Job Seekers Getting Asked for Facebook Passwords (wage, versus, position)

[DentalFloss]

Originally Posted by bobtn

Drug Testing often leads to corporate lower insurance premiums.

Then why does my current company not do drug tests?

[bobtn]

Don't Know, but I can tell you from experience, many corps accidentally leave money on the table on stuff like this. Many have no one knowledgable in negotiating, and playing brokers and insurance companies against each other to get lower costs. Or simply asking what steps they can take to obtain lower costs.

[Chatteress]

Originally Posted by bobtn

The difference is gender is not something innate about a person; how they utilize social networking is strictly a choice. Many disclose where they work on facebook, and when you do that, ANYTHING you say can be viewed with you personally representing a company.

Marital status, religious affiliation, number of children you have ... These are CHOICES ... Companies are not allowed to ask these questions but if these things are discovered by viewing someone's PRIVATE Facebook page (or other social network site), then they can be subjected to discrimination ....

"Oh ... I see Sally has 3 young kids at home ... Tsk ... Tsk ... She seemed to be a strong candidate but it will be a hassle with her possibly needing lots of time off to care for her kids so we best not hire her... " - Thinks the interviewer who is otherwise impressed with Sally's credentials. So he decides to discriminate against her because her private Facebook profile reveals that she has three young kids at home, never mind the fact that Sally has made provisions and is a diligent employee who never allows her family to interfere with her work performance.

"Oh ... I see Bill is a Christian ... Hmmm ... He seemed to be a strong candidate for this position but I sure don't want any crazy Bible thumpers working for me so I'll just have to hire someone else" - Thinks the interviewer as he reviews Bill's private Facebook page. Nevermind the fact that Bill is the type of person who keeps his Christian beliefs to himself and respects everyone regardless of beliefs.

These are just two examples of how innocent information posted on someone's PRIVATE Facebook page can lead to discrimination in regards to things that are illegal for a company to ask.

Originally Posted by bobtn

Chatteress"My Facebook usage is limited to my home computer so my employer has no rights to my private account."

That's fine, but we also do not have a RIGHt to a particular job, either. So if the employer decides to deep six those who wish not to abide with their process, they are within their rights, too.

Since when does an employer have the right to your online passwords?

Originally Posted by chef.sunny22

There are far too many Conservative people on this site who will trade their privacy away for a bowl full of magic beans/good salary.

Live with very little for awhile and realize your freedoms are more important than some INTERVIEW for SOME JOB you may not get anyhow.

I'm a conservative that is strongly AGAINST this nonsense. Please don't paint everyone with a broad brush

Originally Posted by hnsq

You aren't allowed to ask about those things to prevent discrimination. It has nothing to do with relevance to a person's ability to do a job. Actually if it is relevant to the job, you ARE allowed to ask those questions (for example, why you can discriminate based on gender for modeling jobs). Violations of privacy have nothing to do with it.

A company is not allowed to ask these things but could discover these things through a Facebook perusal ... If it's a public profile, that's fine. If the profile is set to private, then the hiring person does not have the right to access this profile and underhandedly find out a person's marital status, religious affiliation, # of children, political views .... Information such as this can lead to discrimination and it is not information that a candidate would have shared without feeling pressured to give up their passwords.

Originally Posted by hnsq

Then don't put it online if you have something you want to hide. Don't put anything online under your real name that you aren't OK getting out to everyone you know.

An interviewer is not someone I know ...

Originally Posted by hnsq

Then don't interview at a company that asks to see a facebook profile...

How would I know that the company will ask that in an interview beforehand? Since when does companies disclose interview questions prior to the interview? By the way, if companies are allowed the latitude of asking people to disclose their private Facebook passwords, what's to stop every company in adopting this strategy? If this ever became a normal hiring procedure, then candidates are just so out of luck if they cannot start their own companies then

Originally Posted by hnsq

Asking questions about marital status or religion are illegal, and are illegal based on proven cases of discrimination. You are more than welcome to ask questions based on political viewpoints. Asking to see one's facebook profile is more often than not used to see what kind of person you are. Did the candidate lambaste their last boss? Does the candidate post crazy rants every day (and then will the candidate post rants about OUR company in the future?) Does the candidate pass out drunk every night (and do we want someone working for us who gives us a reputation of employing drunks)?

