Web Research: A Look in the Mirror

If job candidates use the Internet to identify jobs and research companies why can't companies use the Internet to research job candidates?

A survey of 1,150 hiring managers reveals the following Web tools that are used in the candidate screening process:

• one-in-four use Internet search engines
• one-in-ten search social networking sites

Check out these staggering findings:

• More than half (51%) of candidates are excluded from receiving an offer after the hiring manager performs an Internet search
• Nearly two thirds (62%) of candidates are excluded after a search of social networks

What does the Internet say about you? Have you googled yourself lately? What kind of "digital dirt" can be unearthed on your MySpace or Facebook site?

To learn the leading reasons for being dismissed as a candidate access a press release of the survey results from CareerBuilder.com. Also listed are three steps you can take to safeguard your online persona.

If you are looking to use the Web to present a favorable image to prospective employers consider the following list of reasons that hiring managers found to help confirm their decision to hire a candidate:

• candidate’s background information supported their professional qualifications for the job (64%)
  
• candidate was well-rounded, showed a wide range of interests (40%)
  
• candidate had great communication skills (34%)
  
• candidate’s site conveyed a professional image (31%)
  
• researcher got a good feel for the candidate’s personality, could see a good fit within the company culture (31%)
  
• other people posted great references about the candidate (23%)
  
• candidate was creative (23%)
  
• candidate received awards and accolades (19%)

What the Web says about you can land you in a bigger cubicle on the road to the corner office or in the grandstand as you watch others accepting better paying jobs and wonder why you are not receiving offers.