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Social Media Background Checks on Candidates: The Dos and Don’ts for Recruiters

70% of companies report using social media to research potential candidates, but doing so could have ethical implications. How can you perform social media background checks on job applicants while maintaining fairness and legal compliance?

Written by Gem Siocon

Reviewed by Cheryl Marie Tay

9 minutes read

A conceptual representation of social media background checks.

As taught in the Talent Acquisition Certificate Program

4.83 Rating

Social media background checks have become a common practice when hiring people. By reviewing a candidate’s online presence, recruiters learn the applicant’s character, work ethic, and cultural fit.

According to a survey from The Harris Poll commissioned by Express Employment Professionals, 60% say employers should screen all applicants’ social media profiles. 69% also believe looking at candidates’ social media profiles is effective.

Contents
What are social media background checks?
Why conduct social media checks?
The pros of social media background checks for HR
The cons of social media background checking
How do social media background checks work?
The dos and don’ts of conducting social media background checks
What to look out for with social media background checks

What are social media background checks?

Recruiters and hiring managers now consider social media background checks (or social media screening) as part of the hiring process. This entails recruiters reviewing candidates’ public online presence—profiles, posts, comments, and interactions (e.g., on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, or X).

Through this process, recruiters gather additional information about candidates beyond what they’ve included in their résumé or said during interviews. These insights help HR evaluate each candidate’s character, behavior, and overall fit with company culture.

Why conduct social media checks?

HR may conduct social media background checks on job candidates and prospective employees for several reasons. One is to ensure consistency with candidates’ applications, which entails browsing LinkedIn to cross-check the accuracy of the education or work history disclosed on their résumés and during their interviews.

A recruiter may also screen candidates for inappropriate behavior that could damage the organization’s reputation if they join the company. This includes offensive language, discriminatory statements, or evidence of illegal activities.

Also, recruiters and hiring managers look for signs that a candidate’s personality aligns with company values and workplace culture. This entails checking if they’re involved in any cause or have relevant professional interests to validate their legitimacy, especially if they’re required to be a thought leader or expert within a particular field.

Doing this also gives you the opportunity to look at their professional network, which is useful for roles that require a network to tap into for sales or other opportunities.

Learn how to ethically source through various channels

Integrity and ethics are an important part of an effective recruitment process. To ensure this, you must stick to clear policies, standardized criteria, and transparency while respecting candidates’ privacy — especially when conducting social media background checks.

In AIHR’s Sourcing and Recruitment Certificate Program, you’ll learn to effectively and ethically use different sourcing channels, including social media, and build strong relationships with candidates.

This online, self-paced Certificate Program will also teach you to craft effective outreach messages and perfect them to engage with your potential candidates.

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The pros of social media background checks for HR

Offers additional candidate insights: Access to communication skills, hobbies, and interests not listed in résumés can aid in cultural fit assessment.
Showcases creativity: Platforms like Instagram or personal blogs display candidates’ creative work and thinking.
Provides insights into interpersonal skills: Posts about group activities or volunteering can indicate candidates’ teamwork abilities.
Early red flag detection: Identifying discriminatory remarks or unprofessional behavior can help you avoid costly hiring mistakes.
Can be an informal reference check: Verifying that online activities align with résumé qualifications can be an informal reference check on a candidate.

The cons of social media background checking

Legal risks: Exposure to protected information (e.g., religion, age, race) can lead to discrimination claims against a company.
Privacy concerns: Candidates may view social media checks as invasive, especially if HR accesses private content.
Inconsistency: Not all candidates have a social media presence. This can lead to unequal candidate evaluations.
Misinterpretations: Social media content can be misunderstood when taken out of context.

Did you know?

In response to university protests, law firm Sullivan & Cromwell employed a third-party investigator to intensify their vetting process for new hires. It also conducted a detailed review of candidates’ social media activities to identify any involvement in demonstrations where antisemitic slogans were chanted, even if the candidates themselves did not use such language. The firm stated that it did so to assess the potential impact of candidates’ public actions on its reputation and client relationships.

How do social media background checks work?

Here’s a step-by-step guide to help ensure your social media background checks are fair, ethical, and compliant with labor laws:

Step 1: Create a social media background check policy

Create guidelines that explain what information is relevant and acceptable for evaluation, such as professional behavior, communication skills, and cultural fit. Include the platforms you want to review (e.g., LinkedIn, Threads, or X, etc.) and the criteria for passing or rejecting the candidates.

Ensure your policy complies with relevant laws (e.g., anti-discrimination laws like EEOC guidelines in the U.S. and privacy regulations like GDPR in the E.U.).

