Social Media Used in Employement/Screening Decisions

[Roy Hersh]

http://blogs.wineandhospitalitynetwork. ... for-candid

Well if this doesn't open up a big can of worms. I used to work with and house-sit for Margie who runs the fantastic website linked above. The article within, albeit a short read, is very provocative and may scare some current job searchers.

What do you think? Is this going to only mushroom from here?

[Glenn E.]

I've never used social media to screen a potential employee, but I know people who have.

The internet generation is in for a rude surprise when they discover that giving up all of their privacy actually does have repercussions. The only things I post to my Facebook account are things that I'd be comfortable discussing with anyone... because "anyone" is exactly who can see them by default. (I've locked my account down much more securely than that, but I still practice safe text. )

[Andy Velebil]

In my line of work this is a huge pre-screening tool to catch people lying on their background forms and to catch criminals as well. Everyone should be careful what they put online for the world to see. Even if your profile is locked, nothing is to say someone who you allow access to can't take a screen shot and share it with the world.

[John M.]

...Oh man, I'm in trouble now. Knew I shouldn't have joined this Forum...it all started when I took that left at Albequeque

[Peter W. Meek]

Well, I would say that social networks are misleading in this way. Of all my Facebook friends, I would say that about half have posted comments and photos that would instantly eliminate them from consideration for most jobs, if viewed by people who don't know them personally.

I also know that these are mostly young people who enjoy being provocative or outrageous among themselves and their circles of friends, and the material they have posted does not indicate any true unsuitability for any likely job. I suspect that this generation will mature into adults who will be fairly hard to embarrass with past peccadillos, meaning that even if someone were to produce these things some day in the future, it wouldn't give anyone much leverage -- except to these HR types who are now rejecting otherwise qualified candidates on the basis of something found on social networks.

Some insightful HR people will find a gold-mine of talented people who have been rejected by others, and confront them with these episodes of silliness, explain what is expected of employees, and hire some valuable people.

I'm happy to say that most of the young people I know do not tend to bad-mouth employers except in the most trivial kinds of ways. Serious malignment of current or past employers would be very hard to overlook by a potential hirer.

[Andy Velebil]

Peter,
I think what your dancing around is the fact we're old now and all these young kids aren't hung up on being embarrassed by posting funny, albeit stupid stuff, on the internet for all to see. Heck, we all did the same thing, we just didn't have the internet and digital camera's/video to easily tell all our friends about it.

Lets face it, social media is here to stay and we (as in us older farts) need to accept it and accept the fact that all young kids are going to be on it in some form or fashion. Since we are already here on I'd say us old folk got a leg up on the rest of our peers

[Roy Hersh]

This from a guy who was born while i was mid-way through high school. Sheesh.

Andy, at your age, you better not call yourself old. You don't reach middle age for another 3 years.

[Andy Velebil]

This from a guy who was born while i was mid-way through high school. Sheesh.

Andy, at your age, you better not call yourself old. You don't reach middle age for another 3 years.

Yeah, I'm still young but when I pull kids over that were born AFTER I got out of college, sure makes me feel old

[Moses Botbol]

In my line of work this is a huge pre-screening tool to catch people lying on their background forms and to catch criminals as well. Everyone should be careful what they put online for the world to see. Even if your profile is locked, nothing is to say someone who you allow access to can't take a screen shot and share it with the world.

Listen to Andy's words. I know for a fact that HR and employers are looking up candidates and employees all the time. Never ever bad mouth your employer online. Actually, it's best not to mention good or bad where you work. That glassy eyed picture with beer cans and bongs is not wise to publish on your profile, lol... That picture with Jenna Jameson and Ron Jeremy may not be as funny to your organization as it is to your friends.

You have to be very careful of your online persona.

[Glenn E.]

I also know that these are mostly young people who enjoy being provocative or outrageous among themselves and their circles of friends, and the material they have posted does not indicate any true unsuitability for any likely job.

You are, of course, completely correct in an absolute sense.

However, these past episodes aren't necessarily being evaluated with regard to the employee's potential performance. They are quite often being evaluated with regard to the employee's potential to embarrass the company. As liberal as today's youth think they are (and may appear to be to us), they grow up to be center-right just like most everyone else in America. (Disclaimer: I trend ever so slightly left of center.) And the bible thumpers don't look positively on the types of shenanigans coming to light on FB.

Image - brand identity - is everything in today's hyper connected world. All you have to do is look at the sponsors that dropped Tiger Woods like a hot potato to see this truth in action.

[Glenn E.]

Yeah, I'm still young but when I pull kids over that were born AFTER I got out of college, sure makes me feel old

Wait... those people are old enough to have driver's licenses?????

I wouldn't have guessed that you were even that old, you whippersnapper!

(Hey, at least I'm not as old as Roy!)

[Derek T.]

(Hey, at least I'm not as old as Roy!)

Who is?

When Andy was talking about being old, I think he was referring to his liver

[Glenn E.]

I wouldn't have guessed that you were even that old, you whippersnapper!

For the record, yes I'm aware that Mr. V is a 1973 Vintage. He just doesn't look like it!

[Andy Velebil]

I wouldn't have guessed that you were even that old, you whippersnapper!

For the record, yes I'm aware that Mr. V is a 1973 Vintage. He just doesn't look like it!

Thank you...I think or should i have posted this instead me>> <<you

[Andy Velebil]

Yeah, I'm still young but when I pull kids over that were born AFTER I got out of college, sure makes me feel old

Wait... those people are old enough to have driver's licenses?????

I wouldn't have guessed that you were even that old, you whippersnapper!

(Hey, at least I'm not as old as Roy!)

You don't need a driver's license to turn the key and drive down the street. My record was a kid driving who was 11 and his buddy in the car . But mainly it's for other violations that aren't necessarily car related.

yes, glad Roy will always be ahead of me too

[Glenn E.]

I wouldn't have guessed that you were even that old, you whippersnapper!

For the record, yes I'm aware that Mr. V is a 1973 Vintage. He just doesn't look like it!

Thank you...I think or should i have posted this instead me>> <<you

Hey, at least you're not as bad as my wife. She was carded going into an R-rated movie when she was 21!

[Peter W. Meek]

I got carded as late as 27 for alcohol. Not lately though.

I notice they avoided general declarations for about a decade to skip over my birth year (1943). (HUH! No OldFartSmiley)

[Roy Hersh]

I got carded last year (and I LOOK my age!) at Safeco Field when going to buy a beer from one of the stands there. I was like "you are kidding me right? Right?"

The answer, "I'm sorry sir, those are the rules my employer has set in place." Me: "Ok, that makes perfect sense."

I am sure I was as old as this young man's father.

[Peter W. Meek]

For a while I worked as a doorman/bouncer at a bar that had a fairly wide range of ages for clientele. I carded everybody. When challenged by a grandmotherly type, I just said, "I don't care whether you are 21 or not. I just care whether you can prove it." Carding everybody silences those folks who turned 21 last week and expect everyone to recognize that by their newly mature appearance.

[Glenn E.]

I just said, "I don't care whether you are 21 or not. I just care whether you can prove it."

That's a great way to put it and sums it up perfectly!