The era of the facebook faux par is over
Six years after the launch of the social networking giant, the job-seeking public has finally caught on to the fact employers check the social networking pages of their potential hires, according to five UK recruitment firms.
The recruitment firms who took part in the research, Laurence Simons, Marks Sattin, Greythorn, Ortus and EMR, say in the last year only 0.01% of candidates whose CVs impressed potential employers, failed to secure job opportunities due to questionable social networking profiles. This compares to 0.1% in 2006.
An IT recruiter at Greythorn says, “Six years ago, we saw the first social-networking slip-ups from candidates. They rose to a crescendo in 2006, when the use of sites like Facebook exploded - but people still hadn’t figured out quite how sensitive some of this information could be. Fortunately, the white-hot job market meant a lot of candidates who made these mistakes got away with it. Although employers deal with Facebook Faux Pas more harshly now, most people have wised up. The era of the recruitment Facebook Faux Pas is effectively over.”
Worst hit sectors
Over the past year, only 3 out of 24,000 candidates whose CVs impressed future employers made Facebook Faux Pas. This compares to 23 out of 24,000 in 2006, when Facebook Faux Pas hit their peak. In each case, these blunders were made by candidates going for management consultancy and accountancy roles.
Our managing director said, “Most people on the job market are now aware of the dangers posed by social networking websites. They know photographs that cast them in an unprofessional light should be made private – or deleted altogether. They know derogatory comments about their existing employer won’t go down well with their next boss. But less obvious things - like poor writing and grammar - can also raise red flags over a candidate’s name. Once an employer’s clocked something dodgy on a profile, they have to decide if they are willing to take a chance or not. Usually, the answer is no in a candidate rich market such as this. So the Facebook check has become the equivalent of a first interview. Once a potential employer has seen your CV, the next stage is to check the net. That’s the second hurdle candidates need to jump now.”
No marketing, PR, HR, IT, or legal candidates made similar mistakes.
Managing director of marketing recruiter EMR said, “Marketing and communications professionals are all too aware of the power of social networking sites. And IT candidates obviously know the score there, too. Candidates for jobs in HR roles are used to sitting on the other side of the fence and lawyers are generally very risk averse. It’s only the accountants and the management consultants who make the slip-ups now. They’ve all got a profile, but not everyone’s got the right privacy settings on there.”
Yet Facebook doesn’t always have to be detrimental in recruitment situations. Used correctly, Facebook can highlight qualities or interests that might not come up in a job interview. As people seem to be learning, it’s about building a personal brand, not destroying it.
Managing director of HR recruiter Ortus said, “Facebook is, by its very nature, a very effective way of keeping in touch with family and friends. Used correctly, it can also give a future employer a more ‘rounded view’ of yourself. But used incorrectly – i.e. not having the right privacy settings – well, you can insert your own inappropriately drunken nightmare scenario here.”
Although the era of the Facebook Faux-pas appears to be over, it may only be temporary. With Facebook’s privacy settings ever changing, candidates need to keep a close watch on what material is made public.
They add, “Now, it’s mainly graduates straight out of university who are caught out. There was the case the other year where Oxford University refused to grant undergraduates a degree because of the YouTube coverage of their water fight in a cloistered quad. Now that could be the digital dictionary definition of regret.”
Case studies
In late 2009, an American investment bank in London turned down an excellent candidate after checking his Facebook profile. His potential employer saw he’d joined a number of ‘inappropriate’ groups. As a result, he didn’t make it through for a second interview.
In the spring of 2010, a management consultant breezed through her first and second round interviews before a key decision-maker checked Facebook. Her profile picture showed her in fancy dress with a beard. The consultancy asked her to change the photo, which she promptly did. In the end, they offered her the job.
External coverage
Signup to receive the latest discipline specific articles
Related articles
Teaser
GovernanceContent Type
Fintech
18/04/24
Summary
The role of risk and compliance in financial services As a sizeable, growing portion of the financial services sector, risk and compliance play a vital role in ensuring that firms conduct busine
by
David Clamp
Teaser
Executive SearchContent Type
General
18/04/24
Summary
Private equity (PE) is a growing industry that has always attracted ambitious top talent due to its high risk/high gain capital investment. Pre-covid, we saw the global private equity industry b
by
Tracey Alper
Teaser
Commerce & IndustryContent Type
General
18/04/24
Summary
What is financial contracting? Financial contracting refers to the practice of hiring finance professionals on a contractual basis to fulfil specific roles or projects within an orga
by
Kelvin Murphy
Related jobs
Salary:
£28,000 - £31,000 per annum
Location:
Leeds, West Yorkshire
Industry
Business Services
Qualification
None specified
Market
Commerce & Industry
Salary
£30,000 - £35,000
Job Discipline
Part Qualified & Transactional Finance
Contract Type:
Permanent
Description
Credit Controller - Leeds - Up to £30k!
