Attention
This message is directed to anyone who has a Facebook or MySpace account for personal use.
I enjoy Facebook. I'm not a raving lunatic with Facebook, but I like to occasionally check out other people's blogs, comments and pictures. Facebook is a great venue to connect and reconnect with people I've long since lost contact, and rekindle our friendships. I enjoy looking at someone's page and seeing pictures they may have posted of themselves (now older, some balding, some heavier / some skinnier than I remember).
A Permanent Record
Facebook (or MySpace) can be used to learn an awful lot about a person. Imagine having access to uncensored, publicly-posted information about a person that never, never, never, never, never ever will be erased from permanent record. Many people don't realize their security settings can help privatize access to their page, but it's not completely fool-proof.
So, how do this fit in to looking for a job?
Employers Are Looking At You
Employers know that many people can be found on Facebook, MySpace or other social networking sites. And, at this point, 7/20/11, there are no laws precluding employers from looking at these social networking sites to find out all sorts of information about potential applicants or current employees.
Why, with just a few short key-strokes, I can check out the guy who sent me his resume for a Supervisor/Manager position. On his resume's "Objective" he's indicated that he's a hard worker, dedicated to giving 110%, results-driven and commited to his work. When I look at his Facebook page, pictures that he personally has posted, show up with him drunk and passed out on the lawn. A picture says a thousand words. And guess what, it will never, never, never, never, never, ever be erased from permanent record.
Whoops.
Employers may think twice about hiring the guy who's passed out on the lawn (as evidenced by his Facebook pictures). Employers may be hesistant to hire the guy who makes derrogatory comments about gays/lesbians as part of an on-going blog to someone else's Facebook page. Employers may be reluctant to hire the gal who posted pictures of she and her friends at a restaurant eating breadsticks in sexually-suggestive ways.
I subscribe to the belief that everything communicates something. And therefore, looking at someone's Facebook page or MySpace page can communicate volumes to me about the applicant who left his resume on my desk an hour ago, applying for a high-profile position I'm trying to fill.
Kathleen Lapekas - PHR
Action HR Consulting
For Personal Attention to Personnel Matters...
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