Character becomes a major hiring factor

New York: With the growing usage of social networking sites, it becomes easier for several employers and staffing companies to hire the candidates because the employers get a bird's-eye view of candidates' personalities and character, reports Bob Weinstein from Troy Media. Most job candidates don't consider the power of the social networking Web sites and the impact they have on hiring decisions.

"If they did, they'd think twice about the information they place on sites like Twitter and Facebook," said Rich Gee, President of Rich Gee Coaching in Stamford, Conn. Organizations monitor social networking sites for two basic reasons, says Gee. "First, they want to see what candidates are saying about them; and second, they want to gather information about them. For example, they're looking at Twitter to find out who is saying bad things about them. Employees and job candidates don't realize that they are or were ambassadors for their organizations. They could wind up paying a hefty price for having a less-than-stellar presence on the Web."

While companies and staffing companies rank information found on social networking sites differently, Gee finds that Google, Twitter and LinkedIn are the favorites. "First they'll do a Google search to pick up general information," says Gee. "Next, they'll check Twitter, followed by LinkedIn to get an overall picture of candidates."

Despite the impact of social networking sites, there are many consulting and staffing companies that are still basing hiring decisions on candidates' resumes, interview performance and extensive reference checks. Action Coach of Connecticut, a management consulting firm catering to small businesses in Westport, goes even further and advises its business clients to also use psychometric tests as a hiring gauge. Action Coach's president and founder Jim Malski said the tests consistently deliver precise readings on candidates' abilities and whether they'll be a compatible organizational fit.

"The problem organizations have always faced is assessing candidates' qualifications and differentiating them from their competition," says Malski. An extensive round of interviews reveals a lot about candidates, but it doesn't tell the whole story, according to Malski.

The good part about the written tests, which typically take about an hour, is that they measure candidates by several variables, and character is one of them. The tests reveal whether the candidate has the aptitude, job and social skills necessary to perform a particular job, according to Malski.