Why companies should screen online presence

Sense check the facts you have been given at interview or in a CV

Contrary to popular opinion screening social media and online presence isn’t all about locating racist and sexist twitter posts from the candidate or employee’s past. The most important element is verifying the facts you have been given in a CV, and the responses you have been furnished with at interview.

Our research indicates that at the present time most companies will get some basic information from a reference, look at qualification certificates and undertake a DBS check. However, whilst extremely useful none of these checks will give you as clearer picture as a candidate’s online presence.

If done right an open source and social media screening report will verify a plethora of key pieces of information and give you the confidence that the person you have interviewed really is the right person for the job.

Avoid disaster by screening for undesirable social content

A corner stone of any social media vetting exercise is to ensure that there aren’t any indications of poor conduct on a candidate’s social media account. This one is really about avoiding reputational disaster.

In the worst cases the racist, sexist, homophobic or other similar historic Tweets or Facebook posts will appear in the press – tarnishing the image of the company or brand, along with the individual’s reputation.

Although this only happens with the most high-profile hires, the more common scenario is that colleagues will eventually see the posts. The consequences of existing staff becoming aware of posts of this nature by one of their co-workers can cause a huge array of problems for the business that are better avoided at the outset.

Assess fit with company values

For many companies the values they adhere to are everything, and screening online presence can really help to check if you have a candidate that truly does embody those values. The recruitment process can be fine tuned in utilising online vetting to try and assess if any of the candidates fit the profile the company wants from their team.

These could relate to the individual being an advocate of the environment, having family values, or being a fitness enthusiast – its different with every organisation, but getting the right candidate with a mindset that works for your business can generate huge benefits downstream.

To listen to our Chief Operating Officer discuss some of the pitfalls many companies fall into when dealing with online screening you can listen to a podcast on the topic HERE or email us enquiries@netwatchglobal.com for more information.