Job candidates who avoid building an online profile might be at a significant disadvantage when competing for a position with those who tweet, post on Facebook, and have the coveted 500+ rating on LinkedIn.

CareerBuilder used survey data gathered by a Harris Poll to find out how important an online presence was to those with hiring authority. What popped up was that, to many of those surveyed, an online presence is critical even to getting that first job interview.

"More than one third of employers (35 percent) say they are less likely to interview job candidates if they are unable to find information about that person online," CareerBuilder reported. That's because these hiring professionals are using social media to construct their own candidate profile prior to deciding whether to interview an individual. It's almost as though hiring managers are looking at two resumes — one submitted by the candidate, and another crafted by the hiring manager.

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Here are some of the findings:

  • 52 percent use social networking sites to research job candidates, up from 39 percent in 2013;

  • 60 percent seek information to support a candidate's job qualifications;

  • 56 percent want to see if the candidate has a professional online profile;

  • 37 percent want to see what other people post about a candidate;

  • 21 percent are looking for reasons not to hire the candidate;

  • 51 percent of hiring managers use search engines to research candidates.  

But the pursuit of online candidate information varies drastically by industry segment. Those hiring managers in the IT field are 30 percent more likely to search online for information compared to those in retail. Here's the industry breakdown provided by CareerBuilder:

  • Information Technology: 76 percent 

  • Financial Services: 64 percent 

  • Sales: 61 percent 

  • Professional & Business Services: 54 percent

  • Manufacturing: 49 percent

  • Health Care: 49 percent

  • Retail: 46 percent

And some managers get a bit sneaky when it comes to online candidate sleuthing. The survey showed that 35 percent of respondents said they've requested to be "friended" by a candidate or followed them on a social media site, and eight in 10 said they got the green light from the candidate.

What kind of online content can ruin one's chances of getting a job one is otherwise qualified for?

Here's the list of the big no-nos:

  • Provocative or inappropriate photographs – 46 percent

  • Information about candidate drinking or using drugs – 40 percent

  • Candidate bad-mouthed previous company or fellow employee – 34 percent

  • Poor communication skills – 30 percent

  • Discriminatory comments related to race, religion, gender, etc. – 29 percent

What kind of information helps get a job? The top five from this survey were:

  • Candidate's background information supported job qualifications –42 percent

  • Candidate's personality came across as good fit with company culture – 38 percent

  • Candidate's site conveyed a professional image – 38 percent

  • Candidate had great communication skills – 37 percent

  • Candidate was creative – 36 percent

"Researching candidates via social media and other online sources has transformed from an emerging trend to a staple of online recruitment," said Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources officer at CareerBuilder. "In a competitive job market, recruiters are looking for all the information they can find that might help them make decisions. Rather than go off the grid, job seekers should make their professional persona visible online, and ensure any information that could dissuade prospective employers is made private or removed."  

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Dan Cook

Dan Cook is a journalist and communications consultant based in Portland, OR. During his journalism career he has been a reporter and editor for a variety of media companies, including American Lawyer Media, BusinessWeek, Newhouse Newspapers, Knight-Ridder, Time Inc., and Reuters. He specializes in health care and insurance related coverage for BenefitsPRO.