How important are social media sites in your job search?  They are a must so that recruiters can find you and check out your skills and background.  However, they can also get you eliminated from a search.  A new study released by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) highlights just how HR can weed out candidates through public social searches.  According to the study:1.  43% of HR professionals said they use public social media or online searches to screen job candidates.  That is up from 33 % in 2013.2.  44% agree that a job candidate's public social media profile can provide information about work-related performance.3.  61% of respondents said they conducted online searches to gain more information about an applicant; 5o% to verify an applicant's resume and cover letter.4.  41% of employers said candidates include links to their social sites on their resumes (up from 19% in 2011.)5.  Two out of five organizations have a social media policy for screening job candidates.  39% allow candidates to explain any discrepancies.6.  LinkedIn and Facebook remain the top sites used for screening at 93% and 63%, respectively.7.  28% of organizations that screen candidates do so before the initial interview and 29% wait until after.  36% said it varies by job level.While a company has legal risks with screen candidates, some content posted on platforms legitimately can be considered to the benefit or detriment of a candidate.

Be careful out there.