5 tips on keeping your social media presence employer friendly

Landing a job interview is hard enough as it is, and the last thing job seekers need is for an opportunity to be squandered over a mismanaged Facebook wall or X feed.  

Fifty-four percent of employers have admitted to eliminating a candidate based on their social media feed alone. But there are a few strategies that applicants can follow to keep their social media presence clean and appealing to potential hiring managers. 

"Keeping social media employer-friendly is crucial in today's digital age," says Guy Thornton, founder of cognitive research platform Practice Aptitude Tests. "Often, your online presence can be considered an extension of your professional identity, and employers specifically look for candidates who represent themselves well both online and offline, as their employees are a reflection of their brand." 

Read more: The job market is overcrowded. Here's how to keep the recruiting process simple

The intention is not to censor users, but rather to ensure that job seekers are coming off as professionally online as they do offline. As more employers move away from relying on resumes and cover letters alone, a social media misstep could be the difference between landing a job and being passed up. 

"Companies are becoming increasingly concerned about their public image," Thornton says. "This is because employers prefer associating with individuals whose online behavior aligns with the company's reputation. Unfortunately, if you have a negative digital footprint it could reflect poorly on the business."

Of course, job seekers are still encouraged to keep less formal social media accounts, as long as they take the right precautions when doing so. 

Here are Thorton's tips for job seekers looking to improve their odds in the recruitment process: