In catching up on some posts and articles from the weekend I came across a survey from CareerBuilder on Cheezhead.  The survey is looking to see how many hiring managers use social networking sites for conducting background checks.   Here are the findings:

Of those hiring managers who have screened job candidates via social networking profiles, one-third (34 percent) reported they found content that caused them to dismiss the candidate from consideration. Top areas for concern among these hiring managers included:

  • 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
  • 27% – candidate lied about qualifications
  • 22% – candidate used discriminatory remarks related to race, gender, religion, etc.
  • 22% – candidate’s screen name was unprofessional
  • 21% – candidate was linked to criminal behavior
  • 19% – candidate shared confidential information from previous employers

These results surprise me.  With so many articles about companies checking out networking sites, why are people still stupid enough to put this information on their sites?  You know it isn’t that tough to do a search on your own name to see what is out there.  If you find something that isn’t appropriate, let a prospective employer know what you found so they won’t be surprised.

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