Some interviewers ask job seekers for Facebook access
Imagine you land an interview for your dream job. The interview goes very well, and you’re feeling confident. Then, just as the interviewer is wrapping up, he asks for your Facebook username and password. Suddenly, you start to feel uncomfortable and don’t know what to say.
Recently, job seekers have been faced with this issue, and many are unsure about how to handle this awkward dilemma.
Most students do not realize how big of an influence social media has on the workplace. Whenever employers are considering potential employees, they want to make sure that whomever they hire will reflect a positive image of their company.
If a workplace finds content on an employee’s profile page that they consider inappropriate, then they could fire that employee instantly.
Rico Fuller, a freshman communication studies major from Monroe, said, “First, I would ask the employer why you need this information. If they gave me a reasonable answer, I would feel comfortable because I have nothing to hide.”
Many people have heard rumors of employers checking potential employees’ profiles through a common friend’s page.
But, now that social networking sites are so prevalent and many people share every minute detail of their lives. on their profile page, some employers are asking interviewees for their account login information, giving them full inside access to the account.
Now that this issue has caught the nation’s attention, lawmakers are debating over whether this odd request is legal and how much trouble companies can get into for asking for this private information.
A bill that would prevent “snooping” into Facebook profiles was defeated last week in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Director of Career Connections and Experiential Education Roslynn Pogue said, “My advice for students is three simple words: Keep it clean. Don’t give employers another reason not to hire you.”
Some tips on being safe with your social media account are: always keep your passwords secret, log out immediately when you leave a computer and most importantly, do not accept friends that you do not know.
If you think something you’re about to post on Facebook could be deemed as inappropriate, then it is probably best not to post it.
Michael • Apr 11, 2012 at 7:43 am
I think this is a great article, and a big “wake-up call” especially for college students who are discovering new things in life, and subsequently posting all of their new discoveries on FB (and similar social websites) for all the world to see! That applies to police investigation too, by the way!
As for employers asking for your password? I’d probably refuse, offering to make someone the company chooses a friend instead so they could see what was available for friends to see…giving out your password is never a good idea, even when you’re eager to land that great job.
Last, I think lawmakers will eventually shoot this down – the reason is that (prospective) employers are not allowed to discriminate based on age, race, religion, creed, etc. All of your personal interests, your connections to other people and political groups, your religious affiliations, etc. are typically found on your personal social profiles. It would be impossible to argue that an employer will not be influenced by what they see, essentially resulting in some form of discrimination based on personal information they found in the social media profile. While it will be hard to prove, and it may require several cases of discrimination litigation becoming highly visible before it changes, I suspect this type of question will eventually become taboo to employers…just like them asking you your age in an interview…can’t do it!
Another suggestion – start a “clean” FB profile with another version of your name (have two FB profiles), and have all of your friends do the same – and keep one site “clean” for employers to see…if they want to see your FB site, let them see it! 🙂