Job Seeker Wants Their Own Social Media Background Check – Ask #hr bartender
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
I received a reader question recently that I’ve honestly never heard anyone ask before. It’s about doing your own social media background check.
Hello. I need a referral for a company that will do a normal employment type background check on me. I’m over age 50 and have a lot of good consistent experience. I have been sending my resume around and had a couple call backs but no offers to hire yet. My background is in the construction industry, and I realize that right now the industry is trying very hard to increase workplace diversity because, in my experience, this is historically an old white guy industry.
I don’t know how to set privacy settings on social media. I quit Facebook several years ago but didn’t delete it (just from my phone). Thank you for any referral of background check companies.
Before we talk about the social media piece, there are a couple of other things in this note that I want to address. Please remember that I’m not a lawyer and if you have detailed questions about your specific situation, you should seek professional legal advice.
First, if a job seeker is getting interviews but not job offers, they should do some self-reflection about why. It might be tempting to say it’s because of your gender, age, race, etc. The more likely reason is because there’s a disconnect between what’s on your resume and what you say in the interview.
Right now, there’s approximately 1.4 job openings for each job seeker, which means it’s still very much a candidate’s market. If you’re getting calls, it’s because there is something on your application or resume that looks interesting to the employer. Spend some time thinking about how you’re conveying your knowledge, skills, and experience in the interview. Here are a few articles you might find helpful.
“Why Aren’t You Getting Hired?” from Harvard Business Review
“3 Reasons You Keep Getting Interviews, But No Offers” from The Muse
“Here’s Why You’re Getting Job Interviews – But No Offers” from CNBC
Second, in today’s technology driven world, job seekers need to learn how to properly use social media. Especially if they’re using social media to help them find job opportunities. That includes understanding terms of service and privacy settings. I know it might sound very boring, but it’s absolutely necessary. See if your public library offers some sessions on using social media. Getting a library card is free. And you can also check to see if your library offers LinkedIn Learning for additional classes.
That being said, let’s talk about social media background checks. I’m not aware of any organization where you can preemptively conduct a social media background check on yourself, like checking your own credit score. So, if anyone knows of a company, please drop a note in the comments or email me offline. I’m sure everyone would be interested in that information.
We’ve published a couple of articles on HR Bartender about social media background checks. While they are focused on the employer-side, a job seeker might find them helpful.
Social Media Background Checks: Are They Okay?
According to attorney Heather Bussing, generally, it is okay for potential employers to look at anyone’s public social media. But if the employer obtains the report from someone outside the organization, the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) applies and you have to give the candidate notice you are doing a background check and get their consent.
Social Media Background Checks: What Employers Should Know
One of the key activities that happens during the selection step is background checks. It might be tempting to simply skip this step to speed up the process, but background checks perform a valuable purpose. For example, an emerging type of background check is the social media background check. I think a lot of organizations are or should be curious to learn more about this specific type of background check. That’s why I asked Bon Idziak, chief compliance and government relations officer at Accurate Background, to give us a primer on the topic.
I’m not exactly sure why this reader wants to conduct a social media background check on themselves. I’m sure we can speculate. But it is an interesting question. Social media has been around for over a decade. But this note is a great reminder for all of us to think about our presence on social media.
- Research any social media platforms you want to participate on and understand their terms of service.
- Establish goals for being on a social media platform. Make sure those goals align with your personal brand.
- Practice good online security – set up two-factor authentication and know the privacy setting for the platform.
- Think before you post!
- Regularly evaluate your participation on social media to ensure your goals are being met.
Personally, I believe a lot of people are evaluating their relationship with social media right now. While we might not be able to conduct a social media background check on ourselves, we can step back and ask the question, “What are my goals on social media? And am I accomplishing those goals?”
Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the streets of Los Angelas, CA
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