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October 11 2016

Third of Employers Have Turned Down Candidates Because of Their Social Media Profile

More than half (56%) of UK employers admit that candidates ' online profiles actively influence their hiring decisions, according to a new survey that highlights the increasing integration of social media into the recruitment process.

The research, from jobs board Monster and YouGov, suggests most HR professionals actively consult social networking sites such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook during the hiring process. Around a third (36%) of the 4,000 HR professionals surveyed said they had declined to interview a candidate, or had rejected an applicant they had already interviewed, after checking their social media posts, while 65% Googled prospective employees. The process works both ways, however: 28% of jobseekers said their view of an organisation was influenced by what they read about it on websites such as Glassdoor, and they were less likely to apply if they formed an unfavourable impression.