Facebook: Should prospective employers/Universities check it? [ENDS 17/06/2012]

[Grig]

Facebook: Should prospective employers/Universities check it?
Ends: 17/06/2012

This is an issue that has been occuring more and more recently. Some companies, as well as educational institutions have been searching for the Facebook accounts of prospective employees/students and checking their timeline and more personal details about them. This in turn, has sparked quite a bit of controversy and debate.

On one hand, employers say this is important as it means that they can vet the best possible candidates for the required jobs, and that is necessary to take a look at a range of factors, including some information about the person themselves.

Others have been outraged. For example, there have been known cases where companies would not hire a female candidate who was pregnant after finding this out from their Faceboook. This means that it's pure and simple discrimination.

So, what do you think? Should these institutions be allowed to check Facebook or not?

[Samantha.]

I don't think they should be allowed to check it because everyone is entitled to a personal life and they're kind of invading it to see what you get up to in your normal life, but you could argue that it is beneficial for the employer to look at facebook to see what you're like in everyday life. I still don't think they should be allowed though!

[Inseriousity.]

I think if someone has their profile on public then they can't complain when it's viewed by potential employers/universities. Easiest way to get round it is not to have it on public view for everyone to see!

[lawrawrrr]

If someone makes their profile public, they have absolutely no right to moan when other people look, even prospective bosses!!

Facebook is meant to represent a private life, which should be separate from work. However, because an employer may see a new employee's facebook profile, and see pictures with the individual going 'crazy', they may get the wrong idea.

I think that people should make their profiles private, and if they desperately don't want to do that, untag pictures that are unsuitable and don't post rude/disparaging statuses. If someone posts 'I HATE WORK I'VE ONLY BEEN ONCE THIS WEEK CALLING IN SICK AGAIN LMFAO' (a post i saw the other day), an employer/potential employer may have a few questions raised. It's completely the fault of the owner of the profile.

[Mikey]

I don't think employers should be looking at social networking sites to see what people are like. People do have a right to keep their personal life and their job life separate. But I do agree with the debate of if your Facebook page is public then it's your own fault because anyone in the world has a right to see what your posting.

[Oleh]

I think they do, gives them more of an insight into their personality and behaviour out of work, which could affect how they work etc

[Tom]

I have a half and half view on this.

My friend, before she got into teaching, was a model in New York and an actor. Recently, some students at the school she works at found out the link to her modelling website. Luckily, she wasn't a 'nude model' but unfortunately they were just as close with the most explicit photo being one which she had just a towel round her. We never could trace back to the person who started this but Alison (friend) was absolutely distraught at the fact she may lose her job! This could've been helped if, for example, the senior management of that school had at least access to some information? For example links that are posted and just general statuses.

But that's where I also go against it. As others have said it is quite a problem in terms of privacy. Yeah, I am more towards it being wrong but it could help in some ways!

[lawrawrrr]

I have a half and half view on this.

My friend, before she got into teaching, was a model in New York and an actor. Recently, some students at the school she works at found out the link to her modelling website. Luckily, she wasn't a 'nude model' but unfortunately they were just as close with the most explicit photo being one which she had just a towel round her. We never could trace back to the person who started this but Alison (friend) was absolutely distraught at the fact she may lose her job! This could've been helped if, for example, the senior management of that school had at least access to some information? For example links that are posted and just general statuses.

But that's where I also go against it. As others have said it is quite a problem in terms of privacy. Yeah, I am more towards it being wrong but it could help in some ways!

I know what you mean with that. One of my old teachers was in a band when he was younger and someone found the link to his website, he had a few funny songs (when i say funny i mean, taken the wrong way - was called 'Boobies on the Beach' - about the birds rather than lady lumps) and everyone ended up teasing him so much, he ended up getting a warning from the headteacher for doing that, even though it was before he even worked there?

[Dj-Pied]

I think facebook is like a personal CV. For example, when there are people I don't know very well I often can gauge a good idea of what they're like, and whether i'll get on with them, by looking at their status', pictures and likes/pages. Universities want the smallest possible number of people dropping out and people have made their own facebook profile public by putting in on facebook, so basically I believe by having a facebook account you're inviting people, whether it be possible friends or future employers, to judge you based on that profile.

[Munex]

As others have already said, if people have not set their Facebook to private, they have to accept that anybody can look at it - even potential employers.

A girl I know was fired from Tesco (large supermarket in England) after they read her tweets about how boring work is. Did you know that Tesco actually have an internet team that is dedicated to reading tweets from employees, in my friend's case, a 16-year-old girl.