Don’t Think Potential Employers Will Check Your Facebook Page – Guess Again!

ABC Radio News reports a new survey of more than 2-thousand hiring and HR professionals shows many are closely monitoring job applicants' social media postings.

Back in 2012, 34% of employers reported they found something on social media that caused them not to hire somebody.  New figures show 51% of companies refused employment to someone because of something they found on the Internet.

According to Michael Erwin with CareerBuilder, job seekers need to be careful.

"This means that you now more than ever have to be very careful of what you're posting on social media and what your friends are posting."

Employers who took a candidate out of the running for a job after researching social media sites reported finding a variety of concerning content.

Top mentions ranged from evidence of inappropriate behavior to information that contradicted their listed qualifications:

· Candidate posted provocative/inappropriate photos/info – 50 percent

· There was info about candidate drinking or using drugs – 48 percent

· Candidate bad mouthed previous employer – 33 percent

· Candidate had poor communication skills – 30 percent

· Candidate made discriminatory comments related to race, gender, religion, etc. – 28 percent

· Candidate lied about qualifications – 24 percent