What Does Your Digital Footprint Reveal About the Type of Worker You Are?

Whether you’re actively looking for a job or managing your existing career, don’t overlook the power of social media. I always advise my career coaching clients to make it a habit to Google themselves frequently and to take appropriate actions to manage the information revealed.

Now, based on a recent series of studies conducted by Northern Illinois University (NIU), the University of Evansville and Auburn University, I’ll also be suggesting that my clients do a thorough review of their Facebook profile. The studies, led by Donald Kluemper, are important for individuals interested in current or future career development because for the first time we have statistical evidence for what HR professionals have instinctively felt for years: within five to ten minutes of reviewing a candidate’s Facebook postings it’s possible to quite accurately predict the candidate’s probability for successful job performance. Fair or not fair is another question, but for now be aware that this type of review has been happening, and based on these new findings, will be happening more frequently.

The Big Five

In the university study, experienced human resource professionals were asked to rate a sample of 500 individuals in terms of key personality traits, using only the Facebook pages for each sample group participant as a guide. At the same time, members of the sample group were asked to complete a self-assessment and an IQ test. The personality traits both raters and the sample group were assessing are often referred to as the "Big Five"; they include: extroversion, conscientiousness, emotional stability, agreeableness and openness to new experiences. After six months, the researchers followed up with employers to ascertain job performance evaluations.

The HR raters were generally in agreement about the traits identified through the review of the Facebook pages, which correlated strongly with self-rated personality traits of the sample group. More importantly though, they also found the Facebook ratings were a more accurate way of predicting a person’s job performance than an IQ test.

Based on the study findings, a prospective employer might surmise the following types of impressions from a Facebook profile review:

• openness to new experiences could be gained by a review of comments or pictures about vacations taken and the type and frequency of initiating new hobbies
• emotional stability might be assessed by evaluating postings to determine if they indicate the individual is self-motivated and grounded, or the frequency friends are offering words of support and comfort
• agreeableness could be assessed by evaluating the balance between postings indicating cooperation and collaboration with others, versus arguing

Surprisingly, photos of partying didn’t necessarily count against a candidate, as the rater may have perceived the candidate as extroverted and/or friendly. However, I would caution that this is not permission to post karaoke performances or "spring break" type drinking poses.

Time for Action

The takeaways from the NIU study for job seekers, as well as employed individuals interested in career advancements, include:

• Conduct a thorough review of your active profiles for sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter including postings and settings and make appropriate changes to limit the data available about you.
• Delete old social sites you no longer use. Yes, I realize this is time consuming and boring, but it’s worth it. When’s the last time you visited your MySpace page? Technology companies might still maintain a record on you, but you’ll leave fewer online traces for others to find.
• Check out what’s out there now about you through Pipl.
• Set up an automatic notification through Google Alerts on your name, nicknames or personal business name.
• Establish and share a standard of care with friends asking them to respect your privacy in posting information and/or pictures about you on their sites.
• Be diligent and think twice about comments and information you are posting on social media sites – you never know who is viewing the information and what impressions you’re sharing.

These steps may not seem important to you today, but now’s the time to consider the future.  Under different circumstances, you don’t want inappropriate content to make the difference between being invited for an interview or not.

HR professionals know there is information available on sites such as Facebook which is illegal to ask about in an interview; i.e., gender, race, disabilities. And, the waters are murky at this time regarding employer liability for using social media information to screen applicants. However, with more and more access to internet information, individuals should be aware of the potential impact of "conversations," postings, and photos being freely uploaded for the world to see.

Reputable employers use more than one measuring stick when it comes to the hiring process. For example, a hiring decision would not be made strictly on a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) profile; however, it would be a reasonable element for consideration in the entire hiring process. I see the review of social media information in the same light. According to a 2011 study by Reppler, a social media service, 90% of recruiters and hiring managers look at an applicant’s Facebook page. You know what they say, "a word to the wise is sufficient."

As always, I welcome your comments to my posting. Please click below to share your thoughts. If you found this article helpful, I’m very happy for you to pass it along to others. Have a great week.


This article was written by Deborah A. King, SPHR, CEO and Executive and Career Coach with Evolution Management, Inc. Debbie and her team are energized about changing workplace practices and can help you navigate your career development and job search. Contact Debbie for more information; debbie@evolutionmgt.com; 770.587.9032.

Job Seeker Questions & Answers

I’ve been out of work for over a year and I’m finding it harder and harder to motivate myself to search for a job. Any advice for kick starting a new campaign?

Samantha

Check out Dear Jobseeker for my answer to Samantha's question.

Looking for a Job - Know the Language

Have you heard, there’s a new language in the job search world? It’s the language of social media.

