The hot topic these days is whether or not companies should check Facebook before hiring a potential employee, especially now during a recession when there are more people in need of a job than there are jobs to fill. When a boss has to decide over you or the next person, what he/she finds out about you could determine whether or not you get the job.
Have you heard of Ashley Payne? She was a well regarded teacher who was recently fired from her job because of photos from her European vacation — photos that show her holding a glass of wine. Guarding your privacy should be a big concern these days!
According to miti.com, over 80% of potential employers investigate job candidates’ social profiles before making any hiring decisions. Does your company investigate Facebook profiles before make a hiring decision? Do you know someone who was fired from their job because of a photograph posted on Facebook or any other social networking medium?
For more information on guarding your privacy, visit www.WITI.com, and sign up for their Facebook Privacy Clinic.
One Response
March 1st, 2010 at 5:09 pm
I think you’ve definitely brought up an interesting point and I can see it from both sides. If I was an employer and had the ability to do a bit of investigation about a potential employee, it would be hard to resist. The information is all there – what the person’s interests are, how they present themselves to the public, their motivations (or lack of), their thoughts – so, why not? I think that people who use social networking sites (myself included) have a difficult time separating their work selves from their social selves. We all have different versions of ourselves that we reveal and hide when the situation calls for it – the tact involved is choosing when to do so. Speaking from personal experience, I have my Facebook set to private and it can only be viewed in its entirety by those I know and trust – my friends and family. If I were going to present a public profile, one that may be viewed by a prospective employer – I’d make sure that the Jillian I was representing would be more formal, more refined and professional. If you don’t control the content you post and assume that people will have to take you as you always are, you’re then subject to criticism for, say, having a glass of wine. This all boils down to being smart about how you use the internet.
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