Many HR professionals use Internet to pre-screen job applicants

Recruiters are increasingly turning to the Internet to pre-screen job applicants by using social media and networks to get a glimpse in to the background of a potential employee.

by Helen Leggatt

Blogs, social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn, and even search engine results are being used by human resources professionals to check out potential employees.

According to a recent study , commissioned by Microsoft and conducted by Cross-Tab, a significant number of recruiting professionals in the U.S. (70%) and U.K. (43%) have rejected a job applicant based on reputation information gleaned online.

On the flipside, a good online reputation can work in a candidate's favor. Around 86% of U.S. and 60% of U.K. recruiters stated that a positive online reputation also has a bearing on a candidate's prospects, found the study.

"What we hope people take away from this research is that an online reputation is not something to be scared of; it's something to be proactively managed," concluded Peter Cullen, Chief Privacy Strategist at Microsoft, on his blog. "That means not just removing (or not posting) negatives, but also building the online reputation that you would want an employer (or friend or client) to find."

So, next time you log on after one too many or in a fit of rage, back away from the keyboard, put down the mouse, and think twice about what you write, because nowadays you are what you post.

Tags: employment, human resources, Microsoft, onine reputation, social media, social networks