Opinion on checking social media presences for job applicants

MrStuffins

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

Employers should set out their requirements in this area clearly in any job spec, to avoid all this surreptitious messing around.

Or people could use common sense

For Forks Sake

.anon. wrote: »

Alternatively, don't post anything that you wouldn't be happy to have your name and reputation attached to. It's not that difficult.

Simple rule of social media, if you wouldn't want it put up on a billboard with your name attached to it, don't post it online

kildare lad

I know a fella that went for job , the job wasn't anything special so he reckoned after the interview he should have got it. Anyway he gets a phonecall a few days later telling him he didn't get the job. He asked a friend who worked for the same company did he hear anything why he didn't get the job. He said HR went through his Facebook pictures and seen pictures of him drinking cans along the canal so they went with someone else for the job. I'd say you'd nearly be better off deleting all your social media if your looking for work , you'd forget what you wrote or stupid meme you posted and it'll come back to bite you in the ass

ASOT

We do adverse media checks on our customers and it includes social media checks so I'd imagine alot of companies would be doing it these days during the hiring process.

AndrewJRenko

MrStuffins wrote: »

Or people could use common sense

Sure, why bother with a job specification at all? Candidates should just use common sense to telepathically decide what employers want.

MrStuffins

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

Sure, why bother with a job specification at all? Candidates should just use common sense to telepathically decide what employers want.

Because, and I can't believe I have to explain this, a job description is not the same as you not having you social media on private.

I really hope for your sake this doesn't come up during your next job interview!

MrStuffins

kildare lad wrote: »

I know a fella that went for job , the job wasn't anything special so he reckoned after the interview he should have got it. Anyway he gets a phonecall a few days later telling him he didn't get the job. He asked a friend who worked for the same company did he hear anything why he didn't get the job. He said HR went through his Facebook pictures and seen pictures of him drinking cans along the canal so they went with someone else for the job. I'd say you'd nearly be better off deleting all your social media if your looking for work , you'd forget what you wrote or stupid meme you posted and it'll come back to bite you in the ass

Was he going for a job on the internet tv show "Things That Definitely Happened"?

Smacruairi

Seems to be a way to profile people, could be used to discriminate against people based on age, race, Sexuality and far more.

Those saying "common sense" and "culture" , all you're doing is facilitating the old boys club mentality. Besides, unless the application form asks for your socials, I really don't think it's ethical for a business to go looking, especially hiring a company. You don't get the application form out, then Google map the address to see the house and car, surely?

I mean potentially a 50yr old manager going through a young girls Instagram to see does she fit the culture, it actually makes me vom.

MrStuffins

Smacruairi wrote: »

Seems to be a way to profile people, could be used to discriminate against people based on age, race, Sexuality and far more.

Sounds like you're projecting your way of thinking here.

JustAThought

I remember a particularly chilling seminar where it was explained to me that there was a formulae ( probably now an app) that if you out it into google with an email account it would throw up every post and image ever posted in social media with that address used in the account (eg your email for FB which may be a different name you use on FB) - it really was a frightener for me. I am reLly careful about what I post now & have all my permissions set to private/ friends only and win’t let anyone tag me in images.

I absolutely check everyone I deal professionally with on google before I meet them - I can’t imagine that others dont. Hilariously I cam across a bit of (v positive) info on someone I was seeing a lot of and I eventually asked them about it - they couldn’t understand how I knew - sure it was up on linkedIn and there was a newspaper article about in on you. They hadn’t ever know LI wasn’t private and they had never googled their own name!!! People!!!

I once told a stellar candidate I was going to interview for a job to check their FB account and delete any images of with or accociated with antisocial behaviour or socially accepted drugs. They were shocked. I had already checked their account out and seen them at a festival smoking before their application for a high profile family focused role. Suffice to say they copped on and it was gone before they came in for the panel interview & was never seen by the other interviewers or HR . Again - super qualified and experienced but seriously niaeve and clueless about brand and reputation and conservative values.

Smacruairi

MrStuffins wrote: »

Sounds like you're projecting your way of thinking here.

Or following it through to its natural conclusion. I'm surprised you didn't think that people would do that, or are you just really naive?

MrStuffins

Smacruairi wrote: »

Or following it through to its natural conclusion. I'm surprised you didn't think that people would do that, or are you just really naive?

