What a Candidates Social Media Behavior Says about Them - Spark Hire

What a Candidates Social Media Behavior Says about Them - Spark HireLike it or not, a candidates social media presence should certainly impact your overall opinion of them during the hiring process. Irresponsible social media behavior could end up causing your business an issue down the road should you choose to hire this individual. When youre taking a peek at how this candidate expresses their opinion online, heres what you should keep in mindIts okay to show some personalityShowing some personality online isnt a badeanstalt thing. Particularly if youre hiring for a social media role, you want someone who can create social media content that has a unique and engaging voice. People dont want to read boring tweets that sound as if they were generated by a machine. If your candidate is quirky or funny or nerdy online, thats great.Its okay to express an opinionSome hiring managers are hesitant to make an offer to a person who expresses their opinion on social media platforms, but doing so doesnt necessarily mean that person is reckless online. Its okay to have an opinion about issues, as long as these opinions dont include spouting off derogatory speech about certain groups of people. They also shouldnt be laced with profanity. However, before you extend an offer to someone who seems to have their fair share of opinions, youll want to make sure that they understand that these opinions should remain on personal accounts only and arent appropriate for company pages.If they seem like all they do is party, theres probably some truth to thatPosting a few pictures or statuses about going out with friends is great. However, if every photograph or tweet discusses getting sloppy drunk, you may want to rethink your decision to hire this person. You want someone who has fun, not someone who has to be the life of every party. If its clear that the persons only interests include discovering the bottom of a bottle, it may be time to reconsider that offer letter.Yes, spelling a nd grammar do matter, even on social mediaSure, we all fire off a tweet too quickly and make a typo. It happens. But if you notice that someone is constantly mixing up their and there or misspelling basic words, these are definitely candidate red flags. Good grammar, proper punctuation, and accurate spelling count, even online. Failure to pay attention to these matters could indicate a more serious problem with good writing skills.How do you evaluate your candidates online presence? Share with us in the commentsImage Twin design/BigStock.com