Aug 23, 2009 employers should not be allowed to look at your social networking profiles without your express permission, and they should not be allowed to deny you a job solely because you did not give that permission. We use social media for recruitment, not admissions. Social media is a key player in the job search process today. Apr 16, 20 social media is a key player in the job search process today. It has become commonplace for employers to conduct an online search or to look at available social media profiles of prospective employees. Is it a good idea for companies to look at social media sites.
So an employer can elect to look only at the last two. Many employers and employees are struggling to create policies regarding social media at work. For other steps that employers can take to minimize risk, see the law and social media in hiring in the september 2014 issue of hr. Social medias effect on the hiring process paychex.
Here are some of the reasons employers have used as rationale to ban social media use in the workplace. It can also be where potential employers go to do additional screening before making their hiring decisions. Nov 21, 2017 it makes sense that social media social networking sites are being used as a common tool for job recruiters in the search for the right candidate. May 25, 2016 pros to banning social media use at work. Yes, colleges check applicants social media posts consumer. If you have publicly posted information about yourself without bothering to restrict who can view it, an employer is generally free to view this information. Pointcounterpoint should employers use social media to. Employers can minimize the legal risks and maximize the business benefits of social media if the screening is part of the reference or background check that is made before extending an offer or. If social media is an official hurdle in the selection process, then all candidates who make it to that stage are held to the same standards and criteria.
Sometimes social media can be an employee s best advocate. But the reality is that employers have nuanced and divergent views about using social media to gain intelligence about job applicants. While it is expected that employers will take all possible steps to properly vet job applicants, technological advancements have created many new issues for employers and employees to consider. On the other hand, social media screening will set you back just a few seconds to look up a candidate online. The dos and donts of social media screening in the hiring. Social media is great for staying connected to family and friends, sharing jokes, opinions, and interests, and keeping uptodate with current trends and events. Mar 10, 2020 if used effectively and appropriately, though, social media can be vital to your hiring process. So lets say you have whittled your applicant pool down to three final candidates and you want to look at social media information on these candidates. Screening social media allows employers to look inside a persons head to see who a candidate really is, said les rosen, founder and ceo of employment screening resources, a background screening. Monitoring employee social media activity at work the. Employers should weigh the advantages and drawbacks of these platforms before moving. Should employees be allowed to surf social media at work. Social media influences decisionmaking of employers. Companies should understand when to stop that control on their employees, social media is mostly an informal platform and a form of expression, where people express their ideas and feelings.
Rather than hiding, they should enhance their presence and extend the character traits, activities and interests that they present in their application essays onto their social media. However, many colleges do look at social media, according to an annual phone survey of admissions officers by kaplan test prep. Why colleges look at students social media accounts best. Although social media is such an integral part of our society, its practices can still be a hit or miss for many companies. Employers should not be allowed to look at your social networking profiles without your express permission, and they should not be allowed to deny you a job solely because you did not give that permission. Reducing social media use can help stem but not eliminate the risk of employees using social media as a forum for discrimination or harassment.
The good folks down at reppler recently conducted a survey of 300 professionals who are involved in the hiring process at their company to understand the use of social networks for screening job applicants. Nov 12, 20 rather than hiding, they should enhance their presence and extend the character traits, activities and interests that they present in their application essays onto their social media. One person might set up facebook as the virtual equivalent of a public blog or web page, while another might use it as a private communications channel among a handful of close friends. However, employers still need to follow other employment rules. Kaplan also surveyed high school students and found that 70 percent agree that social media posts are fair game in the admissions process. However, there are also sticky legality issues that can make social media vetting risky. The pros and cons of doing social media background checks. Social media is a way to get a first impression on people, without actually meeting them first.
