The landscape of cyberspace may be virtual, but it’s tangible enough to allow every person to enters it to leave a trail of “footprints”. Such imprints can be followed… and for many employers who are investigating job candidates, they don’t always lead to pretty places.
Case in point — if you are thinking about hiring an applicant, it would behoove you to conduct background checks, criminal checks as well as Internet checks. Look for that person’s Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and other personal/professional sites (such as blogs.) You might be surprised to find that the individual that gave an amazing interview is actually a foul-mouthed blogger with a substantial loathing of authority. (Not exactly a manager’s dream, eh?)
Although it isn’t necessarily difficult to find applicants’ footprints, it can take time. So you may want to hire someone to be an investigator on your behalf. Regardless, don’t take this step casually. What you discover — mixed with what background checks reveal – may just provide you with more insight than 100 interviews!
Tags: Background Checks, Blog, Blogger, Blogs, Case In Point, Criminal Checks, Facebook, Imprints, Insight, Internet Checks, Interviews, Job, Landscape, Myspace, Sherlock Holmes, Twitter