Facebook: would you like to confirm your boss?

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

Social Responsibility Starts at...Work?

According to Wikipedia, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is "a concept whereby organizations consider the interests of society by taking responsibility for the impact of their activities on customers, employees, shareholders, communities and the environment in all aspects of their operations. This obligation is seen to extend beyond the statutory obligation to comply with legislation and sees organizations voluntarily taking further steps to improve..."

As a job-seeker, you might be interested to know whether your employer embraces social responsibility--some say a company who cares about the world at large is more likely to care about its employees too.

Here are 10 companies (in no particular order) who've taken the CSR pledge and run with it:

Natural Investing (CA, CO, HI)
Canon Inc. (VA, Japan)
Genentech, Inc. (CA)
Greenbiz.com (CA)
Fair Trade Federation (DC)
SC Johnson (WI, IL)
Ten Thousand Villages (Northeast)
Timberland (NH)
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (VT)
Bergmann Associates Architectural Firm (NY, PA, FL)

Pictured: Experience employees volunteer at the Greater Boston Food Bank.