Hiring the right employees is integral to any business’s success. With a wealth of personal information readily available online, many employers and HR professionals now rely on social media vetting during the recruitment process. While this practice can provide crucial insights into a candidate’s character or cultural fit, it also raises significant ethical and legal questions regarding privacy boundaries.
This blog explores the benefits and challenges of social media vetting and offers actionable advice to help employers draw the line between responsible due diligence and potential privacy invasion.
What Is Social Media Vetting?
Social media vetting involves reviewing candidates’ public social media profiles on platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. The goal is to assess behaviors, interests, and potential red flags that aren’t apparent from their resumes or interviews. When done correctly, social media vetting can serve as a supplemental tool for making informed hiring decisions.
However, tread carefully—digging too deep can backfire, leading to potential discrimination claims or even legal repercussions.
Why Employers Use Social Media Vetting
Social media vetting is becoming increasingly popular, and for good reason. Here are some of the main motivations behind its use:
1. Identifying Red Flags
Employers often leverage social media vetting to uncover behavior that could pose a risk to the business. Public examples include discriminatory language, violent statements, or unprofessional behavior. Catching these red flags early can protect a company from reputational harm down the line.
2. Assessing Cultural Fit
Many HR managers look for posts or hobbies that align with a company’s values. For instance, positive community involvement or industry-related discussions could highlight a good potential fit.
3. Verifying Qualifications
Some employers check LinkedIn profiles to confirm a candidate’s claimed skills, work history, or certifications. This step can prevent fraudulent claims or resume embellishments from slipping under the radar.
The Risks of Social Media Vetting
While social media vetting can provide valuable insights, it is essential to weigh the legal, ethical, and practical risks involved:
1. Privacy Concerns
Even if an account is public, many candidates may perceive social media vetting as an invasion of their personal lives. This perception can harm your employer branding.
2. Bias and Discrimination
Social media profiles often reveal a candidate’s race, religion, gender identity, or political affiliations—all protected characteristics under anti-discrimination laws. Hiring decisions based on these factors could lead to serious legal issues.
3. Misinterpretation
Is that photo from a party evidence of irresponsibility, or simply a snapshot of someone enjoying their weekend? Without proper context, HR managers may misjudge candidates, leading to unfair outcomes or missed opportunities.
Best Practices for Ethical and Legal Social Media Vetting
To strike the right balance between due diligence and respecting privacy, employers should follow these best practices:
1. Stick to Job-Relevant Information
Focus only on public posts and avoid anything unrelated to the candidate’s professional life or role suitability. If you’re hiring for a creative marketing position, checking for creative work shared on Instagram might make sense; looking at old vacation photos does not.
2. Obtain Candidate Consent
Be transparent. Inform candidates if social media vetting is part of the hiring process. This builds trust and reduces potential pushback.
3. Use a Neutral Third Party
Hiring managers should avoid conducting social media checks themselves. Consider outsourcing the process to a neutral third party who can provide a summary based strictly on professional criteria. This minimizes bias and limits exposure to legally protected information.
4. Create a Written Policy
Establish clear policies outlining when and how social media vetting will be used. This ensures that everyone within the organization follows consistent, fair practices.
5. Keep Records
Document findings and decision-making processes carefully to avoid any misunderstandings or allegations of unlawful discrimination.
Where Should Employers Draw the Line?
Ultimately, the goal of social media vetting is to ensure a safe, productive work environment—not to invade candidates’ privacy. By focusing only on public, job-relevant information and maintaining transparency, employers can achieve a responsible balance that respects candidates’ rights.
Plexus Global: Hire Safely With Knowledge
Plexus Global is a California-based background screening company serving organizations all over the U.S. and abroad.
Contact us today by telephone (844-516-1008), email (sales@plexusglobalinc.com), or through our social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
