I have a few burner online accounts and I have no shame about it. They’re not for antagonizing others on social media either. What they do allow me to explore digital spaces detached from my identity. This enables deeper inquiry — and in the right contexts, useful insights into people.

Information is power in capable hands. The right details help people make informed choices, which is vital when building a team. As a coach, I used personality tests, odd interview questions — anything to align what I already knew and to potentially uncover something I may not have known.

With personal interaction fading more into digital communication, we can hope for fruitful exchanges, or we could be proactive and examine the trail that people leave online.

The concept may seem a bit shady, but nothing here is unethical or illegal. I’m not prying into private lives, only viewing public information. Social media chronicles individuals, for better or worse. Reverse search platforms further simplify finding their presence. My coaching days involved extensive online research about prospects. In pro sports, scouts can uncover minute personal details — down to elementary school breakfasts if they really cared to.

Vetting is that exhaustive because draft picks and signings are multi-million-dollar investments. In sports, roster spots are finite. Making the wrong decisions can result in an entire regime being let go. In an organization, turnover is expensive, and team dynamics are a vital component to success. With impactful roles, it’s prudent to utilize available resources to learn about who may be coming into your team. By using anonymous accounts, you can examine some of that existing online material.

While companies can hire who they want, doing it based on social media presence (extreme circumstances excluding) is not a reason to not move forward. It just gives you a glimpse into that person that maybe you can know a bit more about them and what might be a fit.

I have surprised interviewers and prospects and may have disconcerted them with the information I knew, but with public profiles, what did they expect? I liked having an idea of whom I was meeting to have an idea of how the conversation was going to go. As a hiring manager, I examined everything to strategize integration. An anonymous view allowed insight without their knowledge.

It’s a straightforward, intelligent practice for managing any team. People are independent variables; no information is bad information. You can use your actual profiles or a throwaway one for discretion and time to evaluate.

You needn’t disclose your methods either. It’s simply due diligence to make those informed decisions I keep mentioning. Nuance matters — a few odd posts shouldn’t necessarily disqualify someone. However, relying solely on social media could raise legal issues regarding dismissing candidates. It should simply provide a glimpse to better understand fit and that should always be the priority.