One in five employers find information about candidates on the web and 59% say it influences their recruitment decision

A quarter of HR decision makers reject candidates based on personal information found online

People are unaware that their "NetRep" may affect their chances of employment

A growing number of UK employers are judging job applicants on their Internet reputations, according to a research report released today by the business social network Viadeo. The survey of more than 2,000 consumers and over 600 employers found that one in five employers have searched for and found personal information about candidates on the web and 59% say it influenced their recruitment decision. A quarter of HR decision makers have actually rejected applicants, based on dubious personal information found online.

Employers gave a variety of reasons for discarding candidates based on their Internet reputation, or "NetRep", including:

"His MySpace website showed a negative side to him including excessive alcohol abuse and disrespect for his job"

"We found that the candidate was on the local police wanted list"

"We found that the candidate was personally into some activities which did not fit ethically into my company"

Online footprints
The report highlights a growing trend: people are leaving significant footprints of personal information across the Internet as they use a new generation of web sites and services, such as free blogging tools, wikis and social networks. The research revealed that even when all age groups were questioned (including older people less likely to be regular internet users) 31% have posted information online. This was despite the fact most of the "Web 2.0" services allowing people to easily post online were only launched in the last few years.

The largest number of respondents placing information online are 18-24 year olds - just under half say they have posted personal information on social websites such as MySpace or Facebook and 17% have also posted material on YouTube. More worrying, 54% of people between 18 and 24 say someone else had posted pictures of them online with or without their permission.

Managing the NetRep
The research showed that information found online can also work positively for job applicants, if the content is appropriate and presented in the right way. 13% of HR decision makers have been affected positively by information found online about a candidate, and would not have taken the decision to recruit them otherwise. Examples of positive findings included:

"Found achievements that I might not have known about otherwise"
"Showed internet skills through his own website"
"Found out that the candidate had more to offer than she was revealing with an inadequately designed corporate application form"

The research suggested that individuals are failing to manage their Net-Rep effectively, with just 9% of people actually using a business social networking site to promote a professional image of themselves on the Internet.

Wake-up call
"These results should act as a wake-up call to anyone who has ever posted personal information online." said Peter Cunningham, UK Country Manager, Viadeo. "Millions of people are inadvertently contributing to their NetRep everyday by leaving personal information online much of which is cached and remains available via search engines even after the author has removed the web page. When people who are not the original intended audience - such as potential employers - find this information it can have a major impact on their decision making process. The rise of search engines such as Google means that potential employers are never more than a few clicks away from information about you.

"People must manage their NetReps closely - online information must be tailored to work to their advantage. By building a career-focused profile and forming business connections on business social networks like Viadeo it's now possible for candidates to present a professional image of themselves to the world online."

If you would like to speak to Viadeo's UK Country Manager, Peter Cunningham, about the research or how people can manage their "NetReps", please contact Jodie Simpson or Annabel Kirk on 44 (0) 20 7592 1200. A full copy of the research report: "What does your NetRep say about you?" is available on request.