93% of Recruiters Screen Job Seekers on Social Media

93% of Recruiters Screen Job Seekers on Social Media93% of Recruiters Screen Job Seekers on Social MediaIf you thought the only people checking out your Facebook profile were your friends, family, and a few exes, think again. Its estimated that a staggering 93 percent of recruiters screen job seekers on social media as a way in which to evaluate potential job candidates.Recruiters Screen Job Seekers on Social MediaJobvite recently released their Jobvite 2014 Social Recruiting Survey Infographic- and results are eye-opening. Job recruiters believe that perusing the social media profiles of job applicants can give them a better overall picture of who the person is- far beyond what they can learn about them from their resume and cover letter, and even what they reveal about themselves in a job interview.More importantly, job recruiters are basing their decisions about whether they should be hired- or elend- on what theyre seeing about the candidates ansprechbar. Thats why mora than half (55 percent) of recruiters have reconsidered a candidate based on their social media profile.Since job recruiters anticipate increased job competition in their own markets in 2015, they are upping the ante by investing more time in areas such as social recruiting (73 percent), referrals (63 percent), and mobile (51 percent). And their efforts are paying off recruiters who use social media recruitment report an increase in candidate quality (44 percent), candidate quantity (44 percent), and improved time to hire (34 percent).As for job seekers, something important to keep in mind is how recruiters are using the Internet to post positions and find suitable job candidates. Recruiters are predominantly using mobile to post jobs (22 percent), search for candidates (36 percent), contact candidates (41 percent), post jobs on social media (30 percent), and forward candidates/resumes to colleagues (40 percent).Now that you know that almost all job recruiters screen job seekers on social med ia, it makes sense that you should up your online efforts, too. Here are three ways in which you can make your social media profiles look as polished as possible.How to Keep Your Profiles Employer FriendlyBe up to date. Sure, you signed up for LinkedIn, Twitter, and Google+. But thats where it stopped. You barely updated your LinkedIn profile, and as for Google+, well, you cant remember your login info. Even though it may seem like extra work- and it definitely is- its important to keep your profiles up to date at all times. By not adding fresh content, it can come across to a potential recruiter that youre not good with following through or that you may have a problem staying on top of your work. So even if its just once a week, send out a tweet or publish a new post on LinkedIn to keep your profiles current.Be professional. Lets face it youve been somewhat lackadaisical about which Facebook posts you keep as private and which ones are public. But even a semi-questionable post or p ic can make or break you getting hired for a job. While it may be uber time-consuming, its critical that you go through your Facebook profile (and any other social media channels) and remove anything that could be a deterrent in getting you a job interview. And while you might be tempted to simply delete your accounts and start over new, you shouldnt. After all, not having any social media profiles can come across as slightly suspicious.Be personable. While its ideal to present yourself in the best light possible online, that doesnt mean that you should strip away all aspects of your personality, either. Job recruiters are looking online to find out who you really are beyond a business suit and a smile, so be sure to give them glimpses into your personality. Simply be aware of anything that could come across as incendiary (such as political views, etc.) but still be true to who you are.Since recruiters are using social media to find and hire job candidates, make sure that your onlin e job search meets them where they are by having up-to-date, professional (and yes, personal) profiles that show them youre the right candidate for the job.Readers, how concerned are you that employers screen job seekers on social media? Is yours employer friendly? Leave a comment and let us know