Benefits Of Using Social Media To Screen Potential Employees

Many companies perform background checks before hiring someone. These checks usually include any criminal history, employment history, and in some cases, a credit check. While these types of background checks form a good foundation, they can miss a lot of red flags that can cause your company embarrassment or open you up to lawsuits.

This is why a social media check is very important. With millions of Americans using some form of social media nowadays, a lot of information about a person can be discovered with the right tools. One company, FAMA, is using the latest in AI technology to not only scan the employee’s social media content but also make predictions about the potential risk that the employee presents to the company.

What Threats Lurk In Social Media Profiles?

Even the most innocuous post on a site like Facebook can raise a lot of red flags. For example, a bank wants to hire a new employee. They do all the background checks and everything seems normal. But the bank then uses a company like FAMA to dig a little further. They find that the employee has made a few posts about recent financial hardships, increased cost of living, and so forth. Financial distress is a major cause of employees turning on their company and doing something extreme, like stealing.

While this is only one example of what a social media check can uncover, there are others, like bullying and online harassment, making negative comments about past employers, and even revealing corporate secrets. People tend to say things online that they wouldn’t say in the real world.

Company Scandals And Embarrassments

Another risk of not performing a proper social media screening is the potential for scandal or embarrassment for the company. A good example of this risk is an employee who expresses bigoted opinions on their social media profiles. If this becomes public, the backlash against a company for employing this person can be swift and cause a wave of negative publicity. A social media screening by a company like FAMA could’ve easily prevented such a PR nightmare because the person never would’ve been hired to begin with.

The Double-Edged Sword Of Social Media

On one hand, social media allows people to stay connected like never before. Old friends are reuniting and families are able to stay in touch. On the other hand, there is a dark side to social media that tends to bring out the worst in people. As such, websites like Facebook provide companies with a much more well-rounded view of an individual. Unless the person has a criminal record or bad employment history, it can be almost impossible to root out these hidden dangers.

The only reliable method for knowing exactly who you are hiring is using a company like FAMA. They utilize the latest in AI technology to analyze social media accounts to root out potential employee problems before they become company problems.