What to Delete on Social Media Before a Background Check

The high-stakes reality of social media screening

Recruiters lean on your online presence long before the interview. Recent surveys show that 70 percent of employers review candidates’ profiles, and 54 percent have rejected an applicant after spotting troubling content and in some industries that figure climbs above 90 percent.

Screening does not stop after onboarding. Sixty percent of managers believe companies should keep monitoring employees’ feeds, and many admit they would fire staff for serious violations. So, what type of content raises red flags?

Content that raises red flags

Red flags will come down to your specific place of employment – but there are a few areas that almost every business considers no-go zones for their employees:

Hate speech and discriminatory remarks: Slurs, extremist symbols, or jokes about protected classes can cost you a job offer in seconds.
Illegal or reckless behavior: Posts that depict drug use, underage drinking, or vandalism signal poor judgment.
Threats, harassment, or doxxing: Targeted abuse is a fast track to a rescinded offer
Confidential or proprietary information: Sharing sensitive data from past roles suggests you may leak future employer secrets.
Sexual or explicit material: Nude photos, crude memes, or graphic language can make background-check vendors flag your profile.
Persistent negativity: Chronic rants about bosses, clients, or colleagues hint at attitude problems.
Excessive partying: A single party selfie is fine. A timeline dominated by binge-drinking videos is not.

Best practices going forward

Pause before you post. Ask whether it would hurt you if printed beside your résumé.
Segment personal and professional identities. Use separate accounts or strict privacy lists.
Mass delete content that isn’t personally or professionally aligned – or suitable for the account it’s posted on.
Schedule quarterly reviews to keep new content in check.

But reviewing and deleting years of content, on multiple platforms can take days. Doing this every three months is an unrealistic time commitment for most people…

Fast-tracking cleanup with Redact

Manual deletion is time-consuming and error-prone. Redact automates the heavy lifting:

Mass deletion by keyword, date, or content type across platforms such as X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Reddit, and Discord.
Preview mode lets you see exactly what will vanish before you commit.
Selective wiping preserves positive posts while removing risky material.
Full-account wipe for a fresh start if you are changing industries or rebranding.

With one dashboard you can clear years of posts in minutes and head into your next background check with confidence. Use Redact now!

Preparing early gives you control over your narrative. Audit today, delete what could raise doubts, and let Redact handle the tedious part so you can focus on landing the role you deserve.