It’s a fact that social media checks are becoming more of a norm than ever before, especially in countries like the US, where it’s become an almost integral part of the background screening process when hiring new employees. But, why is it that companies in many western countries are leaning towards it when it’s often viewed as intrusion of someone’s privacy.

It started off in the 2000s after the rise of platforms such as Facebook and Twitter (Currently known as X) that people began to view social media platforms as a potential means for acquiring information on individuals based on their activities on the platform.

Because people started using social media as a means to express themselves and their views on the world that companies started to believe that it’s important to integrate social media platforms in the screening process as to filter out people whose opinions don’t align with the company values and culture.

In this blog, we aim to discuss as to why social media checks are such a common place within the US as compared to the rest of the world.

Competitive Job Market Dynamics

The current job market is extremely competitive all across the world and especially in a country like the US, because more and more people wish for an opportunity in the states. There’s also the fact that many companies in the US now work remotely as well. This enables people from across the globe to apply for opportunities in the US for a better life style.

All of these factors contribute to a highly fierce job market where the employer has the luxury to pick out who they deem to be an ideal candidate. But, with such a high number of candidates to go through, there would certainly be times when the candidates may have the right skills for the job, but they might be a terrible fit for the role due to a toxic nature or whatnot.

One way of resolving such a scenario is to conduct a thorough screening on the candidate’s socials such as Instagram, Facebook, X, or Reddit to gain an insight on their activities and how they like to present themselves to the world. Anyone who might be involved in hate speeches or racist comments is someone you’ll be able to identify and reject immediately.

Cultural Norms

In the US, it’s is an unspoken rule that you’re expected to appear as professional as possible when it comes to your own brand, especially if you’re someone who’s a working person. While it’s true that you’re allowed to be whoever you wish to be on social media, but this choice might deem you as a red flag for the job you’ve applied to within the States.

Because it’s become such a norm to share your personal stories, opinions and beliefs, the employers feel justified in looking at your public posts and behavior to get a better understanding on your character and deciding if whether you’ll be a fit in their company’s culture of not. So, it would be recommended to have a presentable profile that showcases your life as nothing outside the norm.

Brand Reputation

These days, brands are far more focused on their behavior online as much as it is in the office. The reason being that a single trigger post can spread like a wildfire in today’s world of internet. Since, US is comprised of so many ethnic groups nowadays, it does not help companies if that post was a racial or discrimination remark on a certain community or group of people.

In order to avoid taking the brunt of such actions on themselves, most companies within US prefer to thoroughly go through a candidate’s socials to ensure they’re not someone who are biased or hold strong negative views on certain groups or nationalities. Many candidates even ensure that their social present the most professional version of themselves.

Potential Consequences of Social Media Checks

Ethical Consideration

Many employees may view this as an infringement on their private life. Because most people would prefer that their personal and professional life are separated for a more balanced approach, the social media check blurs those lines as the employees are forced to present an image of themselves, they do not wish to and might often view this stepping on their free will.

Bias and Discrimination

It’s not uncommon for social media checks evaluators to unknowingly form negative or false opinions on candidates because they might have different origins, faiths, or beliefs. This may possibly result in weeding out candidates that might actually be a great fit for the role.

Misinterpretation of Content

A post or an interaction can be taken out of context that could very well lead to unfair assumptions about a candidate’s character or abilities. There’s also the fact that content changes rapidly and a past post may not reflect the candidate’s current behavior but may result in bias being formed by the evaluator leading to an inaccuracy.

Conclusion

Overall, social media checks are great in identifying the perfect match for the role a company may be looking for. But, it’s entirely dependent on the one screening the candidate as they might unknowingly form bias or opinion against certain people they come across. Not to mention the candidate feeling uncomfortable about this check and viewing it as an invasion of privacy. Essentially, it’s about finding the balance between what to look for and ask explicit permission and consent beforehand as to what sort of data a company is looking for.