Use of Social Networking as HR Screening Tool Still Growing

August 19, 2009 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - A new CareerBuilder survey has found that 45% of employers rely on social networking Web sites to find out more about job candidates.

A CareerBuilder news release said that represented a big jump from the 22% who gave that response in a 2008 survey. Another 11% in the latest poll said they intend to start mining social networking sites for screening purposes.

Of those turning to social networking avenues, 29% like Facebook, 26% prefer LinkedIn, and 21% turn to MySpace. Some 11% scan blogs to find out about candidates while 7% look at Twitter to explore a candidate's background.

Not surprisingly, IT managers are the most likely to use the social networking sites (63%), followed by hiring managers in professional and business services (53%).

Asked about information gleaned from a social networking site that helped convince them about a candidate, hiring managers cited:

• Profile provided a good feel for the candidate's personality and potential fit within the organization, 50%;
• Profile supported candidate's professional qualifications, 39%;
• Candidate was creative, 38%;
• Candidate showed solid communication skills, 35%;
• Candidate was well-rounded, 33%;
• Other people posted good references about the candidate, 19%; and
• Candidate received awards and accolades,15%.