Over the past few months, my fellow Xtra Cheezhead bloggers and I have offered various opinions about the use of Social Networking sites such as My Space or Facebook to make their hiring decisions. I myself continue to be opposed to the use of such tools as a determining factor for various reasons.
I found a great interview in SmartMoney Magazine with employment attorney Jeanine DeBacker on the topic which highlights her thoughts on this practice and the potential for litigation.
Among her concerns are the following:
- Younger applicant’s (those that would be most affected) are unaware of the impact of posted questionable behavior and, or unaware of what is accepted in the professional world
- Hiring decisions can be influenced by personal judgment, including prohibited criteria (sexual orientation, for example)
- Is the information contained online a real predictor of future work behavior?
I agree wholeheartedly with her opinions and think she really nailed all of the key points for employers to consider when contemplated the inclusion of this information in employee background checks.
In addition to the concerns raised in the interview, I have a few of my own:
- How can the information found be authenticated?
- How can a candidate dispute the information found?
- How can an employer make consistent hiring decisions based on the findings?
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