Retail Sector Social Media Case Study.

Our Social Media Screening reports can give you insight into candidate activity on over 30 online platforms. Here, our experts delved into online profiles for a retail sector business that wanted to take extra steps in screening their candidates.

Our Client was keen to go ahead with professionally outsourcing social media checks.

The Client found that standard referencing checks were becoming bland and only factual in nature.

One of their Company Values is to encourage employees to be themselves, so taking extra steps in the screening process was the right move for them.

Prior to this, their hiring managers were informally conducting their own online searches.

The business chose to conduct the checks on a particular population of the business, due to the sensitive nature of their roles.

What did we find?

• Hate and Discriminatory Behaviour: 12%
• Violent Content: 9%
• Potential Addiction or Substance Abuse: 3%
• Illegal Activities: 1%
• Extreme Views and Opinions: 0%
• Others: 0%

Most results were identified on Facebook, 53%, followed by twitter 32%. Only 13 Candidate had flags across more than one platform. Prior to consultation with Vero, the Client learnt how to deal with the results of the checks. Not every red flag needs to result in an offer withdrawn.

The Client decided not to tell the hiring managers the specific results, but only that something was identified.

Before conducting checks, a strong emphasis on the social media policy was instructed to Candidates during the induction process.

Out of 256 checks conducted, 70 were flagged with adverse information.

As a result of clarity and consultation, there was no push back from hiring managers on the job offers withdrawn.