A new YouGov survey of business decision makers shows that almost one in five employers (19%) have turned a prospective job candidate down after checking their online activity. Candidates’ LinkedIn and Facebook accounts are the most likely to come under scrutiny. Almost half (48%) of employers said they either would check or do check an applicant’s LinkedIn profile, while similar numbers (46%) said the same for Facebook. Using aggressive or offensive language on social media was the thing most likely to put potential employers off a candidate, with 75% of employers saying this behaviour would discourage them from hiring someone. The next three ‘putt offs’ were references to drug use (71%), bad spelling/grammar (56%) and drunken night out photos (47%).

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