→ Example: Your company decides to check only public profiles on professional platforms like LinkedIn and limit personal platform reviews (such as Instagram) to specific cases where job roles (e.g., marketing) require social media expertise.

Step 2: Inform candidates and obtain their consent

Explain to candidates the purpose of the screening, what platforms you’ll review, and how you’ll use the findings before obtaining their written consent. This helps build trust and transparency while complying with privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA). Also, ask them if they have any questions or concerns about the process before proceeding with the screening.

→ Example of written consent: “By signing this form, you give [company name] permission to review publicly accessible professional information on your social media profiles, such as LinkedIn and X. The purpose of this review is to verify your professional qualifications and assess your cultural alignment with our organization.”

Did you know?

When performing social media checks, HR professionals must strictly comply with several laws:
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA): Companies must obtain written consent from the candidate and disclose that they’ll conduct a background check before proceeding. If a company hires a third-party agency to conduct social media screening, FCRA rules apply. If HR performs the search internally, the FCRA may not be directly applicable, but the organization should still maintain transparency and obtain informed consent.

State privacy laws: One example of this is the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Companies must disclose if they collect personal data, and allow candidates to access or delete their data upon request. HR must comply with state privacy laws if it collects or stores personal data from social media.

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Guidance: The FTC regulates fair practices in consumer protection, including social media background checks third-party agencies conduct. Third-party social media checks must align with FTC guidance to avoid legal violations.

Local social media privacy laws: Several states (e.g., California, Illinois, and Maryland) have laws restricting employers from requesting access to candidates’ private social media accounts. HR cannot ask candidates for login credentials, or access to private profiles. Connection requests (e.g., on LinkedIn) to view non-public content may also be prohibited. HR must limit social media reviews to public profiles and respect privacy boundaries.

Step 3: Engage a dedicated screener to minimize bias

Assign a trained HR professional in your team or third-party service provider to review candidates’ social media profiles. Avoid assigning this task to the recruiter or hiring manager who has to interview the candidate. This helps maintain objectivity and fairness throughout the hiring process.

Step 4: Choose the right tools and platforms for review

Select only job-relevant social media platforms to assess. Review LinkedIn to validate work experience, educational background, and professional recommendations. Check X to gauge industry engagement or thought leadership. If hiring technical professionals, view the candidate’s GitHub or Behance page for their portfolio and sample works.

Step 5: Conduct the social media review

Have a consistent checklist for all platforms to ensure a fair screening process. For example, when reviewing a candidate’s LinkedIn profile, take the following steps:

Search for the right profile: Use their name, location, and industry to identify the correct person. To refine your search, combine the candidate’s full name, email address, phone number, and potential usernames.
Verify work experience and skills: Cross-check the listed roles and responsibilities on their profile with those on their résumé to ensure consistency. Look for endorsements or recommendations that validate the candidate’s claims.
Evaluate professional behavior and industry engagement: Read posts or shared articles related to the candidate’s field. Note positive contributions, such as participating in industry discussions or sharing thought leadership content.
Check for red flags: Look for unprofessional behavior, such as complaints about previous employers or inappropriate comments. However, make sure you also consider the context—for instance, a critical post might be constructive and informative rather than simply indicative of a negative attitude.

When background-checking on LinkedIn, use the ‘Hide Candidate Photos and Names’ feature to assess candidates based mostly on their skills, qualifications, and work experience. To enable this option:

Go to the LinkedIn Recruiter page.
Go to Settings > Privacy.
Switch on ‘Hide Names and Photos’ to remove identifiable candidate information during the review process.

Step 6: Review and discuss findings with the hiring team

Provide the hiring manager with only information relevant to the job. You can share details regarding skills validation and professional behavior indicators. If you’ve identified some red flags, discuss them objectively and allow the candidate to explain or clarify them during the interview.

Also, a standardized template should be used to note findings uniformly across all candidates. For example:

Findings summary for candidate Jane Doe

Platform reviewed: LinkedIn

Consistency with résumé: Matches stated roles and experience.

Endorsements: Previous managers recommended teamwork and leadership.

Key findings:
Strong professional experience in software engineering

Active on Twitter, frequently engages in technical discussions.

Concerns: None.

Step 7: Inform candidates of the outcome

Before you decide to reject a candidate based on your social media findings, ensure your reason for doing so is job-related. Document your conclusions thoroughly to avoid legal risks, and offer feedback if appropriate and legally permissible. Being transparent improves the candidate experience and protects the employer’s reputation.

Step 8: Maintain compliance and data security

Record your findings securely and allow only authorized HR staff access to them. Dispose of social media data properly according to company policies and data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR).

