For real estate industry hiring executives, social media can prove to be a great recruiting tool, but it also can be used to weed out candidates based on the tone of their posts on outlets such as Facebook and Twitter.
In the weeks since President Donald J. Trump has taken office, vitriol on social media has risen to new levels, and seemingly has increased since his inauguration. If you are going to be on social media or if you are going to represent your company, you must watch what you say.
While there are professional sites, like LinkedIn, which are meant for networking and job searching, employers are checking other sites that may contain unprofessional, personal photos, videos and beliefs.
For real estate professionals, a sterling reputation can be a key for success in a competitive market. However, a social media post can get you in a lot of trouble in the workplace and even end your career.
The owner of a Sacramento, Calif.-based brewery received backlash about remarks he made on his personal Facebook page about the Women’s March on Jan. 21, calling them an “anti-Trump” event.
According to KXTV in Sacramento, Daniel Murphy faced a backlash when several investors pulled out of Murphy’s business and some people called for a boycott of Twelve Rounds Brewery.
Murphy did receive support from people who agreed with him, but the social media comments have been irrevocably connected to his business.
According to Aaron M. Glasgow, a partner at the Columbus, Ohio-based law firm Isaac Wiles, as the use of social media has grown in the past decade, employers have struggled to keep up with its use by employees.
Glasgow counsels businesses in day-to-day operations, including employment matters.
“Some issues, such as the ability of employers to restrict employee’s use of social media at work and on equipment provided by the employer, or restrictions on posts that divulge confidential information, are straightforward,” he wrote in a blog post for Columbus CEO.
“Questions about social media restrictions become murkier when employers act to restrict employees’ off-duty and off-site use of social media, or seek to punish employees for posts that the employer determines are disloyal or reflect adversely on the employer.”
Not only could your posts on social media impact your current position, it also could hamper your search for a new job.
According to CareerBuilder’s annual social media recruitment survey, 60 percent of employers use social networking sites to research job candidates in 2016, up significantly from 52 percent in 2015.
The survey found that 22 percent of employers used social media for networking in 2008 and just 11 percent did so in 2006, when the survey was first conducted.
Using search engines to research candidates also is on the rise, with 59 percent of hiring managers using this method in 2016, compared to 51 percent the previous year.
The national survey was conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder.