The language includes new words, along with familiar old words that have been given new meanings. Consider the following: oversharing, Twittersphere, retweets, LinkedIn, unfollow, blog, Facebook, friend, digg, wink, YouTube, video resume; and abbreviations such as: “LOL”, “ADIP”, and “JLMK”. So all I have to say is “OMG! Job Search isn’t w@ it used to be. IYKWIM”. So what’s needed to succeed?

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you have to have noticed that everyone is turning their attention to social media experts to learn how to use the newest technologies to connect and share information. Workshops, webinars, key note speakers - you name it and most groups and associations are actively trying to educate their members about what social media is and how it can help them do whatever it is they do – marketing a product/ service, selling something, engaging a community of people interested in a particular topic, networking, recruiting, hiring, or searching for a job.

Yes, even HR is on the bandwagon of social media – so if you’re looking to change the job you are in, or seeking employment – understanding the new language and protocols of social media is a must. In fact, even business schools are introducing curriculum to teach students how to navigate the social media world after graduation. This is not a fad, it’s the thing that’s happening now, and still growing. Don’t get left behind.

Traditional Activities Still Required

Two years ago, when I wrote the book, Position Your Next Move for a Successful Job Search, I was primarily focused on traditional job search skills (branding, resume, networking, interviewing, negotiating, etc.) and only mentioned the importance of understanding and using new technologies, such as LinkedIn. But what an explosion we’ve had in the capabilities technologies are providing for social networking and information sharing about job openings! And as a result, adjusting what you’re doing to find a job, and how much time you’re spending in the different job search avenues has to be re-examined and properly balanced.

However, let me make it clear that there are still some very important activities that you still need to do that we would consider traditional:

• Take the time to understand what you really enjoy doing and what transferrable skills you have to offer. Remember, don’t just think about Job Titles – most people are working in jobs that weren’t identified 5 years ago.
• Be prepared to quickly tell someone what you’d like to do and why you’re passionate and qualified to do it. This is your 30-second commercial, and you will use it often (networking face-to-face, creating your online profile, participating in an online Group). Rehearsing in front of a mirror will make this come more naturally which will make it even more convincing. 
• Have a concise and targeted resume that highlights your talents and clearly defines what you bring to the table. 
• Establish and grow your network of contacts and participate in as many face-to-face meetings and events as is productive and practical. 
• Be prepared and skilled at the art of conversation and be ready to engage in an interview that highlights your top 5 talents and how you are prepared to work with the future world of business. Practice with a family member or friend by role-playing. 
• Participate in a variety of job search avenues, but properly manage your time to correlate with the return from each avenue. 90% of your time should be focused on networking activities – face-to-face and through social media. 
• Follow up with everyone you have come in contact with. Thank them for their help, advice, time, suggestions, next steps, introductions, etc. Follow up is still key to getting the interview. Pull something from your conversation and write it down – this personalizes your “thank you” and demonstrates that you are genuine.

New Social Media Requirements

• Google your name on a daily basis to make sure you’re not somehow associated with anything inappropriate.
• Take the approach that anything you publish on the Internet, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. will be read by your current boss or your future boss. The concept of “it’s my personal space” has been redesigned by the growing number of individuals, companies, and groups that are mining the data that is out there for viewing. Be careful what you say, the photos that you post, and the permission you give to others about posting things about you. 
• LinkedIn is viewed as a professional network source, so if you’re only participating in Facebook, build a LinkedIn profile as well with your core competencies and transferrable skills. Most recruiters use LinkedIn as one of the primary sites for sourcing candidate. 
• Build your network by conducting people searches and reaching out to individuals you may or may not know. Be sure to tailor your message to state who you are and what your interest is. Don’t ask for a job, ask for information or advice. 
• Create a Twitter account and begin to connect with recruiters, employers, and your network to build trust, credibility and relationships. Don’t waste their time with the fact that you just washed your hair. Although you may think it’s all about you – it’s not. They want to see what you have to offer to help solve their problems and make their companies profitable 
• Although having an electronic/paper resume is important, depending on your industry and/or position creating a video resume may help to differentiate you from the many candidates only providing a traditional resume. Click here for some tips on creating a video resume. 
• Subscribe to blogs that have job listings. 
• Consider publishing a blog to demonstrate your expertise and build your credibility. 
• Don’t forget your manners. As I stated earlier, assume your boss or future boss is reading everything you are putting out there, and business protocol is still mandatory; even though you’re using the same technology you use in a very informal way with friends. 
• Be aware of privacy issues and don’t broadcast information about someone else looking for a position without first asking permission.

The job search world has been revolutionized as a result of how businesses are integrating technologies into all their systems. Be aware and savvy about what’s required. To gain an edge over your competition you must have a social media presence. At the moment there may not be a lot of jobs available, so what better time to set up your profiles, define who you are, and start to build your network so you are prepared and in the game as positions do become available.

I’m curious, what job search tips can you share about what’s working and not working for you using social media to complement your traditional search activities? I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

CLICK HERE to review job search questions and answers.