Quarter of Scots bosses check social media of potential workers

By The Newsroom
Published 8th Aug 2016, 12:48 BST
Updated 8th Aug 2016, 13:53 BST
Businesses check up on job seekers' social media sites. Picture: John DevlinBusinesses check up on job seekers' social media sites. Picture: John Devlin
Businesses check up on job seekers' social media sites. Picture: John Devlin

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MORE than a quarter of Scottish businesses check the social media accounts of potential employees to gauge their personality, according to new research.

A study commissioned by Scottish Gas found that 26% of employers monitor sites such as Facebook or Twitter to get an indication of what kind of person a candidate is before meeting them.

The survey of 300 Scottish business leaders suggests job seekers should focus as much on personality and “soft skills” - such as communication and problem solving - as on getting good grades.

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Eight out of 10 of those questioned said those attributes were just as important as having top marks, with half saying they have turned down job seekers because they lacked them.