Most businesses have rejected a potential employee after looking at their social media profiles, according to a survey from The Manifest, a business news and how-to website.

About 90% of employers look at potential employees’ social media profiles, and 79% have rejected a candidate based on what they found, stated the report.

The report added: “Many people focus on building a professional brand on LinkedIn, but hiring managers also look at candidates’ personal social media profiles such as Facebook and Instagram.”

Social media content that can get candidates denied includes:

• Hate speech
• Images of heavy partying or drug use
• Illegal or illicit content
• Poor grammar
• Confidential or sensitive content about former employers

In addition, job seekers should make their public social media profiles consistent across channels — and set profiles that aren’t professional to private.

Nearly Every Business Conducts Background Research on Job Candidates

According to The Manifest report, “In a struggling economy, candidates should do all they can to stand out online. In addition to building an appropriate brand on social media, they should also optimize how their name appears on search results.

“Ninety-eight percent (98%) of businesses do background research on applicants; 43% use Google to research employees.

“To appear in Google search results, job seekers should update their LinkedIn and Twitter profiles and invest in a personal website. This builds a personal brand that’s consistent across the web.

“Already, 80% of businesses say a personal website is important when evaluating job candidates.

“Nearly three-quarters of businesses (72%) say a resume is very important when evaluating candidates.

“A resume that aligns with a job seeker’s personal brand helps them stand out in a crowded field of applicants.

“Even if job seekers are in an industry that’s not widely hiring during the COVID-19 pandemic, they can still focus on building a personal brand to stand out when hiring ramps up again.”

The Manifest’s 2020 Personal Branding Survey included 505 employers in the U.S.

Read the full report here: