• Don’t ask for logins to social media and online sites.
  • Consider only direct entries – not indirect. For example, there is a difference between Sally posting a reminder that “Our supremacist group meets again tonight” vs “Don’t forget Sally, our supremacist group meets again tonight.”
  • Do the Social Media Background Check later in the recruiting process, when the recruit’s demographics are already known. (On the other hand, this may result in wasted time and effort in dealing with persons who will quickly fail the social media check; a compromise is to carefully redact reports to decision makers, often through third parties such as us).
  • Only look at public postings; don’t attempt to “friend” or “connect” with someone for the purpose of a social media investigation.
  • An overall rule to always guide you – be consistent in your processes.

Be sure to also sit down and ask the Social Media Background Check subject to learn his or her side of the story – or if the posting is valid at all.

Otherwise, follow the FCRA, just as you do with Credit and Criminal Background checks.