Most HR Managers run web checks on candidates

Four in 10 HR managers have chosen not to hire a candidate as a result of a negative online profile, according to research from Microsoft.

In the survey of 1,000 HR professionals, 64 per cent said they consider it appropriate to search the web for information on a person before recruiting them, and 41 per cent had rejected somebody on this basis. But in a parallel survey of 1,000 potential jobseekers, only 37 per cent believed that it was their own responsibility to ensure they protected their online reputation.

Cliff Evans, head of privacy and security at Microsoft UK, said: “Ignoring your online reputation is no longer an option. Reputation and information sharing as a privacy issue should be a major concern for individuals, particularly in a challenging economic environment where jobs are scarce. Social media, search and other online services offer tremendous benefits but, to safely embrace these services, people need to monitor and manage their online reputation. Think carefully about the image you are portraying. Taking a few simple steps today can help the build the online image you’ll need tomorrow.”

Interestingly, HR managers in the UK are far more prolific at using the internet to check on candidates than their European counterparts. In Germany, only 16 per cent of HR professionals have rejected a potential employee due to content online, and only 14 per cent had done so in France. But in the US, 70 per cent of HR managers had made such a decision.