As the job market settles down and businesses start hiring post-Pandemic, it might be a good idea to overhaul your social media accounts. According to new research* your future employer is more likely to check your Facebook page than your LinkedIn.

When asked if they check candidates’ social media profiles while hiring, 48% of recruitment managers said that they do this. Interestingly, men were more likely to snoop on socials, with 55% of male recruitment managers doing this versus 43% of women.

It might be time to set your social media profile to private, as your Facebook and Instagram activity could potentially have a negative impact on your job applications.

When asked about what kind of posts and pictures would put them off hiring a potential candidate, the top response was mentioning drugs, with 58% saying that this would mean they were less likely to take someone through to the next stage. This was quickly followed by racist, sexist, or homophobic comments.

Social Media Activity That Would Put You Off Hiring Someone:

1. Drug Use                                                                        58%
2. Racist Comments                                                          57%
3. Sexist/Homphobic Comments                                   52%
4. Negative Comments About Previous Employers    40%
5. Swear Words                                                                   37%
6. Alcohol Consumption                                                    36%
7. Openly Discussing Sex/Dating Life                             31%
8. Incorrect Spelling/Grammar                                        23%
9. Engaging in Political Debate                                         22%
10.  Promoting a ‘Side Hustle’ (e.g. Etsy, Freelance)      13%
11.  Completely Inactive Accounts                                      8%

While many of us will be comfortable knowing there is no sexism, racism, or homophobia on our channels – if you’re big on sharing your nights out, or swear words, then you should also be careful as these also ranked pretty high on the list of behaviours that could lose you a role.

Negative comments about previous employers are also seen as troubling for 40% of hiring managers. So maybe save your rant about your old boss for the Whatsapp chat rather than your Twitter page.

While some people may be aware that their social media profiles are being judged by potential employers, only 37% of respondents with public social media profiles said that they change theirs to private if they are job-hunting.

A spokesperson for CareCheck said in response to the research, “We all want to be the best version of ourselves on social media, but making sure you look like the life of the party on Instagram may not look so great to a potential employer.

“The simplest solution is to keep your profiles private, however, if you don’t want to do this then it’s important to remember that your posts can have a direct impact on your career.

“Think about what you’re sharing on social media, and consider whether it’s something you could live to regret if an employer were to see it.”

*research from Care Check