How Social Media Screenings Affect Hiring Decisions

What is a social media screening?

A social media screening is usually done when a candidate is applying for a job. It involves researching a prospect’s social media profiles and their activity, including what they post, like and comment on. Some of the platforms they are likely to check are LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, X, and TikTok.

In a survey conducted by The Harris Poll, 60 percent of employers who responded said they believe companies should screen candidates’ social media profiles during the hiring process. And it’s not just job candidates who are at-risk if they post certain content on social media; it’s also current employees. An overwhelming majority of employers said they would fire existing employees for posting certain social media content. 

So, what are hiring managers and employers looking for when screening candidates’ and employees’ social media profiles? Generally, they’re looking for red flags. That could include the sharing of illegal activities, offensive comments, violent or aggressive behavior, sexually explicit material, and confidential information.

Which social media channels can employers check?

Audit your social media accounts before applying for a position. While it’s important to check every account, there are some platforms hiring managers are more likely to check, such as LinkedIn.

“The three main platforms that most employers check are LinkedIn, Facebook and [X (formerly Twitter)],” Matt Erhard, managing partner of Summit Search Group, told us. “I am personally most interested in the candidate’s LinkedIn profile, as it’s the most relevant.”

Most employers view LinkedIn as a secondary resume, and some even post jobs on LinkedIn. However, they are still likely to check other social media channels, such as Instagram. In addition to what you’re posting, make sure you are cognizant of who follows you and how they are interacting with your content.

“When I check a candidate’s [social media], my aim is more to get a sense of them as a person than to look for damaging information,” Erhard said.

Here are some details about the major social media outlets:

• Instagram: As a highly visual social media platform, it’s important to select images and videos that won’t land you in hot water on Instagram. Keep your page professional and positive to give potential employers a sense of your attitude and personality. This extends beyond what you post and into content from other users that you share as publicly viewable stories.
• X (formerly Twitter): Unless your profile is set to private, anyone can view what you post on X and the other posts that you like or reply to. Setting your profile to private prevents potential employers from seeing your content on X, but it may eliminate an opportunity to make a favorable impression.
• Facebook: Facebook is often seen as a more secure form of social media because only people you are friends with can typically see your profile if your settings are private. However, you still want to make sure that you are keeping tabs on what users post to your wall, tag you in and comment on your posts.
• TikTok: TikTok is a major social media platform, and employers often check it. If you create videos on the app, it helps your potential employer get a sense of who you are and how you might work with others at the company. Of course, you should make sure your content is appropriate and professional in order to survive a social media screening.

Tips for passing social media screenings

Follow these tips to benefit from potential employers performing social media screenings:

1. Don’t erase your profile.

While the fear of something embarrassing or negative being discovered might tempt some job candidates to completely erase their online persona, employers say that strategy can backfire.

Nearly half of employers (47 percent) surveyed by CareerBuilder said they are unlikely to call a person for an interview if they can’t find them online. In addition to seeming like you’re trying to hide something, it’s not a good idea to delete your profile. Deletion doesn’t guarantee the data is completely gone. Instead, the best practice is to keep clean, up-to-date social accounts.

When we spoke with Mike Bruni, a talent acquisition professional and partner at Talent Acquisition Strategies, he relayed a similar sentiment.

“I do not believe in hiding social media,” said Bruni. “I believe that could raise more red flags. Employers do tend to check social sites and many aggregators will scrape multiple social media platforms that a candidate possesses. If you are a job seeker actively pursuing employment or a new position, it is critical that your social media persona conveys professionalism and a passion for the career that you are pursuing.”

2. Use social media to your benefit.

Despite what job candidates might think, most employers are looking for reasons to hire someone. The Harris Poll surveyed over 1,000 employers and found that 67 percent of them look for information that supports a candidate’s qualifications to get them through the door. 

You can use your social media profiles to promote content that shows your knowledge, professionalism and commitment to growth — characteristics that any employer will want to see. If you’re truly passionate about your career, share your accomplishments and interesting content from others in the same space as well. This will showcase your personal interest in the job and encourage employers about your ability to perform and grow in the role you’re applying for.

“Postings and contributions should be relevant to your career or area of expertise,” said Bruni. “This can attract an employer as well as assist with building a more relevant, robust network.”

3. Google yourself.

Every few weeks or months, take a minute to Google yourself in an incognito window. This is likely where your employer is going to start when they take a look at your online presence, so it’s good to know what will pop up. This will help you get ahead of anything negative, so you can make sure all the top search results are things you would be fine with your employer seeing.

You might even consider setting up Google alerts for yourself, so if anything new pops up, you’ll know right away. If everything remains positive, you’re good to go. If there is something you’d rather erase, there are companies you can work with to help improve your online presence.

4. Think before you post.

Social media is an extension of yourself. Although it sometimes feels like cyberspace is detached from the real world, your actions online can have consequences for your professional life. When creating and sharing content on your social media profiles, stop and take a moment to think about how it may reflect on you beyond your immediate friend group. 

“Your social media sites will most likely be found by an employer,” said Bruni. “Biases exist everywhere and the best defense for you as a job seeker is to keep your social media presence professional. Job search is a strategy and that strategy requires personal marketing that will resonate with employers.”

If a potential employer were to see it during a screening, would it harm your chances of landing that big job you’ve been hoping for? If so, consider not sharing it in the first place, or at the very least creating separate profiles for recreational posting and setting them to private.

How to make your profiles private

Since it’s legal for employers to check public social media accounts, consider creating at least one account for professional purposes and keeping personal accounts private. Be wary of hiring managers requesting information beyond what’s available online. This is similar to employers asking inappropriate questions during interviews and should raise a red flag about the employer.

“I have heard of employers asking candidates to provide their password and login credentials for social media,” Erhard said. “This is not technically illegal in many places, though, in my mind, it’s an uncomfortable invasion of privacy.”

Does social media show up on background checks?

Social media accounts don’t typically show up on background checks. Most background checks include employment and education history, credit information and legal problems. However, there may be some cases where social accounts show up on a social media background check.

“There are companies that run social media-based background checks, but that is a separate paid service,” Erhard added. “While I’m aware of its existence, I don’t personally know any employers who have utilized that kind of service.”

What to avoid on social media

A Harris Poll study found that a whopping 55 percent of employers who use social media screenings said they have found content that caused them not to hire a candidate. 

Follow these guidelines from The Harris Poll’s survey to keep your online presence professional:

1. Avoid posting anything potentially offensive. If you wouldn’t bring in a particular picture and post it in your cubicle, or say something at the workplace, remove it from your public page.
2. Be purposeful in your posts. Ask yourself: What is my goal with posting this? Is this best for a private or public page?
3. Keep it simple: Remember that less is more in your public profiles.
4. Never complain about employers or colleagues — past or present — on social media.

While these tips are geared toward job seekers, existing employees should take this advice to heart. Not only are employers sometimes monitoring their employees’ social media behavior, but future employers may conduct social media screenings as well.

Tejas Vemparala and Nicole Fallon contributed to this article. Some source interviews were conducted for a previous version of this article.