Is No Online Presence A Red Flag For Recruiters?

Many recruiters are now turning to the internet to fill in gaps, ease concerns, or confirm their suspicions about job candidates - for this reason, an online presence is becoming increasingly important...

Online involvement in professional groups, social media engagement, and even personal profiles provide valuable insight into a candidate, such as soft skills, passion, industry knowledge, social capacity, and much more.

In fact, of the 1,600 recruiters and HR professionals assessed in the 2016 Jobvite Recruiter Nation Report, 87% said they look at LinkedIn profiles first when they get an application. Others (67%) also scour Facebook profiles for questionable content.

These days, the absence of an online presence is nearly as damaging as negative content surfacing in a search. However, what recruiters look for and where they search for that information is vitally important when sourcing top talent.

Most candidates use their social media profiles in a less professional way than how they present application materials. This means recruiters can learn other details about who they are as a person beyond work skills and experience, including hobbies and interests outside the office.

It’s important to learn how a job candidate presents themselves in their day-to-day life. Going beyond their professional background and discovering their true character also reveals useful insight. One way to accomplish this is through LinkedIn recommendations. While it’s true the candidate has the final say whether or not the feedback appears on their profile, they are not able to edit any of the content. So, the recommendations are the actual sentiments of the people who wrote them.

Recruiters also search for consistency in social media posts. For example, most job seekers take care to post only professional content to LinkedIn, but they might post questionable content on their other profiles, where they think recruiters aren’t looking.

Candidates who post inappropriate material are likely to transfer those sentiments to the workplace. In fact, the study found 88 percent of recruiters surveyed said they dismiss a candidate from consideration if they find negative content online.

Group membership and participation in networking functions aren’t the only ways professionals share their time and reveal their passions. For instance, if a candidate coaches a youth sports team or volunteers, such involvement demonstrates organization and time management skills. A willingness to get involved and make a positive impact in the lives of others reveals someone who would be a a true team player if brought on board.

While traditional application materials are an important means of assessing professional ability and experience, gleaning job seeker information through their online presence provides recruiters with valuable insight into who they really are.