Researching financial products and services online before buying has become second nature in the digital age.
So, it should come as no surprise that financial employers are likely to go online to look at candidates’ social media.
A whitepaper from recruitment firm Robert Walters in 2022, ‘Using Social Media in the Recruitment Process’, found 64% of employers had viewed a job-seeker’s professional social-media profile, such as LinkedIn.
Another study by CV services firm Standout CV published in 2023 found 84% of employers use social media to screen candidates. But do job hunters in the advice sector really need to build a personal brand on social media to secure the job of their dreams?
Beyond CVs
Oliver Eardley, a digital marketing consultant in the financial sector at digital marketing agency Add People, says people can often feel the phrase personal branding is ‘cringeworthy or self-aggrandising’.
“However, as channels like LinkedIn become more valuable in helping people secure a job, ignoring your personal brand could be doing you a disservice,” he says.
“Having a profile that shares not only your job history but more about your work and your personality is really valuable for clients and employers alike.”
Gee Foottit, partnerships manager at the St James’s Place Financial Adviser Academy, says employers in the advice sector are increasingly looking beyond CVs when they make recruitment choices.
“Casting a critical eye over your personal social channels to consider what they’d convey to a potential employer can be time well spent, especially if any of the content could be seen to be at odds with your future employer’s values,” she says.
According to Foottit, it is worth reviewing all the social-media platforms you use, not just professional networks like LinkedIn.
“Due to the relationship-based nature of our advice, many of our academy graduates use Instagram to connect with clients, so employers may look at your activity there too, if your profile isn’t private,” she says.
Managing visibility
Although 70% of employers and 85% of job hunters in the Robert Walters survey felt the more personal social-media platforms such as Facebook and X should be kept for personal interactions, it is naïve to think employers will only view LinkedIn.
This is why Liz Sebag-Montefiore, director of HR consultancy10Eighty, suggests candidates carefully manage their privacy settings to control what is visible to hiring managers.
“LinkedIn serves as a primary platform where candidates can showcase their qualifications, thought leadership and industry engagement,” says Sebag-Montefiore.
“Other platforms like X, Facebook and Instagram might also be checked for a broader understanding of a candidate’s personality and communication style.”
Standout CV’S research found 21% of employers had rejected a candidate after looking them up on Facebook and seeing something that created a negative impression.
“Unprofessional language, polarising or controversial opinions, or evidence of unethical behaviour may deter potential employers,” says Sebag-Montefiore. “On the other hand, posts or interactions that demonstrate insight into financial trends, client-focused solutions or ethical practices can leave a positive impression.”
First impressions
According to Lucy Kemp, founder of employee experience consultancy Kemp & Co, employers will be looking at a candidate’s social media for professionalism, consistency and whether their online presence aligns with the values of their business.
“It’s not just about checking for red flags; it’s about seeing if you’re someone who could represent their company well in a client-facing industry,” she says.
“Your social media is often the first impression they get, so it’s crucial it reflects the person you want to be in your professional life.”
Kemp adds that candidate’s profiles should be clean, professional and aligned with your industry.
“If you’re showcasing expertise, sharing thoughtful content or engaging in meaningful conversations, that’s a big plus,” she says.
On the flip side, employers might be put off by things like offensive language, polarising opinions, or even just a lack of thoughtfulness in how you present yourself online.
“The key is to balance authenticity with the awareness that your social media is part of your professional brand,” says Kemp.
Employers like Eamonn Turley, chief executive of comparison website Multi Quote Time, see social-media screening as the new norm in financial services.
“The first things I check when reviewing candidates include their LinkedIn and X pages,” he says. “A good LinkedIn profile portrays professional development, industry engagement and networking abilities.”
Turley has hired people whose ‘thoughtful posts on LinkedIn on market trends and the education of clients’ showed him their expertise and communication abilities.
“What do I find impressive? Once, I saw this candidate consistently sharing insights on retirement-planning strategies and meaningfully interacting with posts from industry leaders,” he says. “It indicated initiative and a real passion for the field – she is currently one of our highest performers,” he says.
Conversely, Turley is put off by inappropriate personal content, controversial political statements and inconsistent work history details across platforms. “I once passed on a qualified candidate because their X feed contained aggressive arguments about investment strategies,” he says.
“This raised concerns for me about the candidate’s potential client communication style.”
Comments