Unless you have been living under a rock (and that rock was not in range of a 3 or 4G network), you have heard by now about how some hiring managers are requesting Facebook passwords from prospective employees. Just check out what CNNmoney.com, The New York Times, Computerworld and Time are reporting, for example. The topic has many people concerned, on both sides of the issue.
“If you give someone your password and let them into your Facebook account as if they were you, then they will have access to your marital status, age, religion and even some medical information—all the things that companies are by law not allowed to ask you about during the hiring process,” says Tina Hamilton, president and CEO of hireVision. “With a members of Congress asking for an investigation into the practice, and Facebook’s user terms not permitting the sharing of our passwords to begin with, I just don’t think it’s wise for companies to venture into that territory.”
“Employers can still look at a person’s social media presence as a fellow user of these sites, however, and I think they should,” adds Hamilton. “That can paint a pretty good picture of who you are dealing with professionally, and it’s up-for-grabs information if you are seeing it as it appears publicly, or as an invited viewer.”
Should companies be allowed to ask for a job applicant’s Facebook password to do a background check? Tell us what you think!
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Tags: CNNMoney.com, Computerworld, Facebook, hiring, hiring managers, hiring process, HR and social media, NetSourcing, New York Times, privacy issues, social media, Time, Time Magazine, Tina Hamilton
There are many ways to do background check for the employee or job applicant but asking for the password of any social media site is kinda off the line.
Thanks for weighing in, Emily. Our poll responses seem to mirror your sentiments about asking job applicants for social media passwords.