The reality is that the ability to broadcast opinions and share photographs in real time and to large audiences creates issues for employers that may extend beyond the workplace and expose employers to a public relations nightmare. Taking significant control can lead to harm to the creativity of the employee as it will affect their personal lives. For a look at how the national labor relations board viewed the lawfulness. According to a 2018 careerbuilder survey, 70% of employers use social media to screen candidates during the hiring process, and about 43% of employers use social media to check on current employees. The pros and cons of doing social media background checks on. Anyone can connect with anyone else, or find out information about them that may not otherwise be available. Ultimately, social media research should be only a. That practice is illegal in several states and opens the organization up to the possibility of violating the stored communications act. However, if an employee is using the companys social media account and improperly posting content, the employer is granted access to that account and able to take necessary steps to handle the situation. Theres a lot you can gain from social media screening, but its not as straightforward a practice as you might think. Jan 03, 2018 social media is great for staying connected to family and friends, sharing jokes, opinions, and interests, and keeping up to date with current trends and events. If social media screening must be conducted inhouse, never ask for a candidates passwords. Is it a good idea for companies to look at social media.
Employers should never discriminate against employee because they shared an opinion via social media that goes against their own personal beliefs or ideologies. They should not have an inherent right to view your social circles without your permission. In most cases, an employer can only view your private facebook page if you allow it. Should employers monitor employees social media activity. These social media mistakes can actually disqualify you from a. The state laws on social media passwords are intended to protect social media pages that applicants have chosen to keep private. During this time, employers made their hiring decisions based on meeting with the potential employee during an interview discussing their.
Consider the lawful side of this process and you may be able to hire the best employee ever. Some 44% of employers surveyed said that they had hired a candidate through social media. If youre able to answer these questions just by looking at your applicants social media accounts, then you could find yourself in hot water. Many employers conduct professional background checks on potential employees before deciding whether to hire them.
This brings us to the next point, you can use social media screening just to confirm the candidates data. I never think that employers should look into the employees or future employees social media profile and simply judge the book by its cover. Should your business screen employees using social media. Colleges shouldnt look at social sites daily trojan. Will companies really take the time to look at my social. With this in mind, it was only a matter of time before social media began to be used in the recruitment process. The number of people fired over social media posts is rising, and many employers look closely at a job candidates online presence before making a decision. And personal life means completely unrelate to the professional performance. Dos and donts for employees on social media and the. One person might set up facebook as the virtual equivalent of a public blog or web page, while another might use it as a private communications channel among.
Oct 20, 2015 i think that employers should check social media, and i think that it is a good idea to an extent. Pros and cons of banning social media use at work hr. Consider using a third party to perform the social media check with the third party providing only jobrelated information to help you make a hiring. Should you be monitoring your employees social media activity. If the company i going to be paying you a certain salary i dont see why it should be bad to look into you by looking gat things that you posted about yourself. And 23 percent said that they found information that directly led to hiring the applicant. So pause before you post if you think it could be questionable or inappropriate, you should go with your gut. Social media is one of the most popular forms of communication in the 21st century, with over 1. Are they able to engage in written exchanges that are thoughtful, interesting. Employers are also viewing social media when vetting employees, so learning how to curate ones social media is an important skill for all of us to learn. How employers use social media to screen applicants. Do you think employers should really be able to look up. Monitoring employee social media activity at work facebook, twitter, instagram, linkedin, and the countless other social media outlets are still new enough that there are no general trends on how the courts and legislators view them with regards to employment and employee privacy regulations. An occasional visit to social media is fine, but leaving all the work aside and spending time only on social media is not appreciated.
After giving a candidates social profile the onceover, the majority of hiring managers came back for round two. If used effectively and appropriately, though, social media can be vital to your hiring process. Employers are interested in how you use social media to. Before you apply for a job, you should audit your social media accounts. According to a new careerbuilder survey, 70 percent of employers use social media to screen candidates before hiring, which is up significantly from 60 percent in 2016. In an ever changing online world it is more important than ever to establish a work place policy for.
Should employers use social media to screen job candidates. Social media screenings gain in popularity business news daily. Other social media sites such as facebook can lie anywhere along the spectrum, depending on how users adjust their privacy settings. Why you should not use social media to make hiring decisions. Screening job candidates on social media must be done professionally and responsibly. Why do employers use social media in hiring decisions. The number of people fired over socialmedia posts is rising, and many employers look closely at a job candidates online presence before making a decision. Is it acceptable to monitor an employees social media. Should employers use social media when making hiring. Pros to banning social media use at work here are some of the reasons employers have used as rationale to ban social media use in the workplace.
