Imagine you wake up on a Monday morning to see your company’s social media accounts buzzing with activity… but not the good kind. Your brand name is being mentioned in a Social Media scandal on the radio and the news…. And all because one of your new employees has made a racist remark on their personal Facebook page. It happened to Standard Bank with Chris Hart, and Jawitz Properties with Penny Sparrow. In today’s world, it could very easily happen to you.
Current figures indicate that over 6000 tweets are made per second globally, and 5 new Facebook profiles are opened every 10 seconds. The amount of information that is available and that is published is simply enormous. Considering the known danger’s of social media as well the damage it can do to an organisation and an organisation’s reputation, there are many companies who now no longer rely solely on a resume to determine if a potential employee will ‘live’ the brand and ideals of company culture.
This is the main reason that Social Media Screening as a background-screening tool has grown extensively across the world. Figures indicate that when it is conducted internally, 76% of employers go to Facebook first as opposed to 48% who use LinkedIn. On social media we all unwittingly tend to expose more than we would do in an interview. This gives a glimpse into the person that will enter your workplace and gives a good indication of whether they will fit the corporate culture of your organisation.
The good news for employers is that iFacts has partnered with Farosian to provide a vital service tool for all employers – Social Media Assessments.
iFacts offers a range of services that extend into every aspect of proactive and reactive screening, which a company requires for optimum employee performance, loyalty and integrity. Our exciting new service, which is available locally and internationally from March 2017 has major benefits to companies as it lowers the risks of bad hires, while matching the personality traits of the employee to the company culture. For employees it adds value to their CV, increases chances of a successful interview and enhances job security.
Many might be aware of the risks that come with internal screening– including litigation – primarily because the evaluator of the content often determines the risks through their own personal set of beliefs and morals. The new service from iFacts takes emotion out of the equation and provides a balanced outlook for the individual involved.
“14% of all our reports have been classified as highly negative (40% risk score or higher. This demonstrates content of either, racist, sexist, homophobic, cyber bullying, hate speech and general aggressive and discriminatory behaviour),??? explains Farhad Bhyat, CEO of Farosian.
“If these statistics are used, a business that has even 100 employees shows that 14 people in the organization can cause havoc and brand, image and reputational damage very quickly. All it takes is one person to gain media exposure and traction, costing an organisation millions in losses. Social media scandals cost South African businesses in excess of R500 million during 2016 alone???.
There is certainly no denying that the risks for an organization can be crippling, which in itself highlights the need for experts to help your HR department identify and manage people risk. Just think of Penny Sparrow, Riaan Lucas and the many other individuals that have come under the spotlight for their social media escapades. Just think – could one of your staff members be next?
The best approach is a proactive, stringent and comprehensive approach. iFacts removes the people risk so that organizations can go about their business with employees they can trust. Our suggestion is that you really should not wait until it is too late. Know your employee’s strengths and weaknesses so that your business can flourish. This is the best way to avoid being caught unawares.
Imagine you wake up on a Monday morning to see your company’s social media accounts buzzing with activity… but not the good kind. Your brand name is being mentioned in a Social Media scandal on the radio and the news…. And all because one of your new employees has made a racist remark on their personal Facebook page. It happened to Standard Bank with Chris Hart, and Jawitz Properties with Penny Sparrow. In today’s world, it could very easily happen to you.
Current figures indicate that over 6000 tweets are made per second globally, and 5 new Facebook profiles are opened every 10 seconds. The amount of information that is available and that is published is simply enormous. Considering the known danger’s of social media as well the damage it can do to an organisation and an organisation’s reputation, there are many companies who now no longer rely solely on a resume to determine if a potential employee will ‘live’ the brand and ideals of company culture.
This is the main reason that Social Media Screening as a background-screening tool has grown extensively across the world. Figures indicate that when it is conducted internally, 76% of employers go to Facebook first as opposed to 48% who use LinkedIn. On social media we all unwittingly tend to expose more than we would do in an interview. This gives a glimpse into the person that will enter your workplace and gives a good indication of whether they will fit the corporate culture of your organisation.
The good news for employers is that iFacts has partnered with Farosian to provide a vital service tool for all employers – Social Media Assessments.
iFacts offers a range of services that extend into every aspect of proactive and reactive screening, which a company requires for optimum employee performance, loyalty and integrity. Our exciting new service, which is available locally and internationally from March 2017 has major benefits to companies as it lowers the risks of bad hires, while matching the personality traits of the employee to the company culture. For employees it adds value to their CV, increases chances of a successful interview and enhances job security.
Many might be aware of the risks that come with internal screening– including litigation – primarily because the evaluator of the content often determines the risks through their own personal set of beliefs and morals. The new service from iFacts takes emotion out of the equation and provides a balanced outlook for the individual involved.
“14% of all our reports have been classified as highly negative (40% risk score or higher. This demonstrates content of either, racist, sexist, homophobic, cyber bullying, hate speech and general aggressive and discriminatory behaviour),??? explains Farhad Bhyat, CEO of Farosian.
“If these statistics are used, a business that has even 100 employees shows that 14 people in the organization can cause havoc and brand, image and reputational damage very quickly. All it takes is one person to gain media exposure and traction, costing an organisation millions in losses. Social media scandals cost South African businesses in excess of R500 million during 2016 alone???.
There is certainly no denying that the risks for an organization can be crippling, which in itself highlights the need for experts to help your HR department identify and manage people risk. Just think of Penny Sparrow, Riaan Lucas and the many other individuals that have come under the spotlight for their social media escapades. Just think – could one of your staff members be next?
The best approach is a proactive, stringent and comprehensive approach. iFacts removes the people risk so that organizations can go about their business with employees they can trust. Our suggestion is that you really should not wait until it is too late. Know your employee’s strengths and weaknesses so that your business can flourish. This is the best way to avoid being caught unawares.