Firms vetting applicants using Facebook et al

Written references could soon be consigned to history in the job market as hiring managers are increasingly using social networking sites such as Facebook to vet potential job applicants.

One in five of those surveyed admit they use such sites to research job candidates and a third of them owned up to dismissing the candidate after any discoveries.

A survey by online job site CareerBuilder.com of more than 3,000 hiring managers found 22 per cent of them screened potential staff via social networking profiles, up from 11 per cent in 2006.

An additional nine per cent said they don't currently use social networking sites like Facebook or MySpace to screen potential employees but they do plan to start.

The survey found that 34 per cent of the managers who do screen candidates on the net found content that made them drop the candidate from any short list.

The top area for concern among the hiring managers - with 41 per cent citing this as a downfall - were candidates posting information about drinking or using drugs.

The second area - with 40 per cent of concern - were candidates posting provocative or inappropriate photographs or information.

Other areas of concern to arise from social network sites were poor communication skills, lying about qualifications, candidates using discriminatory remarks related to race, gender or religion, and an unprofessional screen name.

But the survey found hiring managers scouring social network pages was not all bad with 24 per cent of these managers saying they found content to help them solidify their decision to hire that candidate.

Top factors that influenced their hiring decision included candidate's backgrounds supporting their qualifications for the job, proving they had good communications skills, and having a site that conveyed a professional image with a wide range of interests.

"Hiring managers are using the internet to get a more well-rounded view of job candidates in terms of their skills, accomplishments and overall fit within the company," said CareerBuilder.com spokeswoman Rosemary Haefner in a statement.

"As a result, more job seekers are taking action to make their social networking profiles employer-friendly. Sixteen per cent of workers who have social networking pages said they modified the content on their profile to convey a more professional image to potential employers."

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