If you thought reports of people getting fired after posting something inappropriate on social media figured only in the international news pages, think again. A rising number of employers are on the prowl in India, checking up on the backgrounds – and activities of current and potential hires.

According to Nirmal Singh, Founder and CEO, Wheebox, a career assessment company, an astonishing 90 per cent of the prospective employees in the 18-24 years age group are estimated to be on Facebook, pushing recruitment officers to visit these sites regularly. A survey by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has found that 56 per cent of HR professionals use social networking sites to recruit candidates, up from just 34 per cent in 2008.

Catching foul play

An increasing number of companies are also turning to social sites — such as professional networking site Linkedin, ApnaCircle and even Facebook — to try their hand at a bit of detective work.

Shalini Chakravorty, Country Manager, Hill & Associates, said that social media is proving to be an important tool for companies trying to root out fake resumes.

Hill and Associates provides security and risk management services to companies. According to Chakravorty 84 per cent companies are facing a problem of fake resumes.

She said that while earlier candidates would furnish false details of tenure at previous work place or fake degrees, these days applicants even change marks on their mark-sheets or furnish degrees from numerous online universities, which she described as degree mills. Social networks prove to be useful for digging out such candidates, since they are connected with one’s friends, families, colleagues and every action and information is in the public domain, making it harder to lie.

Talent outside the job

Besides finding the “correct” information on candidates, social networking sites, such as Facebook, also provide an insight into whether or not the candidate would be a right fit into the company. Chakravorty said firms look for three things — behaviour, communication style, networking skills and other talents, such as a flair for writing.

Yogesh Bansal, Founder and Chief Operating Officer of ApnaCircle.com , a business and career networking site, said it is very important for people brand themselves, to network and share articles online. “This adds to the professional profile,” he said.

Two-way street

ApnaCircle.com focuses on professionals, who are not in the top rung.

However, Bansal said that the social media is a two-way process and the advantages and disadvantages are there for both users (prospective employees) as well as consumers (employers).

He said four to five years back, when people did not engage in social networking, companies were also not getting any user feedback — about one’s products, services or about the company’s own image. But today people look at consumers’ reviews before making a decision and that holds true in the job market as well. “It has disrupted the way people think and make decisions,” he said.

Even employees can look at the company and the kind of people working there before deciding on joining the company.

Another attractive aspect for recruiters is that youngsters spend an estimated 6-8 hours on social networking sites such as Facebook, which increases the chances of both grabbing their attention as well as monitoring prospective employees closely.

This high footfall on social sites has encouraged Wheebox, a professional assessment company, to develop an app to attract employees on the virtual world. “What we are looking at is how to capitalise on social media. There are two major benefits of using social media — reaching inaccessible candidates and tapping into potentially tech-savvy people (those who can use computers and communicate using technology platforms),” said Singh from Wheebox.

With over 70 million Indians using Facebook, which includes an estimated 90 per cent of prospective employees, the site is being seen as an important platform to connect with people.

The app developed by Wheebox would allow job seekers to connect to the company’s website using their Facebook accounts, take a career assessment test in their chosen industry and then, on scoring 60 per cent or more in the test, they can instantly connect to an employer for a telephonic interview.

Singh said this system will work for both employers as well as employees since the latter can choose which profiles and firms are best suited for him or her and take an interview immediately, while Wheebox would validating the users with the help of the test.

Wheebox has entered into an arrangement with PeopleStrong, an HR outsourcing services company, for connecting the two ends. Singh said PeopleStrong has about 15,000-20,000 jobs of all kinds at any given point.

All is fair

However, is using Facebook or other social networking sites for doing a background check on candidates fair?

Well, Bansal has just one word for you — caution. The onus for protecting your privacy lies with you, not with the recruiters. “FB is a very private space. If there is something that is personal then make sure your profile is not public. Eliminate the chances of people looking at your profile on the sly,” he said.

Chakravorty adds that sites such as Facebook helps recruiters gauge the behavorial fit of the candidate with the organisation and as such HR professionals will definitely look at the profiles online.

In fact, she added, that companies sometimes even get in touch with candidates’ former colleagues or contacts with the help of professional networking sites such as LinkedIn to find out more about the person.

So, long story short — your online profiles can help you make or break your career prospects. Use them smartly, and watch your back.

aesha.datta@thehindu.co.in

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