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I think the most sensible approach is for the candidate to sign on while being interviewed. That way, passwords need not be given out, but the employer can immediately find out if there are any skeletons this person might carry over as a representative of the company. In addition, if there are any, it allows the candidate and the employer to discuss these concerns together. Some may seem less problematic to an employer if there is a logical reason for them.
Even expecting them to sign is inappropriate. It would akin to being expected to hand over bank statements. It also compromises the privacy of one's friends. If they did that, the applicant could always choose not to show certain things to the employer.
In this era, exploring how they use social media is a tool towards finding out early who might cause them embarrassment.
It does not require a person's password to explore how they use social media publicly, which is the ONLY factor that any particular employer is entitled to evaluate.
It does not require a person's password to explore how they use social media publicly, which is the ONLY factor that any particular employer is entitled to evaluate.
It's clear who the right wing, corporate donkey nut jobs are on here.
Now that made me chuckle!
Quote:
Originally Posted by bobtn
Bronco Quarterbacks, Where one went to college is a choice, too, do you want a law saying employers cannot ask where one went to school?
Where I went to school pertains to how well I may or may not do my job. A post on Facebook from my best friend's gay son about his new boyfriend does not.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bobtn
Employers do not want someone who will bring embarrassment to them, via their behavior.
In this case, they're doing it to themselves.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Whyte Byrd
They can accuse me of anything they like. I don't care. The fact is, it's invasion of privacy. Our rights are being chipped away one at a time and it just blows my mind that WE--the United States of America--are allowing it! I thought we were a nation of fighters, not survivors.
Preach it! Too bad the people who really need to hear it are deaf.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tiluha
I wonder what the protocol is for hiring "overseas employees"????
Boss: Will you work for $4 an hour?
Employee: Yes.
Boss: You're hired.
It's an employer's market out there these days, and some employers are using that to their advantage with things such as this outrageous Facebook crap. The unemployed person who is under a lot of pressure to obtain a job ASAP to pay bills and put food on the table for his family may, knowing full well that it's an invasion of privacy, comply with the interviewer's request anyway to surrender their FB password b/c they need the job badly.
Personally, I would definitely refuse to give up my password, and would refuse to log into my FB account under the interviewer's watch, and would even refuse a friend request from HR or whatever. All of these cross the line, IMO. Not just for my privacy, but for my FB-connected friends and family. Some people do believe that one's personality & beliefs are partially influenced by the company they keep. I'd just politely tell the interviewer "No" and then immediately conclude the interview and exit the premises, since my decision was abruptly made at that point that I do not want to work there. And afterwards I may notify my friends and acquaintances (in case any of them are looking) that this employer has a history of engaging in this practice.
I think one reason this currently isn't illegal is because this is a relatively new practice that hasn't yet gotten widespread attention until now. Social media isn't that old and its widespread popularity is even younger. Hopefully, as articles like this one raise awareness, state and/or federal legislation will be introduced and passed to make this illegal. Right now, this FB password issue is a loophole that employers can exploit to possibly gain knowledge about a person that they legally aren't supposed to ask in an interview (marital status, political/religious affiliation, sexual orientation, etc)...and then take that info into account when making their hiring decision.
Sure, employers have a reputation to protect, and that its employee behavior and future hire behavior are important to protecting said image (esp. for folks higher up the food chain.) Some of these employers seem to be overly paranoid about that, though...I bet many of them have subpar work environments where many of the employees do their jobs in subtle fear.
Lots of good advice in this thread on how to protect yourself. Be careful what you post on other people's walls; be careful what you tweet on Twitter, etc etc.
If you go for a job you can be eliminated for:
1. being fired
2. not having a job right now (no value to them apparently unless you are someone else's worker)
3. smoking
4. drinking
5. being fat
6. having kids
7. being Black
8. being White
9. being some other race
and so on....
I have nothing to hide but maybe I don't WANT THEM reading my Facebook.
I would be one of the few to say no and then have no future at their company...
What's next??
Some of those are protected classes.... others seem reasonable.
Dental Floss, The Free Market should decide what employers and employees are entitled to.
LOL. You right wingers and your almighty Free Market God. Free Market hasn't exactly been kind to the middle class the past 3+ decades. Lots has been written before on this so I will not expound on it. Suffice it to say laws and regulations are necessary for a reason, you would think the Great Recession would've taught some people, but I guess not.
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