As we all know, there have been many stories in recent years about people losing their jobs over what they have posted on their social media accounts.
On one hand, I am a firm believer that what you do outside of work is your own business... as long as what you are doing does not negatively affect your work or reflect poorly on the Company you work for.
On the other hand, if your social media account exposes a negative side to you that your employer was not aware of, it is my opinion that you should be held accountable.
For example; I had a colleague that was one of our top salespeople and on the surface a great guy and an excellent employee for the company. I came to learn that he was using his social media account to criticize his boss and demean his co-workers. There was one occasion that he posted negative comments about our Senior VP of Sales during a sales meeting. I don't recall exactly what he said but it was along the lines of "I wish this d*ck would just STFU so we can all get back to the bar...". How do you defend that kind of comment or put it into context so that it is not offensive? He was fired later that day... before he made it to the bar.
There is no doubt that potential employers do an internet search on all potential hires. It is without question the easiest and least expensive background check that a Company can perform. Depending on the job you are applying for the Company may engage a third party to perform a deeper background check to ensure that the data presented on your application is correct.
Your resume may be outstanding and make you a perfect fit for the job, but if your social media account is full of Swastika posters, pictures of you drunk out of your skull, or your amazing joint rolling skills, how can any potential employer take you seriously? Likewise, if you're one of 'those people' that live on social media and post during the work day, how can you possibly be serving the best interests of the Company you work for?
If anyone thinks that your social media profile is not being considered during the hiring process you are naive! The internet never forgets.