, and training recruiters on how to avoid bias and discrimination. “Ultimately, I think it’s important to acknowledge that social media is going to be an important part of any organisation’s recruitment process,” says Majumdar, “but equally important to understand that it is not a platform that allows for conclusive assessment of an individual”. By taking a proactive and ethical approach to social media screening, employers and recruiters can build a fair and effective hiring process that promotes diversity, inclusion, and fairness.
