Digital footprints are powerful in today’s world and it is essential to raise awareness over how your digital footprint can impact your opportunity to get your dream job. AI is advancing recruiters’ ability to background check you and your online activity. Here’s why you need to be aware of the impact your digital footprint can have on your future.
What is a digital footprint?
A digital footprint is an individuals information existing online built from their public online activity. Your online presence serves as a window for employers to see how you represent yourself.
If you are a loyal fan of, I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here, you may recall Jack Maynard in 2017 being removed from the show after background checks were done which found racist and homophobic tweets he posted in 2012. His everlasting digital footprint significantly impacted his career opportunities by forcing him off one of the nation’s major TV shows.
What steps do companies take to check an applicants social media?
A social media background check is the practice of reviewing an applicants online presence in the recruitment process which, according to Lusona, 70% of employers perform.
This can be as quick as a brief scan of public profiles or as in-depth as looking into comment sections, blogs and other traces of digital activity. It may be more relevant in more public positions which directly represent the company than ‘back-end’ staff, as reported by Indeed last year.
However, AI is creating a new era of efficiency and objectivity within social media checks, as various companies are training AI, to accelerate the process of gaining a holistic view of the personalities, values and potential fit of candidates for the position.
AI is trained though machine learning algorithms so it can identify patterns through keywords and contextual meanings. Furthermore, AI is trained on a large range of data which reflects diversity and aims to avoid stereotypes.
Although it may seem terrifying that AI may be reviewing your digital footprint when you apply for a position, there are some benefits:
– Mitigating unconscious bias that may influence decisions.
– Highlighting soft skills and attributes which you may not have explicitly referenced on your CV.
– Improved long-term employee retention.
– Identifies red flags employers might want to avoid.
However, there are risks and challenges:
– Concerns around legality and ethics
– Misinterpretation of online content
– Privacy infringement
In order to mitigate the risks, companies must be transparent and have regular adjustments to the training of AI to identify any biases that emerge over time.
How can students prevent their online activity from restricting their future career opportunities?
The Lusona article also stated that 54% of employers have pulled a candidate from the recruitment process based on their social media presence. These are a few things which Lusona outlined that could be damaging your career:
– Complaining about work
– Having an unprofessional username or profile picture
– Inappropriate comments or posts
– Poor spelling and grammar
– Your online presence contradicting your CV
– Sharing information about another job offer
It is crucial to be aware of your digital footprint and think before you post, comment or share something that could erase your success. We live in an interconnected world, a world where AI is developing faster each day. We are not saying to stop enjoying yourself, but next time you post, think and ask yourself if it could act as a blocker to opportunities in your career.
Edited by Callum Lee
The design was downloaded from freepik.com
