7 out of 10 Hong Kong bosses screen job applicants on Facebook

Most Hong Kong managers scrutinise the online profiles of job applicants on Facebook and LinkedIn before hiring them, according to a survey published on June 20. Seventy-one percent of managers admitted checking online profiles when deciding who to hire, the poll of more than 400 businesses published in the South China Morning Post found.
That ratio compared with 50 percent of managers in Singapore and 36 percent in Australia, according to the recruiting company Robert Half, which conducted the surveys.
The company's greater China manager, Andrew Morris, said job applicants were more likely to have their online profiles checked in Hong Kong because the city was "more obsessed with reputation." "Stature and image is very important in Hong Kong," he told the newspaper. "It is important to manage your online reputation and be aware of the image you project." Morris advised job seekers to keep two Facebook accounts, one for work and one for socialising.