You have to hand it to American business. As the economy has been roiled by the real estate bubble, the failure of banks, European nations that we never thought about, and other factors, some corporations apparently act like this buyer’s market gives them license to start rifling through the desks and dressers of job applicants.
Using social media as a way to find out about future employees is logical – we do it, too. If you’re open enough to allow anyone to have a glimpse at your Facebook or LinkedIn page, or you’re dumb enough to post pictures, links, and videos of you doing crazy antics with your friends, employers will find them if they’re out there.
Yet if you enjoy social media – but also value your privacy – you should have the right to your hobbies, your associates, your activities, and even your dark side.
When employers demand a Facebook password so they can delve into your private lives, you may as well give them the key to your apartment, condo, or house, because that’s what it amounts to. And if they find something out about you that rubs them the wrong way, they don’t have to tell you what it was that dissuaded them from hiring you.
As employers don’t have the right to ask about your family, your relationships, your religion (or lack thereof) and other personal matters, what you do on Facebook ought to belong to you – assuming you use your privacy settings with some degree of discretion.
And to its credit, Facebook is stepping up and is actively frowning on the practice. Here’s Erin Egan, their chief privacy officer: “As a user, you shouldn’t be forced to share your private information and communications just to get a job. And as the friend of a user, you shouldn’t have to worry that your private information or communications will be revealed to someone you don’t know and didn’t intend to share with just because that user is looking for a job.”
There’s legislation brewing that would make it illegal for companies to request Facebook (and other social network) log-in information. Hopefully, this effort will manage to avoid the sad logjam that seems to occur every time any bill is introduced in Congress.
(Note: Since this post was written, it turns out that it was a Democratic Congressman who introduced an amendment to stop this practice as part of an FCC bill, and as you’d expect, it was rejected by Republicans in the House. In D.C., the beat goes on…)
If, for some reason, corporations are allowed to dig into the personal lives of job applicants, it will foster a chilling effect that will impact the way people use social media and the ways in which they interact with each other.
In the meantime, if you’re a company that routinely asks for this information, it might be wise to stop this practice because it’s simply bad business. You’re already “the house.” And as we know too well, the house always wins.
Too many radio companies believe that Facebook is a conduit that should simply provide higher ratings and additional revenue. The notion that it should also be used to delve into the personal lives of job applicants – or current employees – is just plain wrong.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
- Radio + Thanksgiving = Gratitude - November 27, 2024
- Is It Quittin’ Time For SiriusXM? - November 26, 2024
- Radio, It Oughta Be A Crime - November 25, 2024
Its sad that the competition for jobs is so intense that people are desperate enough to divulge their passwords and that some companies are brazen enough to exploit that desperation by demanding them. The short term solution is for anyone being seriously considered for a job to suspend their Facebook page until that position is filled. When asked for a password, they can honestly say they don’t have one.
Sad indeed and a good suggestion. Thanks, Bob.