Indeed Everywhere: How Not to Torpedo Your Job Prospects on Social Media

Reporters from around the globe rely on Indeed to provide them with unique data and unparalleled insights. Here are some of our recent hits.

Why your social media account might be a deal breaker

The job search process is a constant cycle of resume polishing, cover letter writing, form filling, and interview prepping. As if all that wasn’t enough to think about, then you should also be aware that many hiring managers are almost certainly looking you up online — and your social media presence can be a deciding factor in whether or not you get the job.

Bryan Chaney, director of employer brand at Indeed, suggests that job seekers search their own names online to be more aware of their digital footprint — and potentially clean up any damaging online finds.

After all, in a survey of more than 2,000 hiring managers and HR professionals, 70% said that they turn to social media to screen candidates before giving them the job, while a further 54% reported that a job candidate’s social media profile led them to decide against extending an offer.

The top deal breakers? Provocative or inappropriate content, drinking and drug use, discriminatory comments, bad-mouthing a previous employer, lack of professionalism and highly polarizing opinions and views.

So a quick fix to this problem would be to delete all social media accounts, right? Well, you don't have to go off the grid yet. A lack of online presence can be a red flag, and employers could wrongly assume that a candidate doesn’t have the necessary technological skills to build an online presence.

Rather, try to find a balance by restricting access to more personal accounts, while taking advantage of others to highlight skills and expertise and to interact casually with other industry professionals. Read the full story at The Penny Hoarder.

The physical work environment is important to get right — after all, 90% of what we perceive about our world is absorbed visually. Two things to keep in mind when designing an office? Brand values and company culture. Take Indeed’s office plan, for instance: it includes wide open vistas, collaborative work areas, and enclosed spaces for meetings and solo work, reflecting the open, collaborative and creative corporate culture. “Not even our CEO has an office at Indeed,” says Paul Wolfe, Indeed's SVP of Human Resources. Read more at SHRM.

Tech recruiting is an ultra-competitive world, and companies have to be smart about recruiting the best workers. Doug Gray, Indeed SVP of Engineering has several principles when it comes to recruiting and retaining top tech talent, such as encouraging a culture of ownership, fostering intellectual challenge, encouraging development, and focusing on real world impact. Find out more at Business Insider.

Stressful commutes, painfully slow traffic and public transportation woes aren’t much fun for anybody. So could offering flexible work provide an alternative? Benefits of working from home can include cost-savings to employees, improved employee retention, a larger talent pool and perhaps even increased productivity. And according to Mariano Mamertino, EMEA economist at Indeed, younger workers in particular increasingly see flexibility as essential: “Digital natives often expect to be able to harness the flexibility that technology provides, to enable them to work whenever and wherever suits them." Could the future of work see less of an emphasis placed the office? Read all about it in The Telegraph.