Social media is continuing to prove to be a useful hiring tool and a two-way street for both employees and employers. Hopeful job applicants continue to use the internet to search and apply for employment and 91% of employers are now using social media sites like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to screen applicants for jobs. The good news from a recent Wall Street Journal article supports that Facebook profiles could be a great predictor of job performance.

In a new study from Northern Illinois University, the University of Evansville and Auburn University researchers had a team rate and review Facebook profiles of recently employed college students. The raters were given about ten minutes to review photos, posts, comments and interests on each profile and were then asked to answer a series of questions relating to personality. After six months, the ratings from the Facebook scores were compared to the graduates’ employee evaluations and a strong correlation was found between their scores and their actual job performance.

Desirable traits for employers such as conscientiousness, agreeability and intellectual curiosity were consistent with higher ratings and positives were also given to graduates with more friends, a wide range of hobbies, interests and that traveled. Surprisingly, party shots didn’t really hurt candidates showing they were friendly and outgoing instead. Don Kluemper, a professor of management at Northern Illinois University and the lead researcher says that since candidates have a hard time “faking” their personalities in front of their friends, Facebook could continue to be used as a reliable job screening tool and performance predictor.

Some other interesting information according to All Twitter is that 47% of employers check social networking sites to screen prospective employees after receiving their application. Facebook is checked by 76% of employers, Twitter by 53% and LinkedIn by 48%. The good news is that 68% of employers have hired an employee because of something they saw about the candidate on a social networking site.