Regarding hiring, social media background checks are an important tool for employers. However, it’s critical to understand what you can and cannot do with these searches. A compliant social media background check shows only public content from job-relevant risk categories, such as Facebook posts containing specific racial slurs or TikTok videos flagged for violence.
Conducting the Search
A social media background check is conducted. It can reveal information that needs to be uncovered through traditional interviewing processes. However, a social media background check can be illegal if done improperly. It can violate equal employment opportunity protected classes requirements, privacy laws, and other legal regulations. It is best to partner with a professional background screening company. This third party can ensure that all searches are conducted legally and ethically. The search results should be documented, especially if concerning content is discovered. It helps to protect the employer against discrimination claims from disgruntled job applicants. Furthermore, it will help them to make informed hiring decisions based on evidence.
Restricting the Search
To conduct a social media background check, an employer must have access to a candidate’s private information. While some organizations may be able to view a candidate’s personal content in-house, many choose to outsource this process to ensure that they do not run into potential legal trouble. Moreover, social media content cannot be reliably vetted. It can lead to an accurate or complete background check. For example, if an applicant’s Facebook profile has a range that indicates they are a misogynist, and this is discovered during a background check, the company could be subject to discrimination lawsuits. A compliant social media background check will only reveal public content from job-relevant risk categories. It will include posts containing racial slurs, photos of violence, or drug-related comments and groups. However, private scope cannot be viewed without a valid release form. Global Background Screening uses custom keywords to search for this type of content while ensuring we do not violate an individual’s privacy rights. In addition, we provide a written statement that discloses this aspect of the screening process.
Limiting the Scope of the Results
Social media background checks glimpse the potential risks and reputational damage an employee might cause. However, they’re not foolproof. As a result, it’s important to limit the scope of the search and to avoid using social media profiles that don’t belong to your candidate. Knowing what’s legally permitted is critical, as some information, such as religious beliefs, ethnicity, citizenship, or veteran status, cannot be searched. Furthermore, it’s crucial to document your findings if you discover any concerning information and give candidates a pre-adverse action notice so they can respond. A professional third party can conduct a social media background check while mitigating risk and adhering to all legal requirements. It will help you create a fair hiring process and reduce your exposure to lawsuits caused by discrimination and bias. Adhering to these best practices can reduce the dangers and benefit from a good social media background check.
Limiting the Search Results
While social media background checks may seem invasive from a candidate’s perspective, they are highly revealing for employers. In addition to finding out if a prospective hire has any issues that could cause harm to the business, they can also show information about an individual’s personality and work ethic that might not come through during a job interview.
However, social media checks can be very problematic if not conducted correctly. They can lead to unconscious or conscious bias that derails a fair hiring process. For example, if a supposing manager sees a potential candidate as a group member with problematic content, it ca. In that case, it causes them to disqualify that person for the role mentally.
It’s so important that organizations create a consistent and repeatable process for conducting social media background checks. It ensures that whoever completes these checks will be doing so in an EEOC-compliant way and doesn’t cause any discrimination.
Limiting the Scope of the Search
Social media background checks allow employers to gain insights into applicants they can’t easily see through other screening methods. It will enable them to spot red flags (such as misogynistic posts) and protect their company from risk by not hiring people who may cause harm. Social media background checks can also reveal a person’s affiliations, indicating how they might conduct themselves in their job. For example, if someone is affiliated with terrorist organizations, they might threaten the organization’s reputation and safety. Someone associated with a sexist organization might also discriminate against women in the workplace.
Social media background checks are valuable for businesses but must be conducted properly to avoid legal and ethical concerns. Companies should only use a qualified third-party service to perform the searches to ensure the check results are accurate and fair. Additionally, companies should always obtain written consent from candidates and limit the information screen to what is relevant to the job.
Barry Lachey is a Professional Editor at Zobuz. Previously He has also worked for Moxly Sports and Network Resources “Joe Joe.” He is a graduate of the Kings College at the University of Thames Valley London. You can reach Barry via email or by phone.
