Social Media could have dire consequences
While complaining about your job or sharing controversial views might seem acceptable in a social setting amongst friends, doing so on social media could have consequences
SOCIAL media is increasingly becoming a job screening practice used by most employers today.
While complaining about your job or sharing controversial views might seem acceptable in a social setting, among friends, doing so on social media could have dire consequences.
CEO of Quest Staffing Solutions, Kay Vittee, highlights that although there have been numerous accounts of people losing their jobs or being publicly scrutinised for posting inappropriate or discriminatory comments, social media users continue to make this same mistake.
Vittee refers to a recent Harris Poll, which found that 52 per cent of employers use social networking sites to research candidates.
“Considering that social media has transformed every aspect of our lives, it should come as no surprise that the job market is no exception,” he said.
A recent South African Social Media Landscape 2016, conducted by World Wide Worx and Fuseware, reveal that, in the past year, Facebook use increased by eight per cent, Twitter by 12 per cent, YouTube by 15 per cent and Instagram with a staggering 133 per cent.
With such massive numbers online on a daily basis, it is becoming common practice for recruiters to use sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram to not only attract and recruit top talent, but also to investigate who they are putting forward to a client organisation and whether or not they will suit the company’s culture and values.
Vitte provides a few helpful points for South Africans to keep in mind while online, saying: “Portray yourself professionally in your profile picture, build a professional presence, be careful of what you say and secure your profile. You may think no one is watching – but you can never be 100 per cent sure.”
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