Does your social media matter when looking for a new job?

Do you remember when you first joined Facebook? I remember most people, including me, used it as a digital diary – a way of alerting those back at high school that I had ate a delightfully average dinner that everyone MUST know about it.

I know, what you are thinking …I didn’t do that, but I would bet when your Facebook memories pop up anything you wrote circa 2008 -2010 makes you want the ground to swallow you up out of embarrassment.

Since its launch in 2004, Facebook has not only grown in popularity but has become a major tool for businesses to promote their company and to aid the recruitment process.

Social Media has become an employer’s playground to get a true insight into who you are, and if you think it doesn’t influence their decision making…think again.

Interviews show one side; social media shows another.

When we come in to an interview we present our best selves, well dressed and well-spoken with a plethora of fantastic skills on offer, so let’s imagine the hiring manager has narrowed it down to you and another candidate, your name is a quick click away and voila we have entered the world of [insert your name]

Your profile photo and cover photo are visible to the public, which means it may be better keeping the wilder side of your personality hidden from these areas. If you have recently applied for a job it’s  maybe not best to have the photo of you dancing on the table after your 8th tequila, sure it shows you can enjoy a good night out, but maybe not the image the hiring manager wants to have of their potential new accountant.

Content on social media is everything!

Many people who are looking for a new job are doing so because they aren’t happy (for whatever reason) with their current employment. If your potential new employer is looking at your profile and is met with negative comments about your current employer, it isn’t going to sit well. There are cases where people have been fired because of the comments they have made about their job/co-workers/pay/company.

While on content, 40% of employers have admitted to being put off by a candidate over seeing inappropriate content on social media.

Not all future employers turn in to CIA agents and go into in-depth scouring of your profile, most will have a quick look at what you’ve recently posted and a few of your pictures, but some will go in a little deeper and have a look at your Biography where you have written previous employment and education history, so don’t be one on the 27% who have been caught out lying about their qualifications!

The power of going viral.

It takes minutes for a post, whether it’s a photo, video or your opinion to be passed from pillar to post and before you know it your post has reached the attention of Radio 1 and you have become a national talking point. Okay maybe I am being melodramatic, but you know what I am getting at, news travels fast and it travels even faster through the wonderful world of social media so even though you have 150 trusted Facebook friends, all it takes is for a share or screenshot of a post to be passed on and before you know its reached their 150 followers and so the cycle goes on.

It isn’t all negative, as mentioned before your social media is an insight into your wonderful life. It can show your creativity, your sense of humour, your interests and your personality which can demonstrate how you will fit in with the company.

The best advice when it comes to Social media is really to be mindful of what you are posting. Ask yourself, would I want my mum to read this, if the answer is no, chances are your new boss shouldn’t be reading it either.

Murray Recruitment | 01698 501130 – Specialising in Commercial, Engineering & Technical Recruitment 

We often turn our attention to the candidate when it comes to interviewing, offering tips to calm those nerves and techniques to help present their best attributes, but what about the interviewer?

It is easier to relate to the candidate role, as more of us have sat in the hot seat than the hiring chair, which means we see the interviewer as the gatekeeper to your future, a strong confident presence standing in your way for you to impress, which shows as The Apprentice has reinforced. This image may be accurate for companies who have hiring managers or HR department, who are pros and the interview game, but what about the smaller companies who don’t have a designated department? Often, we find that someone is given the responsibility as well as their primary job meaning they are thrown into a time-consuming process with little guidance. That’s where this blog comes in, here are just a handful of tips if you are not an expert interviewer.

1. Knowing me, Knowing you.

We actively encourage candidates to do their research on a company to find out those little bits of added information you came across on the company website that show that you are interested, invested and have the drive to learn, well, the same goes the other way. It is imperative that you know your facts about the company, such as the company’s goals, employee benefits, holiday allowance but also have a look on your website and social media to see what the marketing team have been shouting about.

2. Question Time.

Have a clear set of questions ready that are relevant to the role, team, company and skills required. Going in with the attitude that you can ‘wing it’ will lead you to possibly missing out on key factors for the decision process. You can divert from the question if the conversation unravels but having a clear objective and list will help you get back on track. Having a setlist of questions will also help with consistency across all interviewees, giving everyone a fair shot at showcasing their skills.

3. Appropriate Questions.

THIS IS SO IMPORTANT! You are not in the cast of Mad Men so please make sure your questions are compliant with employment law <— I’ve even created a link for you to check! Asking the wrong questions can be viewed as discrimination, make the candidate feel uncomfortable and lead to the company being in hot water! Remember most of the world communicate through social media, one post on your inappropriate question and before you know it the company has gone viral for all the wrong reasons.

4. Don’t be robotic.

If you want to get the most out of an interview, be conversational. If you stick to a robotic structure of just firing through the questions, the most you will get out of your candidate is the straight answer.

By speaking naturally, you encourage the candidate to open up more, the more comfortable the candidate becomes, the more they will start to reveal about their attitude toward previous employers, work ethic and let their personality shine through. This will give you an idea of how they will fit in with your company and team. These are the golden nuggets that help with decision making that can’t be found on a CV alone.

5. Relevant problem-solving.

Want to know how the candidate would deal with an issue within their role? Ask them! Providing a scenario that has or is likely to come up within the company to gain real solutions is the best way to interview for a particular job, with this be mindful that they will be nervous and feeling the pressure already so you don’t have to ask an absolute mind-blowing problem!

6. Thank you, next.

Whether a candidate is successful or not you should always contact them to let them know the status of their application. By contacting the candidates, you can offer guidance as well as leaving a good impression of your company. Ignoring a candidate can leave them taking a big hit to their confidence as they may question what they did or didn’t do to be successful.

Murray Recruitment are experts in recruitment for commercial, engineering and technical positions. The company has grown over the years with the strong ethos of finding the right person for the right job, therefore customer care and building relationships are our specialities. If you would be interested in partaking in a workshop to enhance your interviewing skills, please email Emmab@murrayrecruitment.co.uk