Reference
BBBH178529
Expiry Date
01/01/01
Author
Cameron WalshAuthor
Cameron WalshSalary:
£70,000 - £90,000 per annum
Location:
London
Industry
Investment Banking & Capital Markets
Qualification
Fully qualified
Market
Financial Services
Salary
£80,000 - £100,000
Job Discipline
Legal
Contract Type:
Permanent
Description
Legal Counsel - (Capital Markets & Mortgages) London (Hybrid) £70,000 - £90,000 base p/a
Reference
BBBH180118
Expiry Date
01/01/01
Author
Maximillian SombartAuthor
Maximillian SombartSalary:
£35,000 - £55,000 per annum
Location:
Grimsby, Lincolnshire
Industry
Manufacturing
Qualification
None specified
Market
Financial Services
Salary
£50,000 - £60,000
Job Discipline
Part Qualified & Transactional Finance
Contract Type:
Permanent
Description
Our Grimsby based food manufacturing client is looking for someone experienced in product costing to join them as a Costing Manager.
Reference
BBBH179883
Expiry Date
01/01/01
Author
Dean FollandAuthor
Dean FollandSalary:
£110,000 - £130,000 per annum
Location:
London
Industry
FinTech
Qualification
Fully qualified
Market
Financial Services
Salary
£125,000 - £175,000
Job Discipline
Legal
Contract Type:
Permanent
Description
Commercial Legal Counsel - Fintech (3-7PQE) London (Hybrid / Remote) £110-130k base p/a
Reference
BBBH180111
Expiry Date
01/01/01
Author
Maximillian SombartAuthor
Maximillian SombartSalary:
Negotiable
Location:
Chorley, Lancashire
Industry
Consumer & Retail
Qualification
Fully qualified
Market
Commerce & Industry
Salary
£50,000 - £60,000
Job Discipline
Qualified Finance
Contract Type:
Permanent
Description
Finance Manager (Management Accounts) - 40% home working
Reference
BBBH180107
Expiry Date
01/01/01
Author
Laura HalloranAuthor
Laura HalloranSalary:
£22 - £25 per hour
Location:
Manchester, Greater Manchester
Industry
Healthcare
Qualification
Part qualified
Market
Commerce & Industry
Salary
£150 - £250
Job Discipline
Part Qualified & Transactional Finance
Contract Type:
Contract
Description
Senior Accountant | Manchester | Up to £25.00 per hour | 3 month contract | Hybrid
Reference
BBBH180106
Expiry Date
01/01/01
Author
Jamie MillerAuthor
Jamie MillerSalary:
Up to £41,000 per annum
Location:
Warrington, Cheshire
Industry
Business Services
Qualification
Part qualified
Market
Professional Services
Salary
£40,000 - £50,000
Job Discipline
Part Qualified & Transactional Finance
Contract Type:
Contract
Description
Management Accountant | Warrington - Hybrid | 9-12 month Contract | £41,000
Reference
BBBH180018
Expiry Date
01/01/01
Author
Evie CoatesAuthor
Evie CoatesSalary:
£27,000 - £32,000 per annum
Location:
City of London, London
Industry
Business Services
Qualification
None specified
Market
Commerce & Industry
Salary
£30,000 - £35,000
Job Discipline
Part Qualified & Transactional Finance
Contract Type:
Contract
Description
11 month temporary contract for an Accounts Receivable Assistant with the chance to go permanent at a business services company based
Reference
BBBH180105
Expiry Date
01/01/01
Author
Chelsea MillsAuthor
Chelsea MillsSalary:
€60,000 - €70,000 per annum
Location:
Dublin South, Dublin
Industry
Consumer & Retail
Qualification
Fully qualified
Market
Commerce & Industry
Salary
£60,000 - £70,000
Job Discipline
Qualified Finance
Contract Type:
Contract
Description
FP&A Manager - 12 month contract with further opportunities Fantastic client in telecommunications/retail industry. Opportunity to build experience in FP&A as well as Business Partnering.
Reference
BBBH180100
Expiry Date
01/01/01
Author
Sarah FallonAuthor
Sarah FallonSalary:
£60,000 - £70,000 per annum
Location:
Bristol
Industry
Transport & Logistics
Qualification
Fully qualified
Market
Commerce & Industry
Salary
£70,000 - £80,000
Job Discipline
Qualified Finance
Contract Type:
Permanent
Description
Commercial finance - Financial Analysis - Business Partnering... this has it all!
Reference
BBBH180060
Expiry Date
01/01/01
Author
Craig KilminsterAuthor
Craig Kilminster