In a recent poll 93% of all Human Resource Managers admit to searching a prospects name in Google as part of the hiring process.
With an increase in new users and popularity, sites like Facebook and Twitter are primarily responsible for more and more personal information finding its way to the internet. Now, if a HR manager wants to dig deeper into the character of a new hire chances are they will turn to Google for a full report.
Not only are new hires finding it difficult to find a job with humiliating content appearing in their search results, but even tenured employee’s are now losing their job as a result of something that was posted on their Facebook wall.
This was basically unheard of only five years ago but with SMO (Social Media Optimization) now dominating search engines, the result has lead to many corporations updating their policies and procedures manuals to include end of shift conduct rules.
Speaking on reputation management in a socially connected world, Tyronne Jacques, CEO of Image Max Public Relations and an expert in the field of Reputation Management, said that this new term called ‘Facebook Firings’ is adding new members to the list of unemployed each and every day.
“There are some days when our phones simply ring off the hook from people seeking help on how to remove either a picture or personal information that is now appearing online. These types of calls are always extremely urgent because the client is trying to remove the content before their supervisors discover it. This problem has become epidemic in its damage to the reputations of many of the people that seek our help, as well as a total violation of their privacy,” Jacques added.
See: Google’s Unique Take on Human Resource Management
Once Google has indexed a comment from Facebook or Twitter, they will not take it down. Google is considered to be sort of an online archive therefore under law they are not responsible / libel for any comments published by a third party. In the case of your personal information that is now appearing on the 1st page of your search results, Facebook is actually the third party.
Tyronne Jacques shares top 3 tips for preventing your personal information from getting indexed by Google.
Google absolutely love blogs and forums because of their ability to generate original content for readers. The only problem is if you post anything about you or your family then those comments will rank really high in your search results.
This has to be the quickest way to get fired or definitely get you the dreadful meeting from senior supervisors. Pictures will even get indexed above website content placing them at the top of your search results, so please avoid posting pictures of you and your friends.
Try to avoid posting any private information in the form of a Tweet. Tweets will get indexed with the actual comment in quotes, and placed on the first page of Google. Facebook and Twitter are ranked very high. Therefore, anything posted on a social networking site has a very strong possibility of landing on the 1st page of your search results.
In the same poll of HR managers, a very large percentage of them admit that they start their background checks with a Google search of the applicant’s name, and if all checks out only then they hire a potential candidate after careful background checks. So be careful of what goes online.
Also read: Innovation in Recruitment: Google’s “Rabbit-Hole” Recruiting Program Has a Story to Tell
Image credit: executive-grapevine.com
