by Aimee Cartwright
Can you imagine life without the likes of TikTok, Instagram and Facebook? Many of us can’t. When we hear of someone rejecting social media, we may be inclined to take on a suspicious attitude, perceiving this decision as a classic red flag.
Yet, there’s an entire world out there of people who have rejected social media for various valid reasons.
Let’s explore these potential reasons – both positive and negative – before considering how the decision to stay off social media may affect pre-employment Social Media Checks.
Why Might a Lack of Social Media Presence Be a Red Flag?
Any behaviour that goes against the grain can be judged as strange, unsettling, and even dangerous. Rejecting social media is no exception.
In some cases, as with most stereotypes, this is true; staying off social media can indeed be a red flag. Certain people avoid social media platforms due to a problematic past, a lack of interest in others, or a tendency to be drawn to conflict online.
Others have a questionable history on social media, and they have deleted all evidence to prevent friends, family and employers from accessing a particular part of their life.
Is a Lack of Social Media Ever a Green Flag?
Avoiding social media despite its tight grip on the world may be a sign of fierce independence. Some people simply couldn’t think of anything worse than trying to compete with others online, so they avoid playing the comparison game.
Others are so busy with their lives that they resist the pull of social media, acutely aware that it can steals hours out of people’s day.
Finally, social media demands an openness that many are not comfortable with. Resolving to protect one’s private life by avoiding social media could be deemed a green flag.
What Do Employers Think When a Job Applicant is Not on Social Media?
Contrary to popular belief, not all employers have their head in their hands when they realise a job applicant is nowhere to be seen online.
Though this can be a negative sign, with no evidence of an adverse lifestyle, it would be extreme for an employer to immediately assume this was a red flag.
We must keep in mind that it is not uncommon for employees to use social media inappropriately. 1 in 25 SP Index Social Media Checks (and 1 in 10 Education Social Media Checks) are flagged for adverse content. This means a lack of social media presence could be a breath of fresh air for some hiring managers.
That being said, realistically, many employers will feel most at ease when their job applicant has a tasteful online presence, meaning they can be found yet their online behaviours do not pose any risks to the business.
The attitude of the employer may vary depending on the depth and scope of the check. If it’s an in-house Social Media Check consisting of a quick Google search, it’s likely that the employer often fails to find the applicant online, and therefore a lack of social media presence may not raise an alarm.
Yet, if the employer has placed a professional Social Media Check, with a much wider depth, scope and consistency, a lack of results could be perceived as more concerning – all depending on the employer’s attitude.
What Happens in a Social Media Check When the Candidate Does Not Have Social Media?
SP Index Social Media Checks cover more than just Facebook, X, Instagram etc. We explore over 200 social and professional networking sites, as well as over 90 news and aggregator sites for Media Checks. Even if a candidate is not on social media, we may find other online content that they have produced or are involved in.
However, we do carry out occasional checks that return zero results. As our responsibility is to detect risks to the employer, the Social Media Check report would simply show no risks. Other companies may inform the employer exactly where they did and didn’t find the candidate in the digital space. For privacy reasons, SP Index chooses not to do this.
Conclusion
Rejecting social media can be deemed red flag behaviour, whether that’s in friendships, the dating world, or the workplace. There is no denying that some employers will be cynical about a lack of social media presence.
However, there are plenty of valid reasons for being off social media, and it would be wise for employers to keep this in mind when viewing the results of a Social Media Check.
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