This is an Encore Episode of #WorkTrends
Sponsored by: Workhuman.
Today we are looking at social screening and how it is increasingly helping recruiters hire the best fits for their companies.
Social screening is the process of using social media to research potential candidates for a job. This can include looking at their online profiles, posts, interactions, of course, to get a better sense of their personality, their qualifications. More and more employers are using social screening as part of their hiring process, as it can be an effective way to assess candidates. Today, social screening has become even more advanced with the use of sophisticated tools, algorithms, you name it.
Meet Our Guest: Ben Mones
Today, I’m speaking with Ben Mones, Founder and CEO of Fama.io, the world’s largest provider of social background checks, and a leader in applying artificial intelligence technology in workforce screening services. As an expert in this process, Ben is an excellent source of advice for HR practitioners and business leaders.
Linking Culture With Social Background Checks
Ben, welcome! Let’s dive right in. How do you see social background checks tying into the employee experience?
Too often, employers don’t talk about background screening because they think it’s a “dirty” job at the front of the candidate funnel or during the onboarding process.
But that’s not what we do. We look at publicly available online records to detect behavioral patterns associated with intolerance or harassment. We look at things that, if left unchecked, could find their way into a company culture and create some damage.
Remote Work Raises the Stakes
Many of us work virtually now, so the stakes are higher. I mean, how are we getting to know people?
Agree. We often meet our coworkers by friending them on Facebook, following them on Twitter, or exchanging DMs on Instagram. So, if we’re interacting in these digital spaces, the importance of digital identity naturally follows.
Digital Screening Adoption Rate
How many companies are screening candidates or employees?
CareerBuilder and SHRM say 70% of employers perform some sort of social media or online profile check before bringing people on board. For example, they may be Googling someone before hiring them.
Risks of Social Background Checks
Compliance is a big concern with this process. What are the risks?
I think the risks of doing it yourself scare people away.
For example, you could be exposed to things you shouldn’t see. If a recruiter does this internally, they’ll see a person’s gender, ethnicity, pregnancy. You’ll see all these protected classes.
EEO says you can’t unring that bell. You can’t unsee that information. So because bias naturally occurs within all of us, you consider these sorts of things in your hiring process.
Avoiding Compliance Pitfalls
How can employers deal with these risks?
Managing the process through a third party helps squash those risks because you can configure the solution to filter only for job-relevant information.
This means you’re blind to all the protected class information you’d see if you were conducting social background checks on your own.
Key Screening Factors
What core behaviors do you look for in social screening?
Here’s what we don’t do. We don’t do a yes/no recommendation on a person. Instead, think of flags for things like intolerance, threats, harassment, violence, crime and drugs.
To Learn More About Social Background Checks
For more insights about how your organization can make the most of social background checks, listen to this full podcast episode. And be sure to subscribe to the #WorkTrends Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Anytime you want to continue this conversation on social media, follow our #WorkTrends hashtag on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Let’s talk!
