Step-by-Step Guide to Social Media Screening

When we are talking about long-term cooperation or communication, it is worth checking out a new person. Nowadays, you can use social networks, where the person you are interested in is probably registered. 

There are significant differences between researching social networks as an ordinary user and as a hired employee of a company. In the second case, the shadow for your actions falls on the organization, so the number of rules increases. Correct use of information is what distinguishes an honest person from a fraudster.

Researching the digital footprint by the organization

You start by examining the candidate's values and perceptions. In this way, it will be possible to determine whether the potential employee meets the company's requirements. There are two ways to check the personality (by the HR department and by a hired agency), but both cases follow the same rules. To start the study, you need to:

1. Prepare an evaluation algorithm. Some actions can be interpreted differently, so you need to define the concepts of red flags and a reliable candidate in advance. Using a detailed guide, it is much easier to create the right opinion about a person.

2. Prepare a consent agreement. While there is no such requirement, the company should draft a consent agreement for the candidate to examine their digital footprint. The employees need to know that their history of using online resources will be reviewed by the HR manager.

3. Prepare an anti-discrimination system. Information about the candidate should not be disseminated. The atmosphere in the team depends on it, so it is necessary to study this side in advance.

Search engines and the platforms that influence your evaluation (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and others) are used to find and analyze your digital footprint. Thanks to OSINT background check, it will be possible to detect “red flags” and make the right decision about further cooperation.

Digital footprint and privacy

Familiarizing yourself with the history of online activities of a new acquaintance is quite important. For this purpose, you have several popular social networks with the ability to access publicly available data (likes, comments, reactions). You can make a conclusion about the user without being guided by corporate guidelines, so you are not limited by any framework.

Nevertheless, you do not have the right to distribute the information found, and certainly not to use it in your favor. The results of such research are only used for personality assessment, not manipulation or intimidation. 

Step-by-step guide for researching a digital footprint

When the authorizations are in place, you can move on to the next step - choosing how to search for traces. Specialty agencies help recruiters check candidates, but it is not possible to use the services for personal purposes. It is also possible to study the history of actions by specifying queries in a search engine. The step-by-step guide looks like this:

1. Superficial search. At this stage, it is enough to specify the real name of the user in quotes, and after - add information about the location. Google will show all the pages found that contain similar data.

2. Search for social networks. You can use the same Google for this, but now, you need to specify the name in quotes and the name of the platform. You will be surprised, but the system also shows those profiles that are now called fakes. They usually contain more information about the user.

3. Assessing the qualities of the candidate. When you have managed to collect an array of data about the user, you need to conduct an assessment. Internal guidelines on the use of materials serve as a guide to action.

The company should notify candidates that a review will begin. To obtain up-to-date addresses and profiles, it is worth including a clause in the contract about the use of all the results found. This way, you can see if the candidate is being honest with you.

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