Social media screening is a service that analyzes the applicant’s social media accounts. At Global Background Screening, this includes Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Instagram.
What Does A Social Media Screening for Employment Show?
While some may think that Social Media is a relatively new concept – it has actually been around quite a while, with the first recorded social media site being debuted in 1997. Granted, it has progressed a lot over the years and now we are all very familiar with Linkedin, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and so on.
And as you can imagine – people post a lot of information on social media platforms – the good, the bad and the ugly!! This is exactly why social media screening (as part of the background check) has gained a lot of traction in recent years – giving a bird’s eye view into the way people think, act and much more. Employers overlooking this piece of information would be a massive mistake!
How far back can a Social Media Background Check Go?
Social Media Screening generally goes by the same guidelines as the FCRA, but one of the main differences is the length of time you can go back and search profiles. In Social Media Screening – you can only go back 7 years.
Additionally - The only information that is able to be used is anything that could cause potential problems in the workplace, such as drug and alcohol use, violence, hate speech, sexually explicit or potentially illegal information, etc.
An example of what can't be used would be marital status, sexual orientation, religious affiliations, Citizenship, Veteran Status, etc. and these key words could not even be used in the search parameters.
What do Employers Look For on Social Media?
From our experience, employers tend to look for violence, racism, drug related comments, likes and groups you're following. Even though GBS has key metrics to search for the typical social media hate crimes, some employers will add additional keywords to the background checks.
Why Is Social Media Screening Good?
While background checks find what you've already been caught with, social media screening may provide enough red flags to indicate that the candidate may cause issues with current employees or the company as a whole.
How Do I Do a Social Media Background Check On Myself?
You can order a background check on yourself by "signing up" on the top right of our site. Reach out directly if you have any questions.