I have no issues with companies doing a Facebook search for candidates and viewing their public profiles as it is fair game. If the interviewer cannot access a Facebook page without getting a candidate's password or requesting that the candidate log into their profile, then that is wrong and a violation of someone's privacy. The reason why companies search Facebook profiles is to determine what type of information does the candidate leave open for the public and whether that public information will be an embarrassment or harmful to the company. If the profile is private, then the person's posts, messages, pictures, etc are ONLY accessible to friends and not available for the public - just like email.

Originally Posted by hnsq

Those questions are ones that are unbelievably important to get answers to before a person is hired, given how tough it is to fire someone today. I think using facebook to answer those questions is well within a company's right, given the candidate has the right to walk away.

Yes, the candidate has the right to walk away but given the difficulties that some unemployed folks have been having with locating work, they may feel as if they have no other option but to oblige the interviewer's request. The person interviewing a candidate has power over whether the candidate gets hired by the company or not and requesting the Facebook password (or access) to a private Facebook page is abusing that power.

Originally Posted by hnsq

If all companies started doing this then someone like you could start a company advertising the fact that you do not employ those practices and (given the responses on this board) you would have candidates flocking to you.

That is the beauty of a free market economy, if self-regulates if left alone by government interaction.

Most folks don't have the means or ability to start their own business. Unfair hiring practices such as discrimination based upon factors such as marital status, children, religious/political views, etc are illegal, which is why companies cannot ask those sensitive questions. Viewing someone's PRIVATE Facebook page is tantamount to asking those questions as many folks post about these things in their profiles. As I've said before, if it's public, it's fair game. If it's PRIVATE, it's not fair game.

[bobtn]

Chatteress, LOL. In over 20 years, I have yet to interview anyone who did not disclose their family situation in the normal course of a conversation. News flash: People with kids are hired all the time.

What is happening is free choice. No one is being forced to disclose a password, nor is an employee required to continue in the interview process, if they so desire. Both parties have rights that protect BOTH choices.

[Chatteress]

Originally Posted by bobtn

Whyte Byrd, This is an OLD issue. Employers have googled candidates for several years now, and seeing a homepage is simply a minor extension of it. Wal Mart will never do it for the clerk on the floor, as their off hours behavior is not going to caste a bad light on their employer.

But for a mid or higher level professional, or someone on an upward career track, behavior off hours influences how customers views the corp as the account manager or other corp representative is seen as the company.

If a candidate's profile can be googled or located without a password, it's fair game.

[bobtn]

It's fair game for the company as well to decide if they wish to continue interviewing people they feel they lack sufficient info for. The determination of what is sufficient should be theirs, since the salary would be paid by them.

[Colts]

It's ridiculous what employers ask for these days.

What's next? Polygraph tests, blood tests, report cards from sixth grade...

[tiluha]

Originally Posted by Colts

It's ridiculous what employers ask for these days.

What's next? Polygraph tests, blood tests, report cards from sixth grade...

They tried, now Polygraph tests are against the law... The Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) (http://www.dol.gov/compliance/laws/comp-eppa.htm - broken link)

Still allowed: Blood tests I imagine are used for drug screening

Report cards from sixth grade are next on their list....

Edit: Also next on their list: Your web search history of ALL time LOL...

[Colts]

Originally Posted by tiluha

They tried, now Polygraph tests are against the law... The Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) (http://www.dol.gov/compliance/laws/comp-eppa.htm - broken link)

Still allowed: Blood tests I imagined are used for drug screening

Report cards from sixth grade are next on their list....

Edit: Also next on their list: Your web search history of ALL time LOL...

Not to mention your email inbox, credit card receipts, medical records, number of sexual partners, etc...

Seriously, there are endless ways to judge one's character!

[1208]

Maybe it's fair game but it's disgusting and I don't see how anyone can defend it. It crosses basic decency.