Cenek Report

Googling prospective job candidates has become standard practice among at least the more technologically savvy recruiters.  According to CareerBuilder, twenty-six percent of hiring managers said they have used Internet search engines to research potential employees, and 12 percent said they have used social networking sites.  According to a 2005 survey of 102 executive recruiters by ExecuNet, an executive job-search and networking organization, 75% of recruiters use search engines to uncover information about candidates, and 26% of recruiters have eliminated candidates because of information found online. I too have Googled prospective job candidates and potential human resources consultants for several years now, and have found it to be helpful. 

LinkedIn and Zoominfo are also useful sites for finding more about individuals pre- and post-job interview.  Some job candidates may have a presence at one of the social networking sites such as MySpace, Faceback, or Friendster which can also provide a glimpse of their pursuits outside of the workplace - and in some instances their level of character.

For me, consultants or experienced senior-level human resources professionals who are not cited by Google constitutes a major red flag, suggesting that they have not delivered presentations, written meaningful articles, participated in professional or civic associations, or at least created a basic website.