The Benefits of using social media to evaluate employees. Leo Lanahan Section 8 11/17/2010

1. The Benefits of using social media to evaluate employees. Leo Lanahan Section 8 11/17/2010

2. Why it is a good idea to use social media to screen employees? • Employees represent the face of the company • To prevent legal issues • To screen perspective employees

3. The GOOD • Profile provided a good feel for the candidate’s personality and fit within the organization (50 percent) • Profile supported candidate’s professional qualifications (39 percent) • Candidate was creative (38 percent) • Candidate showed solid communication skills (35 percent) • Candidate was well-rounded (33 percent) • Other people posted good references about the candidate (19 percent) • Candidate received awards and accolades (15 percent) (Haefner)

4. The BAD • Provocative/ inappropriate photographs or information (53 percent) • Content about drinking or using drugs (44 percent) • Bad-mouthing of previous employers, co-workers or clients (35 percent) • Poor communication skills (29 percent) • Discriminatory comments (26 percent) • Misrepresentation of qualifications (24 percent) • Shared confidential information from a previous employer (20 percent) (Eaton)

5. The Ugly

6. Caitlin Davis

7. Kevin Colvin

9. Andrew Kurtz

10. What you can do to prevent this from happening to you • DO clean up digital dirt BEFORE you begin your job search. Remove any photos, content and links that can work against you in an employer’s eyes. • DO consider creating your own professional group on sites like Facebook or BrightFuse.com to establish relationships with thought leaders, recruiters and potential referrals. • DO keep gripes offline. Keep the content focused on the positive, whether that relates to professional or personal information. Makes sure to highlight specific accomplishments inside and outside of work. • DON’T forget others can see your friends, so be selective about who you accept as friends. Monitor comments made by others. Consider using the “block comments” feature or setting your profile to “private” so only designated friends can view it. • DON’T mention your job search if you’re still employed. ("Oregon Business Report")

11. THE END

12. References • Haefner, R. "More Employers Screening Candidates via Social Networking Sites." Career Builder. Career Builder, 10 Jun 2009. Web. 17 Nov 2010. <http://www.careerbuilder.com/Article/CB-1337-Getting-Hired-More-Employers-Screening-Candidates-via-Social-Networking-Sites>. • Eaton, K. "If You're Applying for a Job, Censor Your Facebook Page ." Fast Company. N.p., 19 Aug 2009. Web. 17 Nov 2010. <http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/kit-eaton/technomix/if-youre-applying-job-censor-your-facebook-page >. • "caitlindavis cheerleader fired over pictures sex scandal 1.jpg." Caitlin Davis. Web. 17 Nov 2010. <http://www.zimbio.com/Caitlin+Davis/articles/19/Caitlin+Davis>. • "caitlindavis cheerleader fired over pictures sex scandal 1.jpg." Web. 17 Nov 2010. <http://www.zimbio.com/Caitlin+Davis/articles/2/Caitlin+Davis+Patriots+Cheerleader+Fired+Drawing>. • Thomas, O. "Bank intern busted by facebook." Valleywag. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov 2010. http://valleywag.gawker.com/321802/bank-intern-busted-by-facebook . • "pirates-pierogi." Web. 17 Nov 2010. <http://larrybrownsports.com/baseball/pirates-fire-pierogi-andrew-kurtz-facebook/21716 >. • "45% Employers use Facebook-Twitter to screen job candidates." Oregon Business Report. N.p., 24 Aug 2009. Web. 17 Nov 2010. <http://oregonbusinessreport.com/2009/08/45-employers-use-facebook-twitter-to-screen-job-candidates>.