More employers using firms that check applicants’ social media history

[cory777]

Source: Washington Post

A friend hunts deer in Germany. His Facebook profile shows him hoisting a rifle in the air. Another friend wrote on Twitter last month, “On plane. Just took Ambien. Twitter is my dreams. You are all glue. Happy birthday cellphone!”

Innocent pursuits perhaps: The Ambien was prescribed; the rifle is licensed.

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Like criminal background checks and drug tests, the social media check is quickly becoming an automatic part of the hiring process. Employers regularly run quick Google searches to vet applicants, but since September, California-based Social Intelligence has been contracting with corporations across the country to institute standard social media background checks — with the blessings of the federal government.

The company patrols the Web for telltale signs that you might be a questionable hire. Flagrant display of weapons. Sexually explicit photos. Racist remarks. References to drug use.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/more-employers-using-firms-that-check-applicants-social-media-history/2011/07/12/gIQAxnJYGI_story.html?wprss=rss_style

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Uncensored Activist News http://activistnews.blogspot.com/

[OHdem10]

1. I hope people realize that the Social Media is a place where

you must be circumspect about what you put "out there".

[Love Bug]

2. WHich is why I don't have a Facebook page

If I can't be myself, I don't see the point, so no FB for me. I wouldn't want my political or spiritual beliefs to keep me from getting hired.

[alpizzy]

3. I'm with you (n/t)

[closeupready]

6. Me either. Not under my name.

nt

[MineralMan]

4. It's hardly surprising that they're doing that.

Tell your teens and college aged kids to pay attention to what they're posting. Public crap is public. It'll come back to bite you on the ass.

It works in many ways, though. Recently my business associate, with whom I work on building websites, proposed that we do a website for this guy. I did some research on the business he was in, and found some things I thought were a little odd about that line of business. The line of business had some potential for fraudulent activities if you were of that bent. So, I counseled caution when I talked with my associate. He's the principal in this enterprise. I just get paid for my work, which is essential to his business.

Well, he paid a few bucks to get a background search on the guy, and found several judgments against him for non-payment of bills for services rendered. Some were quite recent. We've turned him down for his project.

Now, maybe he would have paid us. Maybe. Maybe we shouldn't have judged him on the basis of those judgments. Maybe. But we did. So, no project for him. Employers use whatever information they can find to make hiring decisions. If you give them negative information to find, the results will probably be negative. It's a simple equation.

[bulloney]

10. Wanna bet most of the employers doing these Facebook checks are private companies

and not the big bad intrusive government?

I'm not saying you shouldn't do your homework on employee prospects, but I get tired of the teabagger-types preaching that only government does these things.

[Edweird]

5. That's why nothing I do online is connected to my true identity. Not MySpace. Not FB. Not Du.

People that already know me personally could identify me from my posts or online personas, but I take great care not to make myself identifiable by strangers - or employers.

[Capitalocracy]

7. And no DUer was ever employed by a corporation again.

I attach my name to everything I do online. I'm banking on being a professional leftist all my life... hope that works out, otherwise I'm fucked

[BiggJawn]

8. Well, that screws my pooch.

I'm an "Out and Proud" Atheist, a registered Democrat with Socialist leanings and I'm very critical in my postings of the FCC. Oh, and I raise houseplants.

Yeah, I'll never work in this town again...

[vduhr]

9. There is danger in acceding to this....

Come on people! If you are afraid to put your opinions "out there", or anything about who you are, you are consenting to this. I simply would not work for an employer that uses this practice and I would tell them so. It's bull shit!

[boppers]

11. If you're an asshole, it will show up online.

If you're not, that will show up as well..... and if you're like most people, there will be a wealth of information, some good, some bad.

"About 48,700 results" for my name on google. I stand by most of it.

[JJW]

12. I'm obviously a professional liberal

so no work for me, not even government work. And Obama hates me.

[Lordquinton]

13. It's kinda scary to me

seeing that almost none of the responses here say anything about how wrong this is.

[trud]

15. anonymous

I've not used my real name online since I posted in defense of Palestinian rights and got death threats, descriptions of how I was going to be cut up and mutilated, and letters to the CEO of the company I worked at saying I was an anti-Semite.

[Capitalocracy]

17. I think it goes without saying.

At least that's why my reply didn't mention it.

