NEW YORK: Applying for a job? First get your Facebook profile in order as your credentials over the social networking site may be checked by the employers.

According to a study, looking at Facebook profiles for job performance indicators can be as accurate as self-reported personality tests.

“Not only can you find very current information on someone's social media profile, but you can also access a record of that person's past behavior,” Katelyn Cavanaugh, a doctoral student at at Old Dominion University in Virginia, was quoted as saying.

“There is value in that; we cannot capture someone's history in a single personality test,” he added.

In the study, researchers compared personality traits gathered from Facebook profiles to job candidates' self-reported personality tests.

“Social media gives employers a realistic photograph of the person, so the information is more authentic than what a personality test can reveal,” explained Richard Landers, an assistant professor at Old Dominion.

However, according to researchers, there are some legal concerns especially when it comes to looking at profiles containing information about protected characteristics.

The firms need far more than one hiring manager to get an accurate read on profiles and traits, said the research.

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