Social Media Screening and Human Resources

When you are looking to hire a person to fill an important position in your company, it is only natural for you to investigate each candidate's social media presence. Technically called social media screening (SMS), this practice has become fairly standard in the modern business world. If you are looking to achieve your maximal potential in your organization, you'll need to make extremely careful hiring choices. Through cogent SMS, you can avoid accidentally hiring people who do not represent your company's values.

Arguably, social media provides employers with an incredible amount of relevant information about potential employees. More than in any previous era, employers can now really learn how people tick and what they believe. Through careful SMS, you can also ensure that all your current employees are comporting themselves properly online. It's wise to keep track of employees throughout your organizational chart. This includes managers, executives and people who have been with your company for decades.

When SMS turns up a controversial or troubling item on an employee's social media profile, you have a number of different options for resolving the issue. You'll likely take different measures depending on the age and seniority of the offender. If the offense is egregious enough, you'll have no choice but to immediately sever your company's relationship with the offending party. On the other hand, it is only fair to give people second chances when possible. Lenience may prove ideal if the offending party is an on-demand, part-time or younger worker.

If the infraction in question is relatively minor, it should prove adequate to provide a verbal or written warning. Supposing the offender is under the age of 30, you should be especially understanding. After all, many younger people have not yet learned the discretion that is important for professional success. Unfortunately, the rising generation is all too accustomed to sharing many personal details online.

It is only natural to hold older individuals to a higher standard of probity and discretion. Most of all, managers and executives should understand that their social media accounts can reflect poorly on their employers. In this age of social media, the line between personal and private behavior has blurred. Sensationalistic media professionals are often quick to find and magnify unwise statements by corporate actors. If one of your employees says something that outrages the public, this could reflect poorly on your company and your management skills. Constant monitoring can help you avoid such publicity.


SMS can be a tall order, especially if you have a lot of staff members in your organization. Fortunately, you don't have to do all of the heavy lifting on your own these days. For a reasonable fee, a number of reputable tech companies can take care of your SMS needs. Securing this convenient service will allow you to focus on the your most essential daily tasks. Fama is an example of one of these fine companies. It is likely that companies like this will only acquire greater relevance in the near future.