In one of my first posts I suggested cleaning up your Facebook profiles before applying for jobs. In my class last week, we had an intense discussion about this very topic-- except this time, with different results.
My classmates--a relatively diverse group of 20 somethings-- were infuriated with this practice. They--yes, every single one of them-- felt no need to clean up their Facebook profiles. In fact, they thought employers had no right to look at their Facebook profiles, not to mention make judgments based on it.
Some highlights of the discussion:
-One classmate recounted an experience she had with a potential employer. The day after her phone interview for a position, the HR director of that company requested her as a friend on Facebook. She immediately cleaned up her profile-- removing her wall and her photos of a recent trip to Las Vegas. She then accepted the request, giving the HR director limited access to her profile.
-Another outraged student said that aside from the possibly inappropriate content (photos, wall posts), he wouldn't want an employer to know basic, personal information: his age, relationship status, sexual orientation, etc. Further, he thought it was wrong for an employer to make a decision based on that outside information. He saw this as a form of discrimination.
-Other students felt their personal lives had no impact on their ability to work and do a good job. One student went as far to say that "just because I drink on the weekend doesn't mean I am not a hard worker."
-One student shared a story of a previous job, where the company had a Facebook group and encouraged all the employees to join without changing their profiles. She said the CEO sent an email urging the employees to join, telling them that he realized everyone had personal lives and assuring them that no judgments would be made based on their profiles.
-The majority of the class felt that their resumes should carry more weight and be a better gauge of their future work potential.
What are your thoughts on this? Do you side with my classmates, or do you have other opinions? Do employers have a right to check your Facebook profiles?
Photo by Joey DeVilla
Monday, April 14, 2008
Facebook: would you like to confirm your boss?
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3 comments:
I've had this conversation in a number of my classes. Generally speaking, my opinion is that, if users don't take the time to safeguard their personal information, a company has the right to take information found on Facebook into consideration when hiring someone. It is the responsibility of the user to make an informed decision about what they do or do not want on their page and accept the consequences.
Of course businesses have the right to the public information you put out on the web. Especially in the IT field, it is a good indicator of how well you know your industry. In some companies, your personal profile may actually GET you the job...finding a common interest is a great way to break the ice in an interview. And of course more conservative companies will frown on eccentric profiles. MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc are all tools companies can use to verify if you are who you say you are on paper/the interview. Anyone can clean up for a 30 minute presentation (we would hope). If you are THAT upset at having to CHANGE your personal profiles, guess what...they are FREE!! Create additional profiles that you allow public access to, and keep your personal profiles hidden with nicknames. If you are too lazy to do that for the sake of your future job, maybe Corporate America has a point to think they should not hire you based on your profile that says "Anarchy rulz, down with the establishment!!"
Don't forget, it also goes both ways. If you are not doing your own background check on the company, Senior Execs, Mangers, interviewers, etc on LinkedIn.com, FaceBook, or MySpace then you are not truly prepared for your interview. Even finding out what college the interviewer graduated from can give you the confidence/edge that you may need.
I agree with the fact a resume and references is a far better mode of representing a candidate for employment. However, there is privacy settings for this very purpose. If a facebook profile is too personal then I suggest the highest privacy setting and consider not accepting potential employers as friends. I had a "facebook" scare a few months ago. I have been looking for employment and after alot of thinking realized I might be googled, facebooked, myspaced, etc. by an employer and immediately set my personal profiles online to private.
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