Be Aware of Commonly Flagged Social Media Behaviour

Companies will weigh specific conduct differently based on their industry and your specific role. Here at Hire Performance Inc., we flag specific categories during our social media background checks that we think you should be aware of. They include:

• Harassment
• Intolerance 
• Sex
• Violence
• Threats
• Crime
• Cannabis
• Other Drugs

Some types of posts in these categories won’t be flagged and returned to the hiring company. Additionally, some industries may not be concerned about some categories while prioritizing others.

Post Under the Assumption All Public Content Will Be Reviewed

When looking for a job, assume prospective employers will see anything public. Posting anything overly controversial or inflammatory may give off the wrong impression, especially if it is related to your industry.

Public and private posts give you the option of having more control over what you post. You can generally be a little less strict with private posts — however, keep in mind that posts can still be screenshotted and shared.

Manage your settings appropriately while also being aware of how recruiters and employers reviewing your posts may perceive your accounts. Additionally, it’s worth reviewing past posts to identify anything that may dissuade companies from hiring you.

Liking a Post Can Be Considered Endorsement

Even though liking a post or video isn’t always an endorsement; it may be interpreted as such by future or current employers. This type of endorsement means any content that may be defamatory, controversial, or unprofessional should be liked or shared cautiously. 

It’s easy on many platforms to see what a user interacts with. Once a recruiter finds your personal profiles, it becomes relatively easy to look beyond your own posts to gain a deeper understanding of your political views, personal life, and any other content you may share.

Be Aware of Your Rights

Depending on where you live, you’ll have varying rights when it comes to how a company can evaluate your social media behaviour, which can affect hiring or firing decisions. In Canada, you have privacy protections that determine monitoring, data collection, and how it can be used. 

Our Social Media Checks are fully compliant with Canadian Privacy Laws, and there are several regulations for how employers can monitor your usage. These laws also impose varying consequences for misusing your data. 

So, while you should be aware of your usage, you also have privacy laws that allow you to be yourself still and have fun on social media.

Have Written Consent for All Work Related Posts

Once employed, posting about work should be done extremely cautiously. Most employers will have a documented policy for this topic as it’s becoming exceedingly common practice nowadays. Without a stated policy, enforcing social media misuse would be challenging.

Be well aware of these policies before you post anything about companies you’re applying to, getting hired, coworkers, managers, or anyone else work-related. Additionally, make sure you’re not posting any confidential business information or private information about others you work with.

Questions to Ask Yourself Before Posting

Thinking before you post is a great practice for anyone, especially those job hunting or striving to maintain their dream job. HRPA provides some questions to ask yourself about every post you make to avoid affecting future or current employment.

• Would I be okay with a colleague, client, employer, or the general public seeing this post?
• Would I say this in person to a coworker or recruiter?
• How does this post reflect my overall personality and public image?
• Do I have consent from any employees, clients, or companies I’m posting about?
• Is what I’m sharing confidential or otherwise private?
• Would this post be considered ethical?

Use these questions as a general guideline for managing your personal accounts without affecting your professional image.

Understand Social Media Background Checks

Most people know the possibility of a Canadian Criminal Record Check, but social media backgrounds have become increasingly common. Being aware of future or current employers seeing your social media posts might be all it takes to avoid posting something you’ll later regret.

Hire Performance Inc. offers social media background checks, so we know what companies are looking for. You can still be yourself and have fun on social media without risking employment possibilities; it just takes a little awareness of the boundaries we explored above.

Do you want to learn more about social media background checks, or are you an employer who needs one? Get started with our background check services today to help make informed hiring decisions.