Social media: one in four candidates edits their profiles before the interview – here’s how

Some people delete posts, messages and photos, whilst others edit their content to appear more professional. Before a job interview, candidates review their social media profiles to make themselves look more appealing to employers and remove anything that might stand in the way of securing the new role. This is a crucial consideration, given that employers check social media and are influenced by what they find there. A survey carried out by the recruitment platform Indeed, involving 500 candidates and 500 companies, revealed that 73 per cent of the employers surveyed examine candidates’ social media profiles. So far, so normal, given that social media is a source of information.

The issue, however, is that 70 per cent of employers have at some point decided not to proceed with the selection process for a candidate on the basis of the content they have posted. The reasons? The most common reason, cited by 41 per cent of employers, is a lack of consistency between the CV submitted and the candidate’s social media profile; furthermore, 42 per cent mention the presence of content that suggests a lack of civic or social responsibility on the part of the individual. A further 37 per cent cite behaviour deemed unprofessional. Gianluca Bonacchi, talent strategy advisor at Indeed, explains that ‘every interaction and every post on social media helps shape a candidate’s digital reputation’ and therefore their social media profile becomes ‘a sort of “business card” that is always active, accessible not only to friends but also to potential employers, clients or professional partners. Managing one’s online presence thoughtfully can also play an important role in opening the door to new job opportunities.”

Speaking of awareness, it seems to be very widespread – so much so that more than one in four Italian job applicants edit their social media profiles before a job interview. The most aware and active generation is Gen Z. The most common changes involve revising content to appear more professional – as 46 per cent do – replacing the profile picture or bio – which happens in 45 per cent of cases – adjusting privacy settings in 22 per cent of cases and, in some instances, removing or hiding posts and photos – a practice reported by 16 per cent of candidates. Among Generation Z, as many as 38 per cent of candidates say they have edited their profiles before applying, compared with 17 per cent of Generation X. As well as generational differences, there are also gender differences, with 27 per cent of men making changes compared with 21 per cent of women. The reason lies in the fact that almost one in five candidates (22 per cent) fear that an employer’s judgement might be influenced by their social media profile – a well-founded fear, given that it has now become standard practice for recruiters to check social media profiles, and as many as 70 per cent are influenced by them.