Managing reputations online brought into focus by new survey

If there is any doubt that managing a reputation online is important, then those reservations will be quickly overcome if a new survey by Viadeo is anything to go by.

It found that a fifth of all companies surveyed searched the Internet in the selection process to learn more about the candidate. Of those that used the Internet to do some background checks a further quarter rejected the candidate based on "dubious personal information."

One company found that an applicant was on a police wanted list. Most rejections, though, were owing to indiscreet blogs talking about past employers and personal "revelations". One recruiter was turned off by a particular personal profile that cited that celebrity magazines were the only reading material of the candidate.

Surely many businesses are replicating such investigations as they assess potential suppliers and surely digital communications is becoming more essential to offline success.

It should all concentrate PR minds.