But this isn't what we're talking about. We're not talking about whether it's ok for companies to check your social media to illegally discriminate against you. Obviously that's not ok. it's illegal.

If you think that this discrimination wouldn't happen if they didn't check your social media, then you're the one who is naive!

JustAThought

MrStuffins wrote: »

But this isn't what we're talking about. We're not talking about whether it's ok for companies to check your social media to illegally discriminate against you. Obviously that's not ok. it's illegal.

If you think that this discrimination wouldn't happen if they didn't check your social media, then you're the one who is naive!

Its not illegally discriminating based on your social media - its a fact gathering exercise based on information you present about yourself on public & searchable sites.

MrStuffins

JustAThought wrote: »

Its not illegally discriminating based on your social media - its fact gathering based on information you present about yourself on public & searchable sites.

Smacruairi wrote: »

Seems to be a way to profile people, could be used to discriminate against people based on age, race, Sexuality and far more.

He was talking about illegal discrimination, which is not what the topic of conversation is.

Smacruairi

MrStuffins wrote: »

But this isn't what we're talking about. We're not talking about whether it's ok for companies to check your social media to illegally discriminate against you. Obviously that's not ok. it's illegal.

If you think that this discrimination wouldn't happen if they didn't check your social media, then you're the one who is naive!

No, far from it. But we have people on this thread saying they hire companies to scour social media looking for "culture" issues, and examples of "bad judgement". This is being viewed favorably by some people which is odious to say the least. You understand my point when I say that it is morally wrong, but also a waste of time when you literally are legally allowed ask for verified references which would be of far more benefit to you than some middle class manager with an axe to grind looking for one particular viewpoint in his company.

It's actually rather petty, and smacks of a total insecurity that they couldn't judge the calibre of a candidate by an interview or other form of assessment.

JustAThought

mariaalice wrote: »

The fact that as part of a background check for some jobs someone's social media presence can be looked at as part of the recruitment processes.

Agree or disagree with that?

Leaving aside the chancer who is going to come on here and say their online support for the Irish nazi party( if such a party exists ) is well hidden no one would find it.

Should someone with a mental illness going through a bad time who lashed out with some hate-filled rant be given a second or third chance? should teenage trolling get a pass?

Or could it be a tool for curbing online abuse as the online world is going to come crashing into the real world and might lose them a job?

I think it is about something entirely different - as the OP outlined. Not one of the seven deadly sins or cash cows depending on whether you use and how your pronounce the word boss.

MrStuffins

Smacruairi wrote: »

No, far from it.....

Grand so!

Ficheall

What about someone else who has the same name as you? I'm not on social media but if you google my name, the some other guy with the same name's Twitter is one of the first results. It's harmless "retweet to win" and football stuff, but he could have been tweeting about kicking puppies or something.. My name is uncommon enough that you'd definitely be forgiven for assuming it was my account.

if i see list of pronouns/"activist" on twitter or prone to being "outraged" or looking to cancel/block things, id be staying well clear of that person

Edit and anime/or childish posts (e.g. i see a lot of mates late twenties saying they've to get their parents to do things for them)

MrStuffins

Ficheall wrote: »

What about someone else who has the same name as you? I'm not on social media but if you google my name, the some other guy with the same name's Twitter is one of the first results. It's harmless "retweet to win" and football stuff, but he could have been tweeting about kicking puppies or something.. My name is uncommon enough that you'd definitely be forgiven for assuming it was my account.

Well, since we're talking about Social Media the guy would have to have the same name and the same face as you.

That would be a hell of a coincidence!

AndrewJRenko

JustAThought wrote: »

I remember a particularly chilling seminar where it was explained to me that there was a formulae ( probably now an app) that if you out it into google with an email account it would throw up every post and image ever posted in social media with that address used in the account (eg your email for FB which may be a different name you use on FB) - it really was a frightener for me. I am reLly careful about what I post now & have all my permissions set to private/ friends only and win’t let anyone tag me in images.

I absolutely check everyone I deal professionally with on google before I meet them - I can’t imagine that others dont. Hilariously I cam across a bit of (v positive) info on someone I was seeing a lot of and I eventually asked them about it - they couldn’t understand how I knew - sure it was up on linkedIn and there was a newspaper article about in on you. They hadn’t ever know LI wasn’t private and they had never googled their own name!!! People!!!

