How credible is social media in finding business leaders?

Written by Abhishek on Nov 24, 2017

The rise of social media has led the birth of several websites whose ultimate purpose is to measure the social influence of users across the web. Social media has become the need of the day. It has simplified most managerial activities including recruitment by assisting hiring professionals to access profiles online and make the right hiring decisions.

Since, social media is widely used as a tool for recruiting, many HR professionals have also begun seeking leaders on such websites. But the question here is -- can social media be used as a credible medium to hire managers and leaders?

The answer to this question may be a Yes or a No because it solely depends on how an HR professional uses social media to source profiles. Hiring through social media is a risky affair because an HR professional has no access to a candidates contact details or whereabouts. Besides, most of the time the information furnished might not be updated and on rare occasions, information can also be fabricated.

To quote an instance, recently, while hiring a candidate for our tier 1 client, I came across fraudulent profiles on social media. They blatantly lied about their credentials and never bothered updating their profiles. Now, had I forwarded such a profile to our client, I would have marred Han Digital’s reputation and effort. However, not all profiles were fake. A recruiter must be extra careful while selecting profiles on social media.

Here are some of the pros and cons of leadership hiring through social media:


Through social media, a recruiter gets first hand glimpse of the profiles they are sourcing. Access to personal information is easy. Unlike recruitment portals, a recruiter can see pictures and can also monitor a candidates activities on social media.

Personal Interaction:

If a profile is suitable to the company’s requirements, a recruiter can instantly message the candidate and organise an interview. Almost every detail and document can be shared over instant messages on social media.


There isn’t any subscription required to gain access to social media. It is one of the cheapest and easiest sources of information to any recruiter. Besides, a recruiter can create numerous profiles and source for candidates.


Although social media is highly accessible, most candidates are not socially apt in their activities. Many profiles a recruiter comes across may include inaccurate information. Many might not even be updated. Thus, it is at the recruiters risk before forwarding any profile to clients.


Conducting a background information check is nearly impossible on social media. Candidates do not bother to share negative remarks from previous companies or state their reason of leaving previous company. Therefore, a recruiter must not end the sourcing process after going through profiles online. They must make a conscious effort to personally call these candidates and their previous companies before taking the next step.

For more information on Han Digital’s leadership hiring services, you can write to us at info@handigital.com