Eliminating Candidates Based on Online Information

With at least 90% of us regularly tapping Google to dig deeper into candidates’ backgrounds, how many “digital deal-breakers” have caused you to think twice about a candidate’s total package?

On the one hand, it might be odd if your candidate has zero Internet references — no blog comments, published articles, online community participation, or accounts on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter.

But worse than being invisible, according to a new ExecuNet report, is when recruiters are forced to scrap an otherwise suitable candidate because an Internet search reveals potential ethics violations, falsified employment history, felony convictions, shady connections, and more.

In 2005, only 26% of executive recruiters eliminated candidates due to online information. That number jumped to 36% in 2006, and is now at 48% in 2010.

The Executive Job Market Intelligence 2010 is based on simultaneous surveys of ExecuNet’s executive members and the search firms and corporate recruiters who regularly use its services.