Social Media Background Checks

People are responsible for what they post, so one should not get upset if a company rejects the application due to misconduct (Source G). Social Media is public, so everyone has the right to view anyone’s activities that they share on it. If one doesn’t want their material viewed, then they should keep their profile private.

Private information that was previously segregated now becomes easily accessible to employers, colleagues, recruiters, and clients, among other perhaps unintended audiences” (Abril, 2012, para. 4). Yes, most social media sites attain privacy settings but one must always remember there are hiccups in everything on the internet and no guarantees leaks will not occur.

Employers on our social media, this is a fact that everyone in this age accepts but do not necessarily like or want. Some people say it is okay to check social media when looking for who to hire, but this infringes on privacy rights. If an employer finds something discriminating on a profile and decides not to hire the person this is not okay, even though some may say it is because you want to know what you are getting into. An employer could find information that was not even true on social media, this would not work in favor of employment. It is not okay to check social media when employers are hiring because it invades privacy, discriminates and the information provided on the site could be false.

“Employers are commissioning companies to do professional social media background checks” Personally I don’t approve of this because how someone portrays themselves at home or with friends is not how they do at work, if they have a good background check and credentials then why would employers need to stalk people online. Oceania would obviously never allow the internet or social media but this is one step closer to becoming them.

One of the most highly debated issues in the business world is the use of social media profiles as a determining factor in the hiring process. Some people feel that using someone’s social media profile is an invasion of privacy because it uses something from their personal life to determine their professional success. As long as the company follows some basic guidelines I believe there is nothing wrong with them looking into the profiles of their potential employees. It is important to point out that while looking at many of the different ethical ideologies, this practice does not violate the ethical conducts. Teleologists would agree that looking into someones profile will ensure that you are hiring someone who will conduct themselves in a proper manner. Therefore, the means of looking into their personal lives justifies the ends in which you hire a professional with good character. Deontologists would likely agree that as long as the company does not try to find loop holes to see into protected accounts that they are respecting the rights of the individual and therefore are not being unethical. I believe that it is reasonable for a company to use social media profiles as a basis for hiring because everything posted on the internet is public domain, it allows them to get an understanding of who the potential client is, and you want to ensure that you are hiring someone who fits in to your company.

In 1990, Tim Berners Lee invented the World Wide Web, since then a huge uprising in technology and social media has allowed us and others to invade the privacy of one another. Due to this massive growth, social media became widespread in today’s society, allowing easy access to people’s private information. Sadly, this information may be the reason someone is looked over after a job interview, because employers go through social media to evaluate a potential employee’s behavior. Is it a good thing for an employer to invade the privacy of a current or future employee, as a tool to evaluate ones character?

Sites such as LinkedIn helps recruiters in recruiting candidates by expanding the reach of their personal networks, contact candidates directly, and manage an array of talent (Schawbel, 2012). With most people being aware that employers do reference their profile for character check, people do believe that employers have the right to view their information in order to learn about the candidates’ personality and to ensure the person is not a liability (Budden, Elkersh, Vicknair, & Yancey, 2010). In conclusion, employers should be using social media only for job-relevant purposes. Employers should take specific steps

In the age of social media, every online user has been monitored, whether it was by a company looking at their Facebook, a school checking Instagram, or a friend creeping on Twitter. Today, people live in a social media fishbowl, and it’s pretty probable that one of the people watching you might be your current or potential employer. According to CareerBuilder, 52% of companies review job applicants’ social media profiles before hiring them now, up from 43% in 2014. Obviously, It can be kind of embarrassing for a company if one of its employees, who represents them, does something illegal via social media or posts offensive content. Also, student employees are much more hard to keep track of and monitoring their social media may help companies

There are a lot of different things social media is used for, like catching up with old friends, or the current events going on around us. Sometimes social media is used to plan out protests, terrorist attacks, and things of that nature. We do not have privacy at all, the government is always watching. Even though having our every technological move monitored seems threatening, it definitely has its advantages. They have access to evidence of cyber harassment, prevention of cruel leaked information, and

Social media is more and more used to make presumptions and decisions about people. If I get to know someone I will go to Google and try to find out what can be found instead of waiting how all info itself will arouse by time passing. It’s debatable if it is ethical to spy about people in social networks because behavioral patterns witnessed there belong more to private sphere. But if person is willingly giving away his rights to privacy?  Also we seldom think of privacy issues when applying for “bonus” card to get 5% discount. It seems that sometimes people need to be protected against themselves and until there are no new and relevant social norms aroused, this is were policymakers should puzzle and offer solutions. Of course the balance is a key issue.

Social networking sites such as Twitter or Facebook have created a new ethical dilemma for many businesses. Corporations, small businesses, and even universities are struggling create policies to manage their employees social networking behaviors. Social networking access, particularly for recruiters, can provide personal information about potential employees, which would otherwise not be available. A business must follow statutes and guidelines when disclosing information to the public. Individuals on social networking sites have no such constraints. Employees can and do make comments about their employers online. Employers can and do watch what employees post online. Any individual can send or post potentially damaging information

Social media gives employers the opportunity to see the true image of how candidates behave in a variety of real social situations, rather than the glimpse provided by the typical 20-30 minute, staged interview, in which the candidate will most likely behave differently anyways due to nervousness or stress. This can give great insight to what it will be like to work alongside a candidate.

My second reason for why I believe job employers should have the right to look at social media accounts of potential employees is because it allows the employer to find out if the candidate presents a positive professional image and good communicative skills. If an employers chooses to look at someone who bullies others on social media it could show that that applicant has a poor character. If they look at someone who is illiterate or inappropriate with images or words that could show a potential problem with maturity. If an employer looks at someone who has positive feedback from peers and shows an active involvement in the community, it could show the employer that the candidate has the ability to help the company grow.

Social media can be too informative at times. Suppose you were looking for a job and applied but the chances of ever being hired were ruined because of what you post online. The fact that one can be chosen to be looked up and be reviewed on based on their beliefs. For example “someone applying to become the new head of a science department. The applicant had attended conferences on creationism and posted notes online. Someone from the steering committee saw them and voiced concerns and the applicant was turned down” (Fox 7). It creates a mindset of having to second guess what you post due to the possibility of it affecting you in the future. Even if you do get hired getting passed the screening there is still the employer’s awareness to posts that you may have to take into consideration. There is a chance of being terminated if you were to post something the employee may deem notable to consider letting you go. However

Even though the practice of using social media to vet candidates is relatively new, there are standards already established for this process. Employers who are hesitant to use social media typically cite fear of allegations of discriminatory hiring practices. To protect themselves against legal ramifications of unfair hiring processes, employers should always consult with an employment attorney to develop policies for gathering and use of internet-based information (“The Facebook Background Check.”) An employment attorney can help