You’ve heard the warning before — some employers turn to Facebook and other social networks as part of the recruiting process.
A recent study conducted by researchers at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia called “Incremental Validity of Social Media Ratings to Predict Job Performance,” found that your Facebook profile might be a better predictor of your job performance than any personality test could foretell. As you’d imagine, we’re much more honest in our Facebook profiles than we are when taking a personality test. And personality tests are an excellent indicator of job performance.
In the study, 146 undergrads were given a personality test. At the same time, a team of observes examined the participants’ social media profiles and looked for characteristics such as agreeableness. In the end, the characteristics drawn from the self-reported personality tests turned out to be not nearly as truthful as those pulled from the social media profile observations.
It’s not a surprise. We often report ourselves in a better light, especially during a job search. But on Facebook, we’re willing to share anything and everything.
Read the full findings over at the DailyDot.
Spectrum Brands Careers Blog 
May 16, 2014
Career Advice