Survey: recruiters use social networking sites like MySpace to filter job candidates
Drunken Facebook wall posts seem like a good idea at the time, but some students are finding out those decisions could cost them when looking for jobs. According to an October survey of more than 1,150 hiring managers nationwide by CareerBuilder.com, one quarter of hiring managers reported using Internet search engines to screen job candidates. One in 10 said they have used social networking sites, including Facebook or MySpace. The survey also said that more than half of hiring managers have chosen not to hire an applicant after viewing their profiles on such Web sites. Why? Managers said the sites have divulged some candidates' poor communication skills, links to criminal behavior, unprofessional screen names and lies about qualifications. Employers are not just looking at professional profiles but personal profiles, pictures, screen names and online correspondence. Employers don't use everything they find against potential employees -- some say what they find on the Internet can actually help a candidate get the job. "While sharing information online can have a potentially negative impact on your job search or career plans, it can also be leveraged as a tool to differentiate yourself to employers," Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder.com said in a statement. "Highlighting professional and personal accomplishments and showcasing your creativity can help a candidate make a positive, lasting impression on employers and validate why he (or) she is the right person for the job." Reasons for this also varied among employers. A majority said they hired the candidate because her background information supported her professional qualifications for the job. The managers on CareerBuilder.com are not the only ones using the Internet. The National Association of Colleges and Employers conducted the same survey with many of the same results. ExecuNet, a business social networking site, released a survey that indicated 77 percent of recruiters search candidates using the Web, and 35 percent said they've eliminated a candidate based on the information they uncovered.

