Since platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter came on the scene, there has been a growing debate over how “involved” employers should become with their workers on social media. Is it a breach of privacy? Should employees be held accountable for what they post? How much should employers interact with employees on these platforms?

These are all questions that many employers don’t have an answer too. Each employer has to define their business policies. Some may feel that they do not want to review employees social media, but if used in the right way, social media can be beneficial for savvy entrepreneurs to find out more about their potential job candidates.

If you are an entrepreneur or a recruiter for a small company or agency, following your candidate’s social media accounts could be an excellent strategic move. There are cultural as well as productivity benefits to taking a look at your potential Virtual Assistant from Latin America’s social media.

Read on for the advantages of following your Virtual Assistant’s social media.

Find Out About Their Personality

Following a potential Virtual Assistant hire’s social media account is a great way to get a read on their personality, temperament, attitude, and motivations. Is their tone on social media polite or is it one that is less than favorable? It is likely that this individual will represent your company to partners, clients, and employees. You want to be sure they have the professional temperament to do their job and interact well with others.

Are they someone, the company, would be proud to have as a spokesperson? The last thing you want to do is hire someone that could potentially embarrass you or your company. As a result, keep an eye out for any postings that give you a feel for their personality.

Gain Insight by Looking at Their Employment History

Is your potential hire active on LinkedIn or Facebook? Both of these platforms allow participants to post information about where they have worked. LinkedIn even enables coworkers and managers the ability to leave recommendations, and for users to post examples of their work. Taking a look at these accounts can let you see where they have worked, and if any employers have given reviews. These might be things a potential hire might fail to mention during an interview. Social media can even provide more details into the type of company they worked for, and how many people the company employs. Reviewing their social media accounts allows you to see if they have worked for someone similar or if their past experiences are a lot different than your job offering.

Find a Way to Connect with Them

It is ideal for employers to have a healthy working relationship with their employees. One of the best ways to do this is to identify activities or hobbies your Virtual Assistant likes to do outside of work. Pinterest, Instagram, and even Twitter can provide insight into what their hobbies are and what they’re passionate about.

Since they are working remotely, you only have a limited amount of time to connect with them outside of working hours. For example, you may find that you like the same sports team, or you like similar TV shows. Having things in common can make it easier for you to communicate with your potential hires and relate to them. It would also be great if your candidate values the same things you do: family, hard work, and success. So, social media can help to see if you’ve got things in common with your potential Virtual Assistant.

Explore Their Culture

Your potential hire could be from a country that you may have never been to or know anyone from. Following them on social media allows you to get a glance into their daily life, and explore the nuances of their culture. Is there a certain way they speak about things that are different from your culture? Do they interpret situations in a particular way? How do their cultural views shape their overall worldview? While direct communication is the best way to pick up these details, social media can also provide some additional insight into their lives.

Find Out How Their Interest Can Benefit You

Let’s say you are taking a look at your Virtual Assistant’s Twitter account, and you find out that your potential hire enjoys following digital marketing leaders. They like to share infographics, content marketing tips, or videos promoting marketing. Knowing this, you can then have more insightful discussions with your Virtual Assistant about incorporating some elements of digital marketing and content strategy into their role. While you could have stumbled on a conversation like this during the interview, you now have a greater idea of how their interest could benefit your business while also giving them a chance to thrive.

Find Out If Social Media Could be a Distraction

Social media can be productive and at the same time a distraction for workers. There are times when social media can even boost worker productivity. However, workers have to have a healthy balance between being active on social media and getting work done. For example, if you see frequent Facebook posts or consistent tweets throughout the workday barring the fact that it is not part of their current job, then you might want to reassess their candidacy. You have to ensure you are hiring a highly efficient professional who is focused on their work. Following them can allow you to see their social media usage patterns to know if they will be a reliable and good hire.

Gauge Their Social Media Proficiency

While many Virtual Assistant duties include scheduling, data entry, answering phone calls, writing, and editing, you may find that your Virtual Assistant has a skill for social media management. Their social media profiles may be well-managed, engaging, and creative. They could have a way of interacting with their followers that could benefit your own business. Also, if you are specifically looking to hire someone for this skill, you should pay attention to how they manage their social media presence. If someone has experience in social media management, it would make sense that his or her profiles would also reflect this. It may also be that you are looking for someone with a basic knowledge of social media terms and practices. Whichever level of proficiency you are seeking, their profile may reveal more about the candidate and their abilities.

Final Thoughts

The goal of using social media platforms to screen a potential Virtual Assistant hire should not be to snoop or infringe on privacy. Instead, it should be used strategically to find out if you are hiring someone who is the right fit for you and your business.

Does this person know how to balance social media and their daily tasks? Do they use it for knowledge sharing and creativity or as a platform to share negative views? Are they using social media management skills on their account that you can benefit from? These are all things a quick look at their social media profiles can tell you. So, have a goal in mind as you follow their profiles. You may find the exact information you need to make an informed hiring decision.