Have you ever heard of the concept of prospective or even current employers, checking the Facebook or any other social media account of either someone who has applied for a certain job position, or someone who is currently employed to them? What do you think about this practice? Do you think that an employer has every right to make these kind of checks? Or do you think that it's a little invasive, and that persons should be allowed to separate their personal life (i.e., what they share with "friends and family") from their business portfolio? Please let me know your thoughts on this one!
There is nothing to stop them if you have made your profile public, however I have heard some companies have asked prospective candidates to give details of their social media accounts which I feel is crossing the boundaries. That's why people have a private facebook accounts and a public one. People shouldn't be judged, however with more people sharing photos and status updates, companies are wary and rather than check they should implement policies that nothing can be shared on social media regarding work, clients or meetings, and it could lead to disciplinary proceedings. The responsibility is with the employee, not the employer. Being forced to hand over social media profiles and passwords is an infringement of one's rights, it's like having a key to your house and the password to your email accounts.
Wow, I definitely have to agree with you! How you just detailed it really freaks me out that there are obligatory policies like these out there! I, too, see the perspective of this practice being like having to hand over the key to your house or the password to your email accounts. If this kind of "hounding" is really allowed to take place, then the employees/prospective employees who fall victim to these pressures will not only feel fearful and "boxed in", but will not likely be able to fulfill their greatest potential in the workplace, all because they are not allowed to express themselves "naturally" with their friends and family via these social media networks. I think that there is a place for employers who want to make certain cursory checks to ensure that their employees are not disgracing their name or publicly disclosing what should be confidential company information, but there are boundaries. Each person has a right to privacy and freedom of expression. I think that these companies should have their own social media pages that effectively keep a track of who tags their company, along with information that relates to their services etc. There are software programs out there that can help in this. I just think that the boundary shouldn't be breached.
I think it's kind of invasive. If I were thinking of hiring someone I would not check their facebook profile. However, I do think it is smart to keep your facebook locked on private/friends only. You never know who may be looking. There is no need to share your info with the world, even if it's basic info and photo.
I think it is indeed invasive, but they just want to see what kind of person that prospective employee is before they hire them, so they spy on their Facebook. I think it is normal to browse their account, but to have the info as mandatory is crossing the line. That's why to avoid being spied on, just simply don't use Facebook.
I think it is wrong because I think many people are smart enough to keep their professional persona separate from all others. However, if it's as simple as keeping your profile private then just do it. Sometimes we have to do things we don't want to. I'm not sure it is that simple though. I have heard that employers can even judge you for what your friends say or even worse they are suspicious if you don't post much. I hope it's not true because both of those options can easily exempt me.
I totally agree with what you've said. It's up to us really, to limit the type and amount of information that we allow to "escape" out into the public, and when we turn around and blame people for negatively commenting on the nature of some of our posts, that's not right! We make them out to be the persons who are responsible for the dissemination of that information in the first place! We honestly have to "step up to the plate" and just know what it is that we would be comfortable with the whole world knowing, because whether or not we want to admit it, there is always a chance that what we broadcast via social media, can be published for all to see. Even when we privatize our settings, there is still a chance that someone will have a mutual friend or two, or happen to see an image that is opened by one of our friends while said person is around. And, just like "that"! Our information is out, into the open! We have to guard what we send out...literally with our lives!
I have read about this practice and would downright refuse to comply with such demands. It's none of my future employer's business what I do in my private time, or who my friends are. I would perhaps allow him or her to look at my profile, if they let me look at theirs. After all, it's only fair that I know who I will be dealing with in the future. But realistically speaking, such high profile persons usually don't bother with facebook anyway.
Just about every business employer will check Social Media sites like Facebook and Twitter these days. That's why it's insanely important to monitor what you're posting and what sort of pictures of you are out there. Even if your profile is on private, there are ways around that to where they'll still find and see what they want of your profile. I don't mind it as after all, it's a SOCIAL MEDIA website. If you wanted something to stay private, you shouldn't have posted it on a social media website anyway. And if a Facebook check helps me get a job because they trust me more after seeing it, then hey, I'm all for employers snooping.
I would assume anything that is not privacy protected might be viewed. Facebook is a great way to see what kind of person you are about to hire. If they post all kinds of rude things online, you can guess they might not have a very good attitude in the workplace as well. I think everyone should be responsible for what they post online and only post publicly what they are OK with sharing with the whole world. If I was an employer, I don't think I would look at facebook because I don't even like the site myself, but I can completely understand someone else wanting to do that.
I have heard of this happening and I have mixed feelings on the subject. On the one hand, it is a quick and simple way for employers to get to know the type of person you are. Not everyone tells the truth on their CV. On the other hand, what you do outside of work in your own time should remain private. I can understand why some people feel that it is an invasion of privacy. The best thing to do is not to post anything online that you would be uncomfortable with other people seeing.
When I applied for a job with some company which I won't name, they told me that they had to take a look at my FB account. This came a time when I'd posted some stupid stuff. I told them I didn't have an FB account. I'm sure they knew that I was lying because at that time you could search for someone using their email address. I didn't hear from them again. My thoughts? Employers shouldn't concern themselves with what someone does when they away from the workplace. They don't own their workers and must for that reason, respect their privacy and shouldn't cross the boundaries which have been set.
I think employers should stay out of people's Facebook accounts because the content that people post there is for friends and family. It's okay for friends and family to know that you like dirty jokes and dressed up as Batman for a comic book convention, but your employer shouldn't be privy to those photos and details. When you're on Facebook or Twitter, you're in "home" mode, not "work" mode, so you're more casual and candid. An employer looking at that is the equivalent of them setting up a camera in your house to watch how you act around your family. It's not okay.
