[IPAC-List] Facebook

[Lee Frier]

Hi Dennis,

As far as a trusting someone without a Facebook page, I think it is a 
mixed issue with many factors. I know some small businesses use Facebook 
as a screening tool. They don’t have an HR department or background and 
see it as a cheap way to get more information. You can block most of the 
information on Facebook but many people don’t or don’t know how.

Both Facebook and LinkedIn are rapidly becoming more popular in 
recruiting especially in the private sector. At this point in my career, 
I am much more involved in the technology than assessment. When I was 
job hunting in 2010, almost everyone I interviewed with had checked my 
LinkedIn profile. I had the link on my resume. They primarily used it as 
a reference check and to see if I have any recommendations (did former 
clients recommend me). I am in technology consulting so for my field I 
think it is expected that I have a LinkedIn profile. I also believe that 
your internet social presence can determine if you get an interview or 
not if most other criteria are equal. I was also told by every recruiter 
that in this job market if you don’t self-promote you probably won’t get 
the job.

I don’t want to get too much into side topics but this might be helpful 
for your students and other job seekers. Most of the earlier discussion 
focused on using social media to judge a candidate that has applied for 
a job. Many large companies and recruiting firms are using Facebook and 
LinkedIn for social sourcing. They are using Facebook and LinkedIn to 
find candidates for the recruiting pool. Most of these jobs are 
advertised but some are not. One of the biggest uses is to find 
qualified candidates that are not actively applying for jobs. I do 
recommend LinkedIn accounts for job hunting and networking. I think this 
is more helpful for experienced professionals but any advantage in this 
job market is helpful.

For better or worse social media usage is rapidly increasing in 
recruiting. Posting jobs and sourcing using social media are being 
integrated directly into applicant tracking systems. If the decision 
maker (usually not HR) has equally qualified candidates to interview, 
your social media information could help or hurt you. Also if you don’t 
have a social media presence, you may never hear about the job opening. 
I also think that people without a social media presence may be seen as 
having less technology skills. This could be a factor depending on the 
job type.

Lee Frier
Implementation Consultant
Kenexa, an IBM Company