Employers Search Internet for Applicant Information

A recent HR survey referred to by the CIPD identified that employers’ recruitment decisions are increasingly being influenced by information found on the Internet about candidates.

A survey of more than 600 HR professionals by networking firm Viadeo found that one in five have used the Internet to search for information about candidates and almost two-thirds said what they found influenced their recruitment decisions.

Around 25 per cent of employers also admitted to rejecting candidates because of the personal information they found about them online. Reasons for discarding candidates included: “His MySpace website showed a negative side to him, including excessive alcohol abuse and disrespect for his job” and “We found that the candidate was personally into some activities which did not fit ethically into my company.”

Almost 15 per cent of HR managers said their decision to recruit someone was confirmed by positive information found about them online. Examples included: “He showed Internet skills through his own website” and “I found achievements that I might not have known about otherwise.”