A while ago I was talking to my mom about social networks and she mentioned how some jobs require you to give them access to your social networking accounts in order to get the job. My initial reaction was...
Whaaaaaaat?!
So you know I had to look into it more because this just did not make sense to me. I came across this article in the NYTimes called Social Media History Becomes a New Job Hurdle. They talk about companies scouring the Internet in search of whatever they can find about you including "racist remarks" and "reference to drugs". One company found a prospective employee on Craigslist looking for OxyCotin! Another guy had a picture posted online standing in a greenhouse with large marijuana plants...DUMMY! I guess these people did not get the job.
They go on to talk about other incidents that have been found, but they also brought up a good point. Jobs are not allowed to discriminate against applicants on the basis of things like race, religion, disability, etc. However, this Internet snooping opens them up to find out things they aren't even allowed to ask you on your application. I agree that you shouldn't post anything that is not respectable on the Internet because it is ALWAYS there even if you think you deleted it BUT I also think jobs are going too far.
This article I found talks about a man who when applying for a job was asked to provide his Facebook credentials during the INTERVIEW. Are you kidding me? Jobs need to get real and stop trippin'! I personally do not have anything incriminating on any of my social networking sites, but I still find it unsettling that a potential employer would ask that of me. Sometimes I discuss PERSONAL and NON-CRIMINAL matters with my family and friends and I do not feel they have a right to have access to this. I don't trust them not to go through my messages and friends and just totally invade my privacy...no Sir...no Ma'am!
Do you think employers are going overboard?
OH NOOOOO!!!
ReplyDeleteThis is why I deleted my old FB and theres like nothing on my new one.
But then again who is to say it's really deleted, we know how FB is.
But I don't agree with this. I'm a good worker and would hate it if I was judged on a couple of FB pics where i might be tagged in drinking or smoking a cig, like i dont come to work hammered and i dont smoke here so why judge what i do outside of work, that is MY personal time not business time so it shouldnt be there concern.
I understand drug tests, but checking personal social networking accounts is too personal.
And jobs do it themselves, which is cool b/c we wont know about it or why we didnt get a certain job, but dont make it a must that we have to let u see our FB or twitter, no we dont!
What is going on with this country!?
Right like being an auditor in the IT world, I can see that opening up a whole new can of worms because then you go into privacy issues. How are you protecting my personal information when you make me give it to you? Who else has access to it? How do I know yall aren't going through my messages to see what I talk to my friends and family about? Not cool at all.
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