It was originally thought that social intelligence was another classification of intelligence. Just like Human Intelligence, Business Intelligence, Emotional Intelligence and so on.

It was thought that social intelligence has five key elements 

  • Presence
  • Clarity
  • Awareness
  • Dependability
  • Compassion

People that possessed these key elements were often thought to have high social intelligence. People liked to be around them, they were respected by others and could be influential.

However, now Social Intelligence is being thought of as the process of collecting information about people through social networking channels. This information is then being analyzed to gain insights to make crucial hiring decisions. Social media is being used more and more by recruiters, which has made the adoption of this social technology inevitable.

Because of this next generation of social technology, a new company called Social Intelligence has gained the attention of the mass media.

Social Intelligence has a background screening service that enables employers to navigate the complicated landscape of social media with clear, consistent, and insightful results. Using a combination of automated and manual review processes, Social Intelligence empowers human resource professionals to make informed hiring decisions without the associated risks.

It can be hit and miss if you are trying to do some detective work on your own using Google on that prospective employee. Employers can find themselves vulnerable to discrimination charges and other legal risks as they may be subjected to information such as Marital Status, Race, Sexual Orientation, etc. that are not legally allowed to sway their hiring decision.

Social Intelligence generates reports based on employer pre-defined criteria, both positive and negative. Negative examples include racist remarks or activities, sexually explicit photos or videos, and illegal activity such as drug use. Positive examples include charitable or volunteer efforts, participation in industry blogs, and external recognition.

Social Networks

Social Intelligence Corp requires job applicants to explicitly authorize the use of social media like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube,  as part of their background screening process. Reports are only generated when publicly available social media information matches the employer’s pre-defined criteria.

If you are searching for a job, and use any of these networks, be aware that you may have to sign something that allows recruiters or employers to check out your background online.

Social intelligence tools search for what the companies direct it to find and stays away from giving employers information that might be considered discriminatory to the hiring process. Employers, for example, cannot legally make hiring decisions based on race, religion, marital status or disability.

Here is a video interview with the President and CEO of Social Intellignce, Max Ducker:

(Photo Credit) http://encefalus.com/