Facebook, the company that has spurred revolutions, changed the way we communicate daily and allowed once private information to be shared on a global scale.
Ryan Tarinelli | Argonaut
That last one should be of concern to all, but especially people entering the workforce.
It is not odd or abnormal for perspective employees to look over candidate’s Facebook and social media profiles before hiring them. It is an ever-expanding practice that everyone from the largest Fortune 500 Company to your local hardware store is starting to apply.
As companies continue to implement this hiring policy there must be a fundamental change in how all — but mostly millennials — view social media.
According to a survey conducted by Harris Interactive and sponsored by CareerBuilder, 65 percent of employers said they do look at the Facebook profiles of perspective employees. The study states only 15 percent of companies have policies that prevent them from look into a candidate’s profile.
It makes sense that these employers would look into these profiles. Lets think, an online database that has a person’s friends, interests, social activities, opinions, past work experience, where they have lived, what music they listen to, past relationships and even how much they work out.
Employers check Facebook and other social media sites because it allows them access to a shmorgishborg of personal information, and has proven to be one of the easiest ways to find out a whole lot of information in a short amount of time. Employers look at these profiles for red flags that prevent a candidate from being a successful employee.
The study states pictures of excessive drinking or drug use, callous status updates and an unprofessional Facebook profile are the leading reasons candidates are rejected.
That being said, a social media profile can also work to a young professional’s advantage. These profiles can show employers a person’s interests and overall character, while still being professional.
Some might argue the content they post on social media is private and should be concealed from employers.
The ethical argument for hiding private information on social media sites is weak and naïve. It is the primary choice of the account holder to post information about their lives, therefore leaving much of the responsibility in their hands. Furthermore, accessing large amounts of information has become a cornerstone and trademark of the Internet.
Besides that, personal preference information captured through social media is a high valued commodity for marketing firms and corporations. Not to mention the large majority of people who genuinely enjoy posting about their lives to the Internet.
And despite the privacy features of Facebook, it is clear that personal information posted to social media sites will continue to be easily accessible to the public.
But what does that mean for us?
It means we have to take further responsibility for what we post. It means we should make conscious decisions on how we will use social media.
Many Facebook users have come up with different way to address this new unofficial background check by employers. Some have changed or altered their profile name to prevent employers from finding their full name. Many have decided their profile is professional and would work to their advantage if seen by an employer. And others have flat out deleted their accounts.
As companies continue this practice, we must respond by making the conscious decision to edit our profiles and ourselves.
Ryan Tarinelli can be reached at [email protected]