Employers and Social NEtworking

1. Employers and Social NEtworking By Tom Lannon CIS 1055 004

2. Why Do Employers Use Social Networking? • To recruit potential employees. • To screen out candidates that do not fit the model of their type of employee. • To find out what their employees are like outside of the work place. http://www.flickr.com/photos/logopsd/4210353056/ http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/imageBank/cache/m/myspace-logo-BIG.jpg_e_b531446b815d841fa57ff7ac29559923.jpg http://www.flickr.com/photos/logopsd/4311473722/

3. Why Are They So Concerned With What’s On Your Profile? • The employer can be held responsible for what their employee states. • Companies can face numerous different lawsuits and are held liable over what is said on an employee’s profile. • Some lawsuits and liabilities include: slander, libel, defamation, trade secrets and intellectual property infringement, securities fraud, gun-jumping, and harassment.

4. What Do Employers Look For On These Sites? • Whether or not the employee is engaging in any offensive or inappropriate behavior. • If an employee is stating any private matter in the public setting. • If any activity that the employee partakes in reflects badly on the business’ image to prospective and current clients. Interesting Profile • http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3Dsocial%2Bnetworking%2Band%2Bemployers%26ei%3DUTF-8%26fr%3Dyfp-t-701%26fr2%3Dtab-web&w=575&h=864&imgurl=socialmediablogster.com

5. What Employers Are Doing About This Issue? • Employers are placing policies in the work place that warns all employees of the repercussions of their involvement in such activities. • Banning the use of social networking sites in the workplace to prevent a lack of productivity. • Consistent monitoring of these sites to check on all employees.

6. Pros & Cons Pros Cons • Allows businesses to keep tabs on all employees. • Screens out all potential problem applicants. • Lets the organization to keep a good reputation amongst their clients. • Can possibly weed out the most qualified candidate. • Invasion of the employee’s personal life. • Employers may take things posted on the internet out of context.

7. How Many Companies Are Really Doing This? • In a poll taken from research firm Harris Interactive, over 2600 HR representatives were surveyed and 45% of which had stated they do their online due diligence. • In the same sample group, another 11% said that their companies would plan on implementing this social media screen in the near future. • In the same study, 35% have reported to have found material on the web that caused employers not to hire some candidates. Is there anything online we should know about? http://blog.pr-vantage.com/wp-content/facebook.jpg http://www.techcentral.ie/img/categoryPage/corporate/interviewers_3cr.jpg

8. What Can We Do? • Be more aware of what activities are going to be online. • Be more conscientious of what we say online and to co-workers. • If you think some behavior could jeopordize your career, you probably shouldn’t be doing it. They’re Watching

9. References • Masuda, Tom, “Social Networking and Employers,” http://www.primerus.com/news/resources_business/social- networking-and-employers, November 16, 2009, April 13, 2010. • Van Grove, Jennifer, “45% of Employers Now Screen Social Media Profiles,” http://mashable.com/2009/08/19/social-media- screening/, April 13, 2010. • New York Employment Law Letter, “Why Employers Can’t Ignore Social Networking Sites,”http://hrhero.com/hl/articles/2009/09/11/why- employers-cant-ignore-social-networking-sites, September 11, 2009, April 11, 2010. • “Employers Using Social Networking Sites For Recruiting,” http://www.mergisgroup.com/Find_Jobs/Articles/Mergis_Career_ Article_Why_Employers_Use_Social_Networking.jsp, April 11, 2010.