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Social Media Check

Find public red flags like threats, hate speech and self-harm content before you hire, without your team scrolling through a candidate’s feed.

Social Media Check

Trusted by organisations of all sizes, worldwide.

What is a social media check?

A social media check is a structured review of a candidate’s public profiles on platforms like Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. It searches for specific behaviours such as threats, prejudice or drug references. Any flagged material is captured with a screenshot and date. You see what’s relevant to the hire, not everything they’ve ever posted.

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Searches 7 major social platforms

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Screens 12 defined behaviours

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Flags threats, hate speech and self-harm content

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Captures a screenshot and date for every flag

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Candidate consents before anything is searched

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Results in 1 to 3 working days

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Replace the informal scroll with a check you can defend 

Every candidate is checked the same way, against the same criteria, with a documented result on file.

  • 1 to 3 working days average turnaround
  • 7 platforms checked
  • 12 behavioural attributes 
  • No manual profile screening 

3 simple steps to a clear result

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1. Candidate enters their details

They provide their details and social media URLs, and they consent to the check upfront.

 

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2. Referoo runs the search

We search their public activity across 7 platforms against 12 defined behavioural attributes.
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3. You review a clear result

Any flagged material is captured, dated and ready to review on the candidate record.

The risk of skipping a social media check

  • Threats, hate speech or self-harm content can go unnoticed until after someone starts
  • Hiring managers who search manually often see protected information like religion, health or political views, which creates its own legal risk
  • Informal checks are much harder to defend than a documented process if a decision is challenged
  • Public conduct issues cost far more to unwind after hire than to catch before an offer
  • Public-facing roles carry extra reputational risk if a new hire’s posts become a story
  • Ad hoc reviews can put you on the wrong side of the Privacy Act and Fair Work Act

Why teams choose Referoo's social media check 

Hiring managers who search candidates themselves see things they can’t use and they can miss things that matter. A structured check flags only job-relevant behaviour and leaves you with a documented result you can stand behind.

Only job-relevant behaviour is flagged

Results are checked against defined attributes, not someone’s impression. Your team sees what matters to the hire and nothing else.

 

Consent and compliance built in

Candidates consent before anything is searched. The technology surfaces what’s public and relevant, while the decision stays with your team.

Made for high-trust roles

It’s particularly useful in education, government, healthcare, legal and executive roles, where public trust is part of the job.

 

Fast enough to keep offers moving

Most checks come back in 1 to 3 working days, so screening doesn’t hold up your offer.

 

What's included in a social media check

  • Search across Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, Snapchat, Pinterest and Reddit
  • Screenshot and date of any flagged material
  • Results stored on the candidate record
  • Custom keywords or images relevant to your organisation, on request
  • 1 to 3 working day turnaround
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See the Social Media Check in action

Ready to transform your hiring process? Schedule your free demo and discover why organisations worldwide trust Referoo for their hiring needs.

Your demo will showcase:

  • Seamless integration with your hiring workflow
  • Customisable solutions tailored to your business
  • Advanced tools to save time and improve efficiency
  • Dedicated support to maximise your experience

Simply fill out the form and we'll be in touch to schedule your personalised demo and set you up for success.

Social media check FAQs

It’s a structured review of a candidate’s public social media profiles. It looks for evidence of inappropriate conduct such as threats, hate speech, drug or alcohol references or self-harm content. It covers platforms including Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn and Reddit.

Yes, as long as the check is done with consent, sticks to publicly available and job-relevant information and is applied consistently. Under the Privacy Act and Fair Work Act, employers need to avoid basing decisions on protected attributes such as religion, political views or health. That’s why a structured check is safer than a manual search.

A manual search is inconsistent and can show the reviewer information they shouldn’t use in a hiring decision. A structured check only searches against defined behavioural categories and gives you a documented result you can defend.

A social media check reviews a candidate’s own public posts and profiles for behavioural red flags. An adverse media check searches published news coverage for reports involving the candidate. The two are often used together for a fuller picture.
Read more: how to run defensible social media and adverse media checks

Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, Snapchat, Pinterest and Reddit.

Their name, date of birth, address history for the last five years, social media account URLs, most recent employer and education details.

Most checks are completed within 1 to 3 working days of the candidate submitting their details.

It’s relevant for most hires today. It matters most in education, government, healthcare, legal and compliance, executive leadership and PR or media roles, where public trust is central to the job.

Time for confident, defensible hiring? Time to Referoo it. 

Book a demo and we’ll walk you through a social media check inside Referoo.