Survey: Recruiters and Students Disagree on Appropriate Facebook Content

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  1. hand touching virtual screen Recruiters and college students differ on what is and is not appropriate to post on Facebook, a recent survey from Persona, Inc. reveals. The company is a social media tool that helps users protect professional reputations online. The survey of 500 U.S. college juniors and seniors showed that 57 percent of college students don’t believe they have inappropriate content on their Facebook, yet a different survey from CNN showed that 69 percent of recruiters have rejected candidates based on negative information online.

The majority, or 71 percent, of college students in the Persona survey said Facebook profiles are “influential” to “very influential” when it comes to the hiring process.

And even though students understand that recruiters look at their profiles, the survey results suggest that they feel overly confident in their current Facebook profiles and they’re not proactively taking steps to present a professional image on the social network. The results revealed:

  • 55 percent “never” delete or un-tag inappropriate photos and posts, or only do so “once a year,”
  • 80 percent would feel “comfortable” to “very comfortable” if a recruiter looked at their profile,
  • 57 percent have a completely private profile for people who aren’t their friends, choosing to hide content rather than actively monitor posts for appropriateness

“Without precautions in place, social media can ruin the job hunt and damage your reputation and credibility,” Lee Sherman, CEO and founder of Persona said. “While students can monitor what they post, it is much harder to keep track of some 400 Facebook friends who all have the potential of posting an off-color comment on your wall or a questionable photo of you. The last thing you want to do is raise concerns among recruiters in this competitive job market.”

 

By Shala Marks