In a previous blog post, we talked about the “social media scan” – a trend among Human Resources departments who like to find out more about their candidates for a particular position.
You might think that your privacy settings are perfectly set and that a HR person doesn’t have any way to view that picture of you with a hangover during your last vacation, or that video where you did the YMCA dance at your friend’s wedding. But when it comes to your online presence, you might be surprised what people can find.
As we showed you in our last post, Facebook is a great place for public content. However, it can be tricky to manage your private content, especially if you don’t check your privacy settings periodically. There are several ways content can spread on Facebook without us noticing (although Facebook explains it quite well in their privacy section).
So, if you want to make your Facebook profile HR scan-proof, you have to take it up a notch and reach the next level of Facebook content sharing.
A recap: how does your content accidentally spread?
In our previous post, we showed you these examples of content spreading by accident:
- If you tag someone on a post or photo, this person’s friends will also be able to see it even though you chose to only share it with your “close friends”.
- If you approve someone’s tag on a photo, this will be visible to his/her friends.
- If someone likes or comments on your post, it might be visible to his/her friends depending on your settings.
How we help you avoid “accidental views”
When you share a post in one of your Hibe booklets, it is only visible to those who you have allowed to view the content of that booklet.
Every time you post, you simply have to select a booklet to limit your audience.
Even if someone interacts with your posts (by liking or commenting) this person’s friends still won’t be able to view your content.
You can thereby ensure that your privately-shared photos or content don’t fall into the wrong hands – as was the case for an elementary school teacher, who was fired for a photo of her holding drinks. The worst part is she claims she shared it with a restricted audience and doesn’t know how a parent was able to access it.
How to safeguard your profile
Sharing through Hibe allows you to keep your posts compartmentalized, and enables you to separate all the different spheres of your life. Ensure that only your loved ones can view your family photos; allow only close friends to read posts about your social life; and make content related to your hobby only visible to those who share your interest. In this way, you can present a public profile that only features harmless personal and professional details.
Hibe would therefore act as a secure setting where you can keep your content safe and still share with all the advantages of Facebook. Furthermore, should a potential employer or a HR manager carry out a social media scan, they will only find your flawless, professional profile.
In an ideal world, your LinkedIn account would act as your professional online profile, allowing you to keep your Facebook account for your personal sharing. The reality, however, is that you still need to have an acceptable social media presence across all publically-accessible platforms. While this can seem like a daunting proposition, the answer is not restraining yourself from sharing but rather adding an extra level of security to protect your more private content.
Improve your experience
To get the most out of Hibe, we recommend that you update your Facebook lists, so that you can divide your contacts into as many groups as you need. Find tips on how to do this quickly and efficiently here.
Now you’re ready to HR-proof your profile! If you have any questions, or you’d like to share your ideas and tips, feel free to contact us on Twitter, Facebook or by email, Hibe is always on hand to help you land your dream job!
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