To Post It- Or Not To Post-It
There has recently been a lot of hype in the media today concerning instances where employers reject potential job candidates or fire employees based on information obtained from popular social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace.
Some claim it's unethical, but as an employer who performs thorough background checks before hiring any new employees, I believe that searching on Facebook or MySpace can give employers a valuable "clue" into the personalities of certain employees, providing useful information not always found or stated on a resume.
As long as employers are careful to avoid violating any discrimination laws based on race or ethnicity, I believe businesses should totally take advantage of seeing what information is out there floating around in cyberspace when it comes to hiring future employees. It isn't an invasion of privacy, because what you are posting is basically for the public to see. My advice? If you don't want your future employers to question your actions or future with their business, then don't post questionable material. It's as simple as that. Or better yet, adjust your privacy settings.
When and if you post information on a social networking site just assume future employers will read everything you post. When applying for jobs, eager employees usually make it a practice to Google every piece of information they can find about the companies they are applying to. Why shouldn't employers be given the same right?
There aren't many instances that would cause me to reject an interviewee based on what I see on their MySpace or Facebook accounts. Nudity, child pornography, and excessive violence are subjects I would be unwilling to turn a blind eye to. After all, when hiring people (especially at a smaller company) you are basically welcoming future employees into what is potentially your second family. You wouldn't invite a stranger into your home and have them sit at your dinner table without learning a thing or two about them first, would you?
