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The majority of hiring managers search social media when assessing potential candidates, so it’s important not to damage your chances of being contacted or offered an interview because of social media errors. Here are five you should avoid
China has one of the largest social media markets in the world, and it’s among the fastest-growing as well. According to WeAreSocial’s Digital in 2017: Global Overview report, which pulls data from a number of sources, China saw an additional 134 million new social media users over the course of 2016. Globally, recruiters, MNCs and domestic firms are turning to social media to identify top performers and source future talent. Michael Page consultants across all industries are using WeChat and LinkedIn, among other channels, to find and contact prospective candidates at all levels and from all generations. These days, people even submit their CV via these platforms. That means if you aren’t maintaining a professional social media presence, you’re putting yourself at a disadvantage when searching for a new job.
What you should do
Have a professional, up-to-date profile across all your social media platforms. Ideally, this will demonstrate your skills, achievements and experience. Always ensure that you maintain a polished demeanour on these platforms, and look for opportunities to network by joining industry groups and contributing to discussions.
If you’re already a social media user, it’s a good idea to use your profile to communicate your career interests. For example, if you’re joining professional interest groups on LinkedIn or WeChat, it’s a good idea to share tips and advice related to your field or industry, and engage in conversations around your field of expertise. Also remember that if you connect with a hiring company’s public account, you should always be tactful in what you say. After all, you’re more likely to be referred through your network or noticed by a recruiter or hiring manager if you use your WeChat profile to your professional advantage.
Recruiters and hiring managers see hundreds of resumes a day and have a good understanding of the scope of most positions. This means they can usually tell if a candidate is exaggerating their experience, such as by inflating their key responsibilities. Social media will often be used to conduct a background check on your resume, for instance, on LinkedIn, where your outlined experience may differ from what’s on your CV. Don’t forget that recruiters have extensive networks, so any embellishment might easily be found out in the future.
What to do instead
Be honest about job titles, responsibilities, results and positions and you shouldn’t have anything to worry about. If you do have a job title that is quite vague (such as “project manager”), make sure to clarify your specific area of expertise along with your day-to-day responsibilities and achievements. Also ensure that your listed professional experience is consistent across your resume and anywhere else it appears online.
Having consistency with your Chinese and English names across your social media profiles and CV is also important – otherwise, it may lead to confusion and hiring managers could get a negative impression of you. Using a real, recent picture that hasn’t been altered is also the professional choice.
Hiring managers aren’t just looking for someone with the right skills, but also someone with the right attitude and fit for their team. A negative attitude will send employers away, as organisations want to hire people who will work well within the business and the team, respecting their managers and colleagues and bringing a positive attitude to the role. What’s more, speaking poorly of employees and colleagues on social media (even if intended to be a joke) is a serious red flag for potential employers.
Never complain about your job or boss online – and if you have done in the past, conduct your own social media audit and delete or hide any old posts that you wouldn’t want a prospective employer to see.
Additionally, recruiters may also look for certain characteristics online – Associate Consultant at Michael Page, Wenyu Li says that someone assessing a candidate for a corporate services role might look for a cautious attitude and stability, whereas for a customer-facing role, they might be looking for someone with a more outgoing and friendly persona. So when you do create any new public posts, always consider how they reflect your professional attitude and whether your tone matches the roles you’re aiming for.
Organisations are looking for candidates who can represent their company positively everywhere they go – whether that’s in the office with colleagues, in meetings with clients, or online. If you don’t present yourself on social media the way you would in a professional situation, you may be passed over for a job interview.
Put yourself in an employer’s place and imagine choosing between two equally experienced candidates. If one has insightful posts on a number of industry-relevant subjects and the other has poorly worded posts about controversial topics, who would you hire? If you are the type who frequently uses swear words, slang, or internet acronyms and abbreviations on your social media profiles, your profile won’t stand up next to someone who frequently shares industry insights and updates. Don’t be tempted to cut corners by copying posts and claiming them as your own, either; always provide credit if sharing someone else’s work. Finally, writing spammy comments or engaging in online trolling are big no-nos, as these behaviours look extremely unprofessional and immature.
You may be missing out on being contacted for a role if your profile is poorly filled out. Sonia Li, Human Resources & Legal Recruitment Manager at Michael Page says, “if the content of the profile is not detailed enough, not recently updated or has errors, consultants will look somewhere else because they won’t know enough about your current role, career aims and experience.”
Rachel Lai, Financial Services Manager, adds: “Not having contact details, title or company name, a context for your work and responsibilities is an issue that I see often. And if I see terrible spelling – or I can’t understand someone’s personal summary – I will rarely contact that person.”
If your profile is quiet and you haven’t updated it to reflect your recent wins, career ambitions, connections and professional development, make some time to do it as soon as possible. Make sure you use clear and concise language, too – and use a free tool like Grammarly to check your spelling before posting.
To find out more about jobs in your industry, contact one of our specialist consultants today.
Most recruiters and hiring managers now factor in social media while vetting candidates. There are a number of behaviours that could jeopardise your job potentials, such as:
We’ve listed out several of these behaviours, and also what you should be doing instead.
