Have you thought about your Facebook presence?

Date27 Apr 2018

Social media has become a part of everyday life for most people in this digital age. With the majority of people using Facebook and Twitter for personal use and LinkedIn for business. But whenever you post on the social media platform, whether it is on your own timeline or another, it does constitute ‘publishing’. In legal terms, this means the posts can be liable as libel. This was recently highlighted in a divorce case where an ex-spouse was found liable for comments about her former husband on social media. Comments on social media can also harm your job prospects. As it is common for employers to do a background check on potential staff. However, potential employees can also be put off a vacancy because of an employers social media presence.

The top 3 cited online behaviours to turn down a job applicant are posting about drinking or drug habits (45%), disparaging remarks about a former employer or colleagues (39%) and provocative or inappropriate information or photographs (38%). However, many companies have said that certain online information has made them more likely to take an employee on. So what can you do to ensure your social media presence is a positive one for your business and/or you?

Have a decent profile image
Don’t buy followers
Allow employers to be able to find you
Don’t post about drink or drug use or sex
Only post positive comments about colleagues and former employers
Don’t post discriminatory comments about race, gender or religion
Double check your spelling or grammar

If your profile on Facebook or Twitter is set on private then it isn’t likely that a employer will be able to see how you use these platforms. However, you don’t want your past to catch up with you, so be careful on all social media platforms to ensure your job prospects remain at a high.