top of page
SOCIAL MEDIA SEARCHES
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do reports take?
Once the report is ordered, our proprietary software performs a digital footprint investigation of your candidate, sourcing the entire Internet, not just a short list of sites. From there, the report is created and reviewed by 3-tiers of experienced FCRA certified analysts. The report is generally released within 48 to 72 business hours.
How do you know you are looking at the right person online?
Our report procedure is curated with the guidance of renowned employment law experts. Our trained analysts use matching criteria to identify your candidate correctly. Whether the information and the subject are a “match” is determined by combinations of provided information. For example, an email address is considered a positive match. First and last name must be combined with other provided information for a positive match such as date of birth, education information or an image.
What types of things are considered “negative”?
Content matched to subject will be reviewed and flagged for ONLY negative content in the following areas: Potentially Unlawful Activity, Potentially Violent Behavior, Racism and/or Demonstrations of Intolerance, Sexually Explicit Material.
Can I review more of my candidates' profiles than just the negative content Social Intelligence finds?
A best practice is to never review your candidates’ social media profiles internally. Our analysts review for only negative content that covers the most dangerous workplace safety areas. This is beneficial because our review and social media report respect your candidate’s privacy and alleviates your employees from reviewing content that could lead to accusations of discrimination or violations of freedoms.
How can I make an objective hiring decision from someone’s online behavior?
While our Social Media Reports provide valuable behavioral insight into a candidate, our reports simply supply information in a similar way you would observe behavior in an interview. All of our negative filters are actionable and are a helpful guide for creating a social media hiring policy.
What if my candidate has no negative information online?
The best way to think about this is similar to a criminal background check in the circumstance of a candidate who does not have a criminal record. A social search on a candidate that results in no negative content will have a “No Pertinent Information” comment displayed on their report.
Do I have to not hire someone because you guys find something negative on social media?
Hiring decisions are entirely up to you. We are simply providing you information on what’s out there for public view while protecting you from protected class information. Again, all of our negative filters are actionable and are a helpful guide for creating a social media hiring policy.
How much do the reports cost?
Pricing starts at $36 per report. Discounts are available for high volume clients.
How do I sign up?
Contact us to establish an account or add this search to an existing account. We’ll get you started very quickly!
Do I need to get consent to run a social media screening?
Yes. This is mandatory per FCRA. We are happy to supply you with a template or your legal counsel may add language to your existing consent forms.
Am I breaking the law by doing my social media screenings in-house?
You could be! From hiring managers to HR directors to CEOs, you are putting your company at risk if you are “Googling” your candidates in-house. Best practice is to have a third party conduct social media screenings and tracking social media activity on your behalf so that you do not see protected class information.
What types of information is found on social media online that could be considered protected class information?
Possibilities are endless but typical things are race, religion, national origin, disabilities, pregnancy, family status, gender presentation, sexual orientation, age, military status and much more.
Do you hack people’s accounts or “friend” them?
Never! We review publicly available information. Hacking, asking for a password or friending someone that is a candidate before hire could result in serious trouble for your organization.
Do I need to follow the same adverse action procedures for Social Media searches that I follow when a criminal record or poor reference from a previous employer causes me to consider not hiring someone?
Yes. Taking any adverse action (not hiring, promoting, etc.) must be preceded by a preadverse action notice and an opportunity for the subject of the report to dispute the accuracy of the report BEFORE an adverse decision is made. Should the adverse action be taken AFTER the subject has been provided with this notice, a copy of the report and a summery of rights under the FCRA, then an Adverse Action notice must be sent (two-step process).
Click here to learn more about this new service.
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f5d20a_5ee9964c4aa847998c94a03014a82d2f~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_176,y_0,w_629,h_629/fill/w_331,h_331,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/f5d20a_5ee9964c4aa847998c94a03014a82d2f~mv2.jpg)
Call us today at 508-947-0600 to learn more about this new service.
Trust the professionals at Safer Places to scour the internet for information showing illegal activity, sexually explicit materials, racial intolerance or violent behavior while NOT showing anything you wouldn't base a hiring decision on such as race, national origin or disabilities.
bottom of page