Should Employers Use Social Media when making Hiring Decisions?
Introduction
An employer turns down a job application after seeing on the candidate’s Facebook profile that they are a heavy drinker. A company rejects an application after seeing on Twitter that the candidate is a Muslim with a veil around her head. Another employer rejects an application after seeing on their Facebook profile that they use derogatory terms when commenting on pictures and posts. These examples illustrate how technology has changed the way companies screen prospective employees and how these may eventually lead to legal implications based on protected grounds. In this rapidly-growing world where technology is accessible almost everywhere, employers and recruiters are utilizing technological methods to screen and evaluate prospective employees. In order to ensure the candidates are right for the position, employers are looking far beyond just resumes and interviews by reviewing their personal social networking sites out of which Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter are the most popular. This has also landed some employers in trouble as there are legal issues in interfering into others’ privacy. Statistics have shown that most employers and recruiters admit to using social media as an evaluation tool for recruiting. Data analysis has also showed that most candidates are aware of employers viewing their information through social media which could also indicate that potential employees may polish their social networking sites to appeal to their prospective employer. Majority of candidates claimed that they do not have anything to hide on their profile and do not see their profile as private information. Some candidates agree that employers do have a right to use the information online in decision making. Internet screening presents new opportunities as well as challenges for hiring as it is able to reveal job-relevant and irrelevant information about the candidate, which may not be available through other resources. Although it is not illegal for employers
An employer turns down a job application after seeing on the candidate’s Facebook profile that they are a heavy drinker. A company rejects an application after seeing on Twitter that the candidate is a Muslim with a veil around her head. Another employer rejects an application after seeing on their Facebook profile that they use derogatory terms when commenting on pictures and posts. These examples illustrate how technology has changed the way companies screen prospective employees and how these may eventually lead to legal implications based on protected grounds. In this rapidly-growing world where technology is accessible almost everywhere, employers and recruiters are utilizing technological methods to screen and evaluate prospective employees. In order to ensure the candidates are right for the position, employers are looking far beyond just resumes and interviews by reviewing their personal social networking sites out of which Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter are the most popular. This has also landed some employers in trouble as there are legal issues in interfering into others’ privacy. Statistics have shown that most employers and recruiters admit to using social media as an evaluation tool for recruiting. Data analysis has also showed that most candidates are aware of employers viewing their information through social media which could also indicate that potential employees may polish their social networking sites to appeal to their prospective employer. Majority of candidates claimed that they do not have anything to hide on their profile and do not see their profile as private information. Some candidates agree that employers do have a right to use the information online in decision making. Internet screening presents new opportunities as well as challenges for hiring as it is able to reveal job-relevant and irrelevant information about the candidate, which may not be available through other resources. Although it is not illegal for employers