Once upon a time, Facebook felt like little more than a cozy online community where college and high school friends shared photos and wrote on each other's walls.
That the social network would eventually be infiltrated by the "adult" world–parents, teachers, employers–didn't occur to many of its early users. Or maybe that was just me.
Hopefully, young people (and non-young people) are more cautious about what they post on Facebook and other social networks now that they understand the ease with which evidence of their weekend antics can be accessed by prospective employers.
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But the major problem with social network users may no longer be that they're unaware of how public their content is, but that they are unaware of what type of content might turn off an employer.
A new survey of 300 HR managers by staffing firm OfficeTeam, a division of Robert Half gives a glimpse of the type of activity that company gatekeepers hate the most.
Here is a list of the five most grating social network personalities, according to OfficeTeam:
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"The Cranky Critic isn't shy about sharing off-putting remarks with the world. No subject is off limits, including former colleagues and politics."
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"The Superfluous Selfie Poster has no shortage of social media photos, but they're not exactly always office-appropriate, and there are enough of them to suggest an inflated ego."
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"The TMI Transgressor posts every detail when attending a party, playing a game, or taking an online quiz, whether you care to know or not."
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"The Connection Counter invites just about anyone to join his or her network. When it comes to social media contacts, this person favors quantity over quality."
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"The Nonchalant Networker takes a lackadaisical approach to social media. This individual's online profiles are sparse, and updates are few and far between."
What the survey suggests is that employers aren't screening social networks just to make sure that prospective hires are avoiding fireable offenses.
Just like a traditional job interview, looking at social media is a way to meet a person and get a sense of their personality.
"People often believe posting on social media is just harmless fun, but in reality, employers frequently look online to learn about prospective hires," said Brandi Britton, a district president for OfficeTeam. "Professionals should think beyond eliminating unflattering content from their digital accounts to how they can wow hiring managers by showcasing career accomplishments and industry involvement."
OfficeTeam, a division of the Robert Half
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