Recruitment, social network profile can be determining factor

The reasons include inappropriate photos, comments about the candidate using alcohol or drugs, negative posts about previous employers, dishonesty about qualifications, displaying poor communication skills and making discriminatory comments.

"With more than 1.1 million Twitter users and 4.2 million Facebook users in South Africa, it's guaranteed that the trend of screening with social networking is happening. Many people don't even realise the kind of personal information that can pop up when people look at their social network profiles," says Kay Vittee, CEO of Quest Staffing Solutions.

"Research has shown that a candidate's social networking profile can also contribute to being hired. Some of the things that can positively influence this include demonstrating creativity and solid communication skills, a profile that gives a positive impression of the candidate's personality, honesty about their professional qualifications as well as complimentary posts about the candidate by others," Vittee comments.