Should You Worry if a Candidate is Not On Social Networks?

Social media appears to have permeated every aspect of our personal and professional lives. To many, a person without a social media presence presents a quandary: Do they “really” exist? What are they hiding?

In fact, many excellent candidates don’t maintain a regular presence on social media. They may be concerned with issues of privacy and security, or they may simply lack the time to keep up with Facebook or Twitter. To determine whether a candidate’s social media absence should be a red flag, consider these questions:

  1. Does the candidate have any social media presence, and if so, where? Despite its preeminence as the only site geared toward the work world, LinkedIn loses many promising candidates due to its often-awkward messaging and communication features and its conspicuous lack of a “block” option. Twitter loses potential users who find its rapid pace and short message limits confusing; users who prefer not to mix the personal and the professional frequently skip Facebook altogether. First, determine where the candidate’s social media presence is centered: A candidate who skips LinkedIn but has adapted Facebook to work as an outstanding professional profile should be considered for ingenuity and the self-awareness required to know what works best for them.
  2. Does the candidate’s career path demand social media site participation? Candidates who specialize in IT or who come from an entrepreneurial background may have decided that conventional social media sites are not for them. Candidates who do highly creative or innovative work may prefer to showcase it through their own websites, blogs, or forums. They may use sites like YouTube to show off their work without engaging in the social aspect of the comment threads. Find out what the candidate does and where it is showcased – a conventional site like LinkedIn might simply be the wrong medium for highlighting the excellence of the work.
  3. Why did the candidate skip social media? In addition to security or privacy concerns, social media sites impose costs that some professionals choose to avoid. Updating and reading threads takes time that a dedicated professional might want to spend on his or her next big project. Building friend networks on these sites also takes time, and can often result in a professional unproductively comparing their work to others’ output – another cost that can drain motivation. A candidate who deliberately avoids social media in order to improve his or her own work offers great potential for any organization.

At Marquee Staffing, our recruiters can help you find top candidates throughout SoCal – no matter where they are hiding. Contact us today to learn more.

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