I once told a stellar candidate I was going to interview for a job to check their FB account and delete any images of with or accociated with antisocial behaviour or socially accepted drugs. They were shocked. I had already checked their account out and seen them at a festival smoking before their application for a high profile family focused role. Suffice to say they copped on and it was gone before they came in for the panel interview & was never seen by the other interviewers or HR . Again - super qualified and experienced but seriously niaeve and clueless about brand and reputation and conservative values.

What's the point in telling the candidate to delete their photo? They're still the same candidate who smokes at a festival.

mariaalice

Ficheall wrote: »

What about someone else who has the same name as you? I'm not on social media but if you google my name, the some other guy with the same name's Twitter is one of the first results. It's harmless "retweet to win" and football stuff, but he could have been tweeting about kicking puppies or something.. My name is uncommon enough that you'd definitely be forgiven for assuming it was my account.

I would say that is why MNC are more likely to use an outside consultancy and tell candidates a background check is part of the recruitment processes. The outside consultancy will be professional and legal.

osarusan

The only time I was ever asked for anything like this was for one of those ESTA visa applications for USA. I left it blank, we got the approval anyway.

If somebody searched for my name on social media, they'd find (among all the other people with the same names) a FB page with everything private that can be private. I don't even know how they'd identify me from the others. No other social media.

Irishphotodesk

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

What's the point in telling the candidate to delete their photo? They're still the same candidate who smokes at a festival.

at a guess its because the person may have been suitable for the role but the social media antics probably would have ensured they would be ruled out, essentially an employer understanding that we all do silly things, its just plain stupid to post them online or allow yourself to get tagged online.

Mister Vain

As a budding photographer I have nothing but photos of scantily clad women on my social media, so I hope I'm never asked. Although I'm unlikely to ever work for such a high profile company that I'd need to provide those details in the first place.

Ficheall

MrStuffins wrote: »

Well, since we're talking about Social Media the guy would have to have the same name and the same face as you.

That would be a hell of a coincidence!

Poor b*stard.
But no - no photo on Twitter anyway...

mariaalice

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/iceland-wales-keith-hann-twitter-19852339

He was later fired.

Eric Cartman

theres services that automatically do this and even have serious facial recognition algorithms and patterns.

Its only too right , if you're putting up photos of hard drug use, selling nude pictures online, out protesting against capitalism or countries your prospective employer may have offices in (Israel, china, UAE etc..) , participating in groups that call for smashing up buildings etc.. I can completely see why a company would bin your CV.

The only place id draw the line is supporting democratically elected candidates or parties that run in national elections. Your peaceful political views shouldn't have your CV binned.

Irishphotodesk

Mister Vain wrote: »

As a budding photographer I have nothing but photos of scantily clad women on my social media, so I hope I'm never asked. Although I'm unlikely to ever work for such a high profile company that I'd need to provide those details in the first place.

the problem with having a "type" of photography on your social media is that people looking for a wedding photographer are unlikely to be interested in your work.

I don't post any of my work on social media but plenty of photographers that I know (even staff photographers with national newspapers) post images, it is seen as a form of advertising.

if you do hope to go full-time into photography - its better to have a showcase of different types of work or if you only wish to do one type ....ensure the models/poses/lighting/setups are all different, it can look a bit repetitive if the images are pretty much the same poses with different people.

over the years I have done everything from local to international football, hockey, showjumping, special olympics, champions league football, tennis, etc, festivals and concerts with thousands of people in attendance, have been drinking with celebs, have done aerial and underwater photography, photographed the occasional wedding (last one was about 20yrs ago - its not my thing), have photographed models and criminals, been chasing and stalking celebs as well as been chased and attacked by people - as part of my work.

.anon.

Eric Cartman wrote: »

theres services that automatically do this and even have serious facial recognition algorithms and patterns.

Its only too right , if you're putting up photos of hard drug use, selling nude pictures online, out protesting against capitalism or countries your prospective employer may have offices in (Israel, china, UAE etc..) , participating in groups that call for smashing up buildings etc.. I can completely see why a company would bin your CV.

The only place id draw the line is supporting democratically elected candidates or parties that run in national elections. Your peaceful political views shouldn't have your CV binned.

Also, if you hate anyone less fortunate than yourself and appear to spend all of your spare time online expressing hatred of poor people, a lot of employers might not want anything to do with you.