Screening Candidates on Social Media? Be Careful!

A recent article in Recruiter warns employers to “tread carefully” when vetting potential candidates on social media, as they can run the risk of having discrimination lawsuits brought against them. A poll by Monster of UK-based companies showed 56% of employers admit online profiles are influencing their hiring decisions. Numbers this high give plenty of chances for best practices to get muddled.

In the United States, companies must remain EEOC and FCRA compliant, both for legal safety and out of fairness to potential hires. Vetting candidates’ social media in-house or manually can lead to inconsistency in the screening process as well as the discovery of protected classes of information, like seeing if someone is pregnant, their race, or if they have a disability. Race, gender, health, and political views should “not be taken into consideration when deciding on…suitability for a role.”

The same goes for consultants and recruiting firms, according to Recruiter. It doesn’t make any difference if you are a third party. Discriminating based on a public social media profile is a lawsuit waiting to happen. Screening social media is not illegal or unethical if done correctly, but every company must apply standards of best practice when looking for and researching candidates, online or off. According to the same Monster survey, 33% of British companies have turned down applicants based on their social media profiles. That is a large—and growing—number. Companies must set a consistent focus on job-related screening to protect themselves and their potential hires.

Interested in learning more about best practices for online screening? Study up on our 7 best practices or download our e-book on the legality of online screening, where employment lawyer Pam Devata discusses best practices for social media and online screening, what your third-party screening vendor should know, and how to use publicly available online information in the hiring process.

Download "The Legality of Online Screening" E-Book