It’s interesting to think that just years ago, the only thing employers knew about someone was what they got in a just a few interviews. Nowadays, it seems that with just a click of the mouse, employers can see exactly who you are out of the office. Whether it is Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, LinkedIn, or just a personal blog, your life is as accessible to them as a reference call. With information this easy to obtain, the workplace is becoming a much more competitive endeavor.
I read an article in the New York Times about employers using social networking sites to gain information about future employers that really caused me to stop and think about the information I post on my personal websites. The article said that 45% of employers use social networking sites to screen job candidates. They look at comments, photos, or status’s etc., some employers even followed their possible employers on twitter! A survey of employers pointed out that people were denied jobs due to, but not limited to, provocative pictures, pictures involving drugs and/or alcohol, posts about the company or other employees, and even poor online communication skills.
Personally, I think that it is very smart on the employers end to screen job candidates using their social networking sites. I also think however, that it is an invasion of privacy. If an employee can come to work and do a great job for the company, I don’t understand why it is any of his/her employers business what he/she does outside of the workplace. Granted, using social networking sites is very helpful in weeding out the “bad eggs” in a group of potential job candidates, I’m just not sure how much I approve of the method. A Facebook is “a place for friends.” A future employer is not a friend, and thus, the information on any given persons website is none of his/her potential future employers business.
Understanding this fact is really important for people my age. We’re college students, and its very natural for us to want to post pictures of us enjoying college online. However, as we grow up, it might cost us great opportunities. I would be devastated if I wasn’t offered a job purely because of something I had posted on my Facebook. Even now, I realize that anyone can see what I post. Although it is possible to make your Facebook (and most other social networking sites) private, employers can still request to search them, and if you deny them access, then they will just as easily deny you the job.
This is a video that proves the importance of looking good to employers not only during an interview, but also through things that you post online, such as social networking sites.
