Social networks can discard your candidacy in a selection process

It is becoming increasingly common for Human Resources professionals to review the content generated on social networks by candidates who are part of selection processes..

We could say that carrying out this practice means having a complementary tool that helps in some way to better evaluate professional profiles. And, from time to time, cases are discovered in which such content is inappropriate, either by reading or hearing or simply because we have been able to experience it firsthand, which can generate some other consequence, at least become unstable continuity in a selection process.

As we know, in the digital era in which we are immersed, sometimes we use social networks as if we were open books, so it is necessary to take into consideration the information that is deposited in them, because although it may not seem so, this can shed many more clues about a professional profile than we can imagine. While it is true that it is not a matter of delving into the personal lives of candidates, it is important to filter whether there is public content that may influence the professional life and this may cause certain risks for a company.

In order to find out if there is indeed information on the Internet that may cause rejection at the time of hiring or even once already occupying the position, Servitalent checks the social networks (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok and YouTube) of the candidates through the tracking of the digital footprint. Obviously, companies want to avoid at all costs, on the one hand, exposing themselves to situations in which they may feel insecure about their most characteristic data and, on the other hand, risking that an employee does not comply in advance with the values promoted by the company. In addition, inappropriate content circulating in social networks denotes a lack of formality and professional seriousness, which can make the Human Resources departments and the management of an organization back down when it comes to having you on their staff.

Knowing all this, and bearing in mind that these things happen, it is more than relevant to examine "what" there is on the network regarding the candidates who participate in selection processes. There is nothing wrong with being active on social networks, as long as your exposure on them does not harm aspects of your life, in this case the professional aspect. Because what is clear is that if a candidate shows content that is out of place, it is likely that the employer will determine lack of professionalism and confidentiality, creating disjuncture in relation to a fit with the new position.

It is useless to show information that is better to keep when it does not only influence you, if at the end of the day you are jeopardizing the professional field, the one that brings differential value to our lives.
Choose what content is positive to share publicly and what makes more sense to keep private, so that when you present your candidacy in a professional opportunity it reflects that you know how to manage both aspects, professional and personal.

"Don't say anything online that you wouldn't want to see exposed on a billboard with your face plastered on it" - Erin Bury