Therefore, the issue of how much to control employees use of social media is, actually, more to do with how employers can and should adapt to. Social media as fair game in admissions inside higher ed. Certainly, there are positive elements to social media background checks theres a reason that so many employers have felt inclined to check out the facebook and twitter feeds of prospective hires. Employee social media monitoring is a bad idea time.
Employers, schools, and social networking privacy american. Depending on what information is found and how it is used, an employer could be facing a discrimination lawsuit. Learn tips on monitoring and crafting a social media policy to avoid pitfalls in the. With social media uprising it may seem impossible to put rules into place, but with proper guidelines and policies, employers and employees can both feel. Mar 08, 2017 certainly, there are positive elements to social media background checks theres a reason that so many employers have felt inclined to check out the facebook and twitter feeds of prospective hires. Why colleges look at students social media accounts. We all know recruiters use social media to screen candidates on a daily basis. However, some employers may also investigate a potential employees social media profiles, such as a facebook page. Should companies monitor their employees social media. An employers goal is not only to protect their company, but also to protect their employees. There was a time when facebook did not exist, and the way to impress your potential employer was to have a wellput together resume with outstanding qualifications. The average recruiter consulted social media profiles 2. Pros and cons of banning social media use at work hr daily.
I think that employers should check social media, and i think that it is a good idea to an extent. May 23, 2018 it has become commonplace for employers to conduct an online search or to look at available social media profiles of prospective employees. Thats an impressive number, but it pales beside the fact that almost all employers 93% to be exact say that they will search for your social media profiles during the interview process. How social media can help or hurt you in your job search. In fact, according to a study by careerbuilder, nearly 70% of employers. Social media influences decisionmaking of employers, colleges august 15, 2018 gretel egan there are many lighthearted, convenient, and fun aspects about sharing content on social media platforms, and as the relatively new and often coveted moniker of social influencer suggests, the thoughts, images, and information we share on social. Jill cooper torres english 105 9 september 2014 social media in the hiring process the effects of social media are inescapable.
According to career builder, 33 percent of employers that used social media to research a candidate reported that they found content that made them more likely to hire the employee. Should employers be allowed to check on social networking. The pros and cons of social media screening globalhr research. The risk can be further minimized if hr, rather than a hiring manager, conducts the background check. Overall, social media use is a personal activity and should be treated this way by employers unless the employee is bringing the name of the company of colleagues into disrepute.
People should be able to share their views on gay marriage, for example, with their friends on social media, without running afoul of an employer who disagrees with them. May 22, 2015 people should be able to share their views on gay marriage, for example, with their friends on social media, without running afoul of an employer who disagrees with them. It is best if someone in hr, rather than a line manager, checks candidates. While facebook and other social media networks have people sharing even the most mundane events of life, the popular websites also bring into question serious legal issues, particularly in the hiring practices of. Nov 29, 2017 although social media is such an integral part of our society, its practices can still be a hit or miss for many companies. Police agencies want access to applicants socialmedia. Monitoring employee social media activity at work the hartford. The results of this survey are shown in this infographic below.
Should employers check social media pages of job applicants. Sacramento the online photo showed a man passed out on a casino floor, still holding his beer, recalled investigator steve bowman. We only look at social media if the applicant includes or provides it. With social media uprising it may seem impossible to put rules into place, but with proper guidelines and policies, employers and employees can both feel at ease.
Can employers use social media in making hiring decisions. Ultimately, social media research should be only a small part of the prescreening process. Yesterday, i read a report in the american magazine the atlantic which asked the question should employers be allowed to ask for your facebook login its the story of a man in the us state of maryland who applied for a job at the states department of corrections prison service and who was obliged to disclose his facebook login credentials during the job interview. Should employers use social media to screen job applicants. For this reason, employers should look only at content that is public. Unless serious accusations are made, employers are not allowed access to an employee s personal social media account.