Do you “Google” job applicants when hiring…?

This question was submitted by Dennis Abenanty, a 2nd tier connection on LinkedIn

In this age of social media and pervasive on-line presence, nearly everyone has some type of information available on-line, some of which may be “digital dirt.”

When hiring, do you Google applicants, and if so, what decisions have you made based on the information you have found…?

My public answer was selected as Best Answer:

Hi Dennis,

During my job search I Googled all the companies that were interviewing me, as well as the people that I would be interviewing with (if I knew their names). And I’m sure that they did the same thing regarding me. That’s why it’s so important what you put out on the internet. Many people don’t realize that, for example, every tweet on Twitter you send is an entry on the internet. So people on Twitter should be careful what they put out there. In addition, Twitter’s server only keeps tweets for a week, but each tweet is on the internet forever (even if you delete it). This requires a bit of forethought before you hit send.

All of this seems a bit extreme to some, but it’s a real issue. What you put out on the internet is public knowledge forever. Whether you are searching for an applicant or an employer, it’s important to be memorable for all the RIGHT reasons. The same is true for LinkedIn. You can give seemingly witty comments or questions, but it can work against you. I still show my sense of humor on occasion, being mindful of the internet’s
“forever factor”.

Lastly, whether you are the employer or the prospective employee, you are not only representing yourself, you are representing the company involved. Expect to be Googled.

Hope this helps.

All the best,
Kelly Ann

This question and answer is courtesy of www.linkedin.com. Members of the LinkedIn website can see this question and all the associated answers when they login to the LinkedIn website.