Sherif Ghali, CEO of Ghana
It is surprising to note that, young people who cry everyday of not being employed are the very cause to their unemployment. This short article intends to reveal one of the key areas employers refer to before engaging young people.
As an entrepreneur and a regular panel of many interview desks, I watch with sadness, how many eligible young candidates are turned down by employers because of “Social Media”
Hmm!! Funny right? One in five employers have rejected a candidate after looking at what they’ve been getting up to online. Most organizations are more likely to reject applicants after doing a background search on them.
More than a quarter of businesses have turned down a candidate on the grounds of what they discover online. The figure falls to 1 in 10 among smaller companies.
Most employees when doing background checks on candidates mostly check on the following
1. How often you post Aggressive or offensive languages
2. Reference to drug use
3. Bad spelling /grammar
4. Political views and activities
5. General oversharing of content e.g. links, photos, etc.
6. Vanity e.g. too many photos of oneself and selfies
7. Dressing
Aggressive or offensive language is the most off-putting social media activity. Three-quarters of employers said this could prevent someone getting a job.
Reference to drug-taking follows not far behind. There’s a surprise in third place, as bad spelling or grammar is named by more than half as off-putting. In fact, poor spelling and grammar is more damaging to a candidate’s reputation than drunken photos.
The business networking site LinkedIn is the most frequently checked platform. Half of respondents said they search for candidates’ profiles.
It’s not over once you get the job
Nearly 1 in 5 employers has fired a current employee because of something they’ve posted on social media, according to a separate study. Here in Ghana we have witnessed some.
The survey, by CareerBuilder, highlights the risk of ill-advised activity on social media.
“It’s important to keep your personal brand appropriate and make sure [what you post is] something you’d feel comfortable with your employer seeing,”
So Next time you swag on Facebook, or post that drunken photo, just remember that future employers are watching – and it could cost you a job.
Although most people are aware of the pitfalls of social media, the number of organizations rejecting applicants suggests there are people who still fail to think before they post.
By: Sherif Ghali
CEO-Ghana’s Young Entrepreneurs
shefghali@gyegh.com
