Social Networking: Its Implication To Employment

Many people seemed to have lost their jobs after posting on social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace. But why? Celebrities use social networking sites, TV reporters use it, and chances are you and your friends use it, too. However, some users can overlook the negative effects that social networking sites ca have on their careers. A lot of people are unaware that certain social network postings such as inappropriate photos, discriminatory comments, and criticism of previous employers, for example, can influence the hiring process and may result in termination of employment or not being hired for a job.

So, why do we have these problems? If you think of it, the substance of social networking is not new. People have always talked around over a cup of coffee about their colleagues, bosses and jobs. The difference is that social networking provides larger audiences and an archive of such comments.

The ease of tapping into social media may truly have implications for the job hiring process. According to a recent survey, 50% of employers use social networking sites to screen job applicants. Facebook was the most popular site to search because of its large audience and popularity. Twenty five percent of human resource managers found informations on social network profiles that persuaded them to hire or not to hire job applicants.

It is a worthwhile thing to note that as long as employers does not violate discrimination laws, nothing prohibits an employment decision based on information that an applicant places in the public domain.

Today, many organizations use social networking sites for posting jobs and searching for candidates. Human resource recruiters can create their own profiles, invite people to a social network event and suggest that they become a fan of the organization. Job seekers may become friends, allowing job recruiters to search and view their profiles. Recruiters can then join these groups and ask people to be added as a friend, thus allowing access to their profile information.

The popularity of social media has overshawoded the possible negative impacts. Social media present risks and opportunities for employers, employees and job seekers as they break down the walls separating personal and professional lives.

The reality is, social networking sites can be a friend or a foe. Anything you post can be disseminated
anywhere, hang around forever and come back to haunt you at any time. So stop and think before you post. Use some common sense and your best judgement. We need to balance the social and business opportunities of social media with the opportunities to get into trouble.