Employers and Social Networking Sites
May 26, 2010 Cathy Herold
More and more companies research social networking sites of employees or prospective
employees. Find out how online behavior affects employment.
Many people assume what they post on social networking sites is private; however, more and
more employers are screening potential employees and currently employed employees.
Social Networking Sites and Job Applicants
Job seekers need to be aware that many employers use social networking sites to screen job
applicants. According to Heather Havenstein in the September 12, 2008 ComputerWorld article
"One in Five Employers Uses Social Networks," a survey of 31,000 employers released by
CareerBuilder revealed that one third of the job candidates considered for jobs were rejected
because of information gleaned from social media. Then in June 2009 a CareerBuilder survey in
the article "Screening Candidates via Social Networking Sites" stated that 45 percent of
employers reported they used social media for screening job applicants. The statistics from 2008
to 2009 reveal the number of employers who use information from the Internet is steadily
increasing.
Employers peruse social networking sites of job applicants to check for unprofessional and
immature online behavior. According to Havenstein, the CareerBuilder study suggests that people
whose online images reveal drug and alcohol abuse are a major concern to companies that screen
applicants using social media. Other online behavior employers are concerned about include
inappropriate information and photos, poor communication skills, bad-mouthing employees and
employers, inaccurate credentials, unprofessional screen names, information regarding criminal
behavior, and the posting of confidential information about previous employers.
Social Networking Sites and Employees
As the attraction to social networking sites increases, more and more employers are finding
themselves in litigious situations as employees lash out publicly against companies, against other
employees and against management personal. According to Stephanie Chan in a CNN May 10,
2012 article "Workplace Rants on Social Media are Headache for Companies," many employees
do not realize that what they post on social media sites, whether it be from home or work, may be
grounds for termination.
Chan goes on to state that most states are "at-will employment states," which means employers
can fire anyone for any reason except for work situations that have to do with federally protected
issues like gender, race and religion. Many employers have fired people who have written
negative status updates about their jobs. Derogatory comments by employees about other
employees on social networking sites have also initiated harassment lawsuits, and employers are
usually quick to step in and terminate perpetrators.
People should be wary when making comments about their jobs on the Internet. Even though
there are privacy settings on most social networking Web sites, it is never safe to assume that a
comment will not be copied and pasted somewhere else on the Internet. Tenuous privacy settings
on many social media sites make it easy for anyone to glean information about people. There are
also several third-party information Web sites that collect personal information and pictures from
people who use social network sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Linkedin and Twitter.
Professional Appearance on Social Networking Sites
Since information posted on the Web is so easily accessible to the public, people should make
sure what they post online presents a professional appearance. People should also assume that
what they are posting could possibly be seen by their employers or potential employers.
People can make their online appearance work for them. According to CareerBuilder, many
employers reported hiring people based on a professional online presence. To create a
professional appearance online, people can post credentials, post awards, be creative and post
solid communication skills about themselves on the Web. People who are actively looking for
work should be especially cautious. CareerBuilder states there are five ways to clean up an online
image:
Clean up or delete any information or photos that project a negative image.
Create a professional group on sites like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and Linkedin, and
establish relationships with other professionals such as potential references and leaders.
Post positive statements, especially about accomplishments.
Be selective about choosing online friends.
Do not mention looking for other employment if currently employed.
Social Networks and Employers
People should be cautious about putting information on the Web, especially social networking
sites. It is also important to maintain a positive and professional online behavior. People should
always remember that information they post online is not secure and can be found easily by
almost anyone, especially their future or current employers.
References:
Chan, Stephanie. "Workplace Rants on Social Media are Headache for Companies." CNN.
(accessed May 25, 2010).
Havenstein, Heather "One in Five Employers Uses Social Networks." ComputerWorld. (accessed
May 25, 2010).
Copyright Cathy Herold. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.