برچسب گذاری شده اید! (دوباره ، شاید نه): کارفرمایان و فیس بوک

Social networking sites, such as Facebook, have exploded on to the cultural and business landscape. Not only can firms use social networking sites to present organizational information to interested parties, but also perhaps gather information regarding job applicants. As an employer, checking out an applicant's Facebook page—much like Googling a candidate's name—is very tempting. It is understandable that managers would like to know as much about a candidate as possible. Facebook pages can provide a wealth of information beyond, or even possibly contradicting, an applicant's submitted documents. While this may represent a potentially useful tool, there are several reasons for caution. For instance, an organization's selection process may be biased if an applicant's Facebook page contains inaccurate information, if some applicants do not have Facebook pages, and/or if legally protected demographic information ends up being part of the selection process. Facebook's own policies suggest that an organization may face legal challenges if it considers an applicant's Facebook page as part of the selection process. Just as importantly, there are ethical issues—in particular, an individual's right to privacy—which must be considered. We wish to encourage organizations to develop guidelines regarding the use of social networking sites in the application process, based on the practical, legal, and ethical issues covered in this article.

Finally, we endorse the typical cautionary advice for job applicants, in particular for new college graduates and other young people beginning their careers. The customs and laws that regulate hiring also provide employers with rights. It remains largely true that in the United States, being considered for a job is more of a privilege than a right. The employment-at-will concept reminds us that a job belongs to an employer, and it remains the employer's discretion as to who may occupy that position. The observations offered in this article do not fundamentally alter this reality. Managers still possess considerable latitude in determining what type of employee will best represent the organization. Most managers making hiring decisions represent a generation with a distinctly different set of expectations regarding acceptable public personas. These expectations are probably at odds with how many young people live their lives, both online and offline. The generational divide exemplified by using social networking information will probably dwindle over the years, until such time that it is inevitably replaced by a new technology or new social reality. Until then, however, caution is perhaps the best ally, particularly in a tough labor market. Be attentive to what your online profile says about you; focus on presenting the identity of someone that would make an excellent employee.