“Social media checks should be one data point considered among various others in the recruitment process, and shouldn’t be solely used to select candidates. Human judgment is inherently biased, so it’s important to establish a process that brings as much objectivity as possible to the selection decision. Be clear on the criteria used for background checks, have a policy that ensures consistency, and use external providers to support the process.”

Dr. Marna van der Merwe, Subject Matter Expert, AIHR

The do’s and don’ts of conducting social media background checks

Do:

Get every candidate’s consent: Always inform candidates that social media screening is part of your company’s hiring process, and obtain their express consent in writing.

Use only publicly available information: Only review publicly accessible content. Respect candidates’ privacy and avoid using questionable methods to access private profiles. It’s illegal to do so without permission and can be viewed as a breach of privacy.

Focus on job-relevant information: Limit your search to behaviors or content that could impact the candidate’s performance, such as evidence of professional misconduct or illegal activity. This ensures the check is relevant to the role and prevents unfair judgment based on unrelated personal interests.

Use a detailed checklist: This will help you assess behavior consistently (e.g., unprofessional comments, illegal activities).

Establish clear guidelines: Set specific criteria for what constitutes a red flag and how you’ll use information in hiring decisions to ensure consistency. Make sure to apply the same criteria to all candidates to minimize bias and avoid discrimination claims.

Document your findings: Document the platforms searched, keywords used, and specific information found. Documentation protects the company in case of disputes or legal challenges.

Consider the context and time of social media posts: Evaluate posts in context. Consider the content’s age (a controversial post from 10 years ago might not reflect current attitudes). Allow candidates to explain potentially problematic content. People grow and change, and older content may not reflect their present conduct.

Don’t:

Don’t focus on protected characteristics: Avoid using information related to age, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristics. Leave out any personal or irrelevant information found during your search.

Don’t use fake profiles: Never create fake profiles to gain access to private social media content. It’s unethical and gives candidates no reason to trust you or the company as a whole. If found out, it can also cause the organization reputational damage.

Don’t make snap judgments: Don’t jump to conclusions based on one post or comment without considering the context or the candidate’s intent. Misinterpretation could lead to unfair evaluation, leading you to reject an otherwise qualified candidate. Rather than looking at isolated instances, focus on consistent behavioral patterns.

Don’t access restricted content: Don’t send connection requests just to view private profiles. Not only is this unethical, but it may also expose the company to legal risks. Stick only to publicly accessible information.

Don’t rely too much on social media: Social media profiles may not accurately reflect a person’s professional skills. Use it only as a supporting strategy for interviews and reference checks.

Don’t ignore your own policies and guidelines: Don’t randomly perform social media checks. Inconsistent practices increase the risk of bias and discrimination.

Don’t ignore legal and cultural differences: Don’t assume that social media norms or privacy laws are the same across different cultures or countries. Ignoring these differences can have legal consequences, especially when hiring internationally.

What to look out for with social media background checks

Here’s what you should look out for when conducting social media background checks on job candidates:

Discriminatory remarks: Racist, sexist, or otherwise discriminatory language can signal potential workplace behavior that would be problematic.
Unprofessional content: Posts with offensive language, inappropriate images, or unprofessional behavior can indicate a lack of judgment.
Evidence of substance abuse or reckless behavior: Photos or posts indicating excessive alcohol consumption, drug use, or engagement in dangerous activities without concern for safety or responsibility can raise doubts about a candidate’s reliability, judgment, and professionalism.
Dishonesty or misrepresentation: Inconsistent information between social media profiles and résumés (e.g., different job titles and employment dates) and false claims of qualifications or skills reflect poorly on the candidate’s integrity and trustworthiness.
Complaints about past employers or coworkers: Public criticisms, disclosure of confidential business information, or derogatory statements about previous employers or colleagues indicate unprofessionalism and raise concerns about how someone might behave with future employers.
Polarizing or controversial public statements: Highly controversial political, religious, or social opinions could create tension and divisiveness in a diverse workplace and incite conflict within the team and organization.
Involvement in fraud or illegal activities: Promoting or participating in scams such as theft or other criminal behavior can pose a serious risk to the company’s integrity and reputation if it hires such a candidate.

To sum up

Social media background checks can help you gain insights into a candidate’s character, work ethic, and cultural fit. However, it’s crucial to conduct these checks ethically and legally. First, obtain consent, then focus on job-relevant information and avoid discriminatory practices. This allows you to make fair, informed hiring decisions without compromising privacy or ethics.

Remember that a social media profile is just a snapshot of a person’s life. It’s important to consider the context of the information you obtain from it and avoid making hasty judgments. By using social media checks to supplement traditional screening methods, you can improve the hiring process and ensure the best fit for both the candidate and the company.