Walter Baker is a Market Leader at DergelCornerstone, bringing more than 25 years of experience advising CEOs and boards in complex, capital-intensive industries. Based in Washington, D.C., he helps global industrial enterprises strengthen leadership and drive sustainable growth through retained executive search and advisory services. As part of Cornerstone International Group, a top-10 global executive search firm with 60+ offices worldwide, DergelCornerstone combines international reach with deep sector specialization. We’re proud to feature Walter and his team as trusted partners supporting global organizations navigating growth and leadership transformation.
In today’s interconnected world, social media has evolved into a powerful and publicly available source of insight. For HR professionals and risk managers, Social Media Intelligence (SMI) provides an opportunity to take proactive, data-driven action when evaluating candidates, monitoring workplace compliance, and assessing potential organizational risks.
Until recently, organizations had few reliable options for responsibly integrating social media data into their HR and risk management processes. DergelCornerstone now offers a trusted, compliant, and cost-effective way to harness this information—reducing the operational burden and uncertainty of doing it in-house.
Enhanced CandidateScreening: Gain a richer understanding of candidates beyond the résumé.Social media insights can reveal indicators of professionalism, cultural alignment, and values consistent with your company’s brand and standards.
Risk Mitigation: Identify potential red flags—such as discriminatory remarks, harassment, or evidence ofillegal activity—before they impact your organization.
ReputationManagement: Monitor how your brand and employees are represented online.Detect and address harmful content, extreme viewpoints, or inappropriate behavior that could be linked to your organization.
Fraud Detection: Validate employment histories, confirm recovery timelines in workplace injury cases, and uncover potential fraud or misrepresentation.
As with all HR-related data collection, compliance iscritical. Information gathered from social media must be obtained and used ethically and in accordance with applicable laws—including the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) regulations. Missteps in data use or privacy can expose organizations to legaland reputational risk.
The good news: compliance challenges are manageable whenhandled by professionals. With DergelCornerstone’s social media screening solutions, organizations can define the business purposes of their searches,ensure compliance at every step, and gain consistent, decision-ready insights.
Our approach enables employers to:
• Validate candidate suitability using ethically sourced, open-source data.
• Encourage digital compliance and responsible online conduct among employees.
• Avoid costly mis-hires by identifying high-risk behaviors early in the process.
By integrating Social Media Intelligence into HR and risk management programs, employers can make better-informed, more confident decisions—while maintaining fairness, transparency, and compliance. DergelCornerstone provides the technology, expertise, and governance to helporganizations use public data responsibly and strategically.
Empower your HR and risk teams with actionable insight—contact DergelCornerstone to learn how SMI can strengthen your hiring and compliance programs.
Visit DergelCornerstone’s website to discover how their team helps global industrial enterprises strengthen leadership, navigate complexity, and drive sustainable growth.
