Social media background screening can sound scary. Often times, when asked what we do for a living, those of us who work at Social Intelligence hear a sheepish “Ohhhh wow! Don’t look at my accounts!” We chuckle and try to give the quick explanation of what we do because we get it, on the surface it sounds like a George Orwell novel. Rest assured, these are things we think about and have responded to over the better part of a decade. In fact, we use this blog to deliver info that is both informative and eye opening. We’ve been pretty successful at educating employers about what they need to know regarding the legality of social media as a background tool. From a consumer perspective, however, we strongly feel you should know your privacy rights when it comes to background screening, especially within the intersection of it with your online life.

Below is a compilation of the most frequently asked questions about consumer privacy to our team by employers and employees alike.

How do you know you are looking at the right person online?

The Social Media Hiring Report™ procedure is curated with the guidance of renowned employment law experts. Our trained analysts use matching criteria that is provided during the employment application process to identify a candidate correctly online. Whether the information and the candidate 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 employment history, education information, or an image.You can email us to find out more about our matching process.

Can a company review more of a candidate’s profile than just the negative content Social Intelligence finds?

A best practice for employers is to never review your candidates’ social media profiles internally. Our analysts review for adverse content only that covers the most dangerous workplace safety concerns. This is beneficial because our review and social media report respect candidate privacy and eliminates the potential risk of a boss or co-worker viewing a candidate’s personal life before hire. Employers reviewing social media content could lead to accusations of discrimination or violations of freedoms.

Do I need to get consent to run a social media screening?

Yes. This is mandatory per the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Make sure to read your consent forms thoroughly and request a sample report if you would like to see what is being reported to your employer.

Is Social Intelligence a consumer-reporting agency?

Yes, we are the only Social Media consumer reporting agency who’s process and product has been reviewed by the Federal Trade Commission. Contact us to view a copy of our Letter of Review from the Federal Trade Commission’s Division of Privacy and Identity Protection.

Is my employer breaking the law by doing social media screenings in-house?

They could be! From hiring managers to HR directors or CEOs, a company could be at risk if they are “Googling” candidates in-house. Best practice is to have a third party conduct social media screenings and tracking social media activity on your behalf.

What social media/online data is considered protected class information?

Possibilities are endless but include anything (and I do mean anything) related to 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. Social Intelligence only reviews publicly available information. Hacking, asking for a password or friending someone that is a candidate before hire could be a violation of certain state laws.

What if I have a different question?

Check out our FAQ page here for more or contact us with any questions you might have.

The Social Intelligence Mission

When Social Intelligence began, it began like many other new businesses striving to innovate and deliver a valuable solution to a real-world problems. In 2010, we set out to accomplish something that had not yet been attempted – protect online privacy by delivering an efficient, ethical and compliant solution for employers to consider social media data when assessing an applicant’s appropriateness for a company. For Social Intelligence, the journey to get social media background screening right has been a learning experience during which we have been lucky enough to enjoy the trust of many highly respected companies.

After 8 years and hundreds of thousands of social media background screening reports, I am thrilled to now share our newly minted Mission, Vision, Values and Goals for 2018.

Our Mission

Social Intelligence protects the workplace from harassment, prejudice, and violence by those who have a history of publicly discriminating against federally protected classes on social media. By assessing employment risk through FCRA-compliant screening processes, we mitigate potential threats to businesses without violating a candidate’s personal freedoms.

For many employers, hiring is one of the most difficult tasks. It requires a combination of trust, measurement, thought and gut instinct. What we know for sure is that employers are helped in this process by information that is compiled for them and directly connects them with a better understanding of who their candidate is and how they represent themselves online.

Our Vision

Social Intelligence strives to become a nationally recognized and trusted social media screening brand with a sterling reputation for protecting both employers and employees from violence and discrimination.

As our society further embraces online life, employers no longer have the luxury to ignore what happens on the internet. While this could otherwise create an imbalance of power where businesses feel they can exert their needs onto the personal lives of their workers,  Social Intelligence strives to earn the trust of both employees and employers as the best solution to balance the need for company insight and personal autonomy.

Our Core Values

Customers Are Central – When customers feel empowered they accomplish their goals. We keep our customers’ peace of mind at the center of everything we do so they can make smart decisions that keep the workplace safe.

Appreciate Often – Employees that feel valued are proud of they work they do. We push the boundaries of what can be accomplished, and we always give credit where credit is due.

Default to Transparency – Honesty and mutual respect for customers and employees are paramount. We always deliver and always follow through, no exceptions.

Take Intelligent Risks – We’re half human, half machine— the people behind our research allow us to decipher wholly human patterns, while our technology makes us efficient. This combination drives us forward quickly and thoughtfully.

Act Like an Owner – We take responsibility for our products and services on every level and our open-door policy embraces leadership wherever it’s found. Trust is earned in years and broken in seconds. We are meticulous in our dedication to always deliver as promised. We strive to live by these words both externally and internally.

Our Focus in 2018

Awareness –  We believe in the value we deliver to the world and will focus in 2018 on amplifying the awareness of that value.

Efficiency – We measure our success through data driven analysis, with dedication to delivery in the most efficient ways

Social Intelligence has proven its value to some of the most successful companies in the world. As we escalate our effort to educate the world on how social media background screening works best, we perfect ways to accomplish all of the above with urgency and accuracy. We hope you’ll continue to follow, share and join us this year!