Welcome to DU. :hi:

[hack89]

27. Background checks have been going on for ever

it has always been assumed that anything in the public domain is fair game. As a hiring manager I have a responsibility to the company to ensure that anyone I hire will not be an embarrassment to the company.

[N7Shepard]

14. I just made a separate email address that is going to be

strictly for work and work related stuff.

I'm considering deleting facebook too, I hardly use it. I do have my settings as private though and I haven't really said anything too crazy.

[Odin2005]

16. REMEMBER TO SET YOUR PRIVACY SETTINGS.

[AndyTiedye]

21. I Wouldn't Count on Privacy Settings Though

They aren't hiring this company just to log into Facebook for them and see what you have out for the public to see.
They could do that themselves with less effort than hiring a company to do it.

They would be expecting some "added value":
Sockpuppets who will try to "friend" you and rogue applications to try to steal your data.

Facebook is a very useful communication tool, but privacy is not one of its strong points.

[donheld]

18. Very troubling.

[Kahuna]

19. I have never done any social media for this very reason. nt

[Occulus]

20. We need to make this absolutely illegal in hiring ASAP

This is a giant overreach.

What I'm waiting for is for someone to be fired because of where they went or who they were with and sue for 24/7/365 back pay and overtime from their date of hire. If you're going to expect us to abide by company rules when off the clock and off company property, you goddamned good and well better be willing to pay for it.

[christx30]

24. IF you were the hiring manager

at a large company, would you hire someone that made posts bragging about smoking pot? I, personally, don't have a problem with medical or recreational marijuana use, but if I saw a prospective employee being dumb enough to post about it for the world to see, I would lose that resume very quickly.

Keep that kind of stuff private. Don't give them anything to find.

[joeglow3]

28. We had a police officer fired for belonging to the KKK

Of course, the only way they found out was because of his posting on a KKK website. Sorry, this is the new public square and should be used.

[joeglow3]

29. We had a police officer fired for belonging to the KKK

Of course, the only way they found out was because of his posting on a KKK website. Sorry, this is the new public square and should be used.

[pstokely]

22. But what if you don't give out your real name

nt

[octothorpe]

26. Yeah, I wonder to what extent these things dig though...

Like I try to avoid using my real name on anything. However, I've been less careful with my email addresses. If they do searches on various services for emails, they might be able to find some information that leads to more information. For example, if I have an account named "superanonymous1982inatx" on XYZF.com, they could then note that username and do more searches using that. Do they track "followers"/"friends"/contacts on these sites? Do they see what they say about you?

[pstokely]

23. What if you aren't on Facebook

Will they not hire you due to lack of record

[octothorpe]

25. I wish those services would provide a free or lowcost

for us to see what they dig up on ourselves. I mean, at least that should be a requirement if these things are going to continue to be legal. Maybe even have the report mailed to us whenever a company runs the search.

[KurtNYC]

30. Business idea -- a service that makes your Google'd background check totally corporate

Like the ones that clean up credit histories. Do the search, id info to be taken down, scrub, threaten those who keep undiserable info up and simultaneously create fodder for the search. Like these

"I'm worried that (your name here) is such a work-aholic. He refuses to party, gamble or watch anything but Fox News. It is as if he plans to work himself to death for some lucky employer!"

"(your name here) has always been a goody goody. He will do well in some dead end corporate job, working for the man and never causing problems. He is soooo willing to play the scapegoat for his supervisor and he is smart enough to do his job very well but will never make it to the next level."

"Hey (your name here), all you do is work. I called Saturday and your wife of 20 years to whom you have been exclusively faithful said '(your name here) is at work again! Doing some project for which his boss, who is out golfing, will take all the credit. When will (yourname here) ever learn?"

[left on green only]

32. Thank You for making my Saturday!

I hadn't laughed out loud in months, until I read your post. :yourock:

[unionworks]

31. what, me worry?

Ummm... just what jobs are they screening apps for? What a joke. Reminds me of the firm that threatened college students not to view the released "wikileaks" documents. Oh,wait, that was the state department! Well, same idea. I'll post whatever I damn well see fit and if they don't like it they can kiss my progressive azz.

[Zorra]

33. CIA's 'Facebook' Program Dramatically Cut Agency's Costs

http://www.theonion.com/video/cias-facebook-program-dramatically-cut-agencys-cos,19753/