Employers and recruiters have uncovered what appears to be a treasure trove of applicant information on the internet. By searching the internet and social networking sites such as Facebook or MySpace, recruiters feel they are effectively able “to look under the hood” and try “to get into an applicant’s head.”

Unlike the traditional hiring tools such as team interviews, psychological testing, calling past employers, and background checks, social networking sites hold out the promise of revealing the “real applicant.” Statistics from various surveys, news articles, and anecdotal evidence confirm that there is an increased use of social networking sites to screen candidates.

Stories from recruiters show why these sites are so enticing.

One recruiter recounts how she had found “The Ideal Candidate” for a prestigious consulting firm. Then, just out of curiosity, she ran the applicant’s phone number on a search engine, and – wow! Up popped some rather explicit ads for discreet adult services that the applicant was apparently providing at night. Another recruiter tells the story of finding an applicant’s MySpace page, where the intern had demonized his firm, his boss and his coworkers in considerable detail and by name.

Here is the usual approach for a recruiter utilizing the internet to screen candidates. Search by name for the candidate. Refine the search by taking the applicant’s name and then adding the terms “Facebook” or “MySpace.” Next, a recruiter can go to MySpace and Facebook directly and see whether they find a site belonging to the applicant. Depending upon how a user chooses to set his or her own privacy settings, finding information on a social network site can be very hit or miss. Also, a recruiter can search a blog search engine, such as www.google.com/blogsearch. Business sites such as Zoominfo or LinkedIn can be run.

Follow this series of articles to examine why such an apparently easy to use and readily available tool has its dangers and drawbacks. Les Rosen will post Part II next month.