For this first blog, I had a tough time deciding what aspect of Human Resources and social media I would like to tackle. When I started to dig into a little bit of literature about the two topics it became an easy decision. Should HR departments be searching for potential candidates on Google and social media sites?
It has become a hot topic in recent months due to incidents where employers were asking for Facebook passwords. There have even been two states, Illinois and California, that have made it illegal for employers to ask for Facebook passwords: http://www.webpronews.com/new-laws-banning-employers-from-asking-for-facebook-passwords-go-into-effect-2013-01. It also becomes a little fuzzy because social media is a great way to advertise job openings or in other words do social recruiting. This will continue to be a debated topic in the coming years, especially when it comes to the HR departments and the policies that they create.
HR departments should use Google and social media to a minimum when an applicant is going through the interview process. There are a couple of times that it would be relevant. If you are hiring for a position like PR or Marketing, it is a great tool to find YouTube videos of the applicant on previous work they have done. Some applicants may even include these links in their information.
HR departments should not use Google and social media sites for finding any reason to not hire a person. This is a lazy way of trying to weed out applicants. The HR specialist should use the application, employees history and references to see if they would be a good fit. Social media is a personal site for someone to be able to post pictures and connect with family and friends far away. Where should employers draw the line? Besides, what will the internet provide? Skewed information? Misconception of a situation? It could lead to letting a potentially great employee get away.
What do you all think about using Google and social media as a way to look into applicants? Feel free to comment with your opinions!
It has become a hot topic in recent months due to incidents where employers were asking for Facebook passwords. There have even been two states, Illinois and California, that have made it illegal for employers to ask for Facebook passwords: http://www.webpronews.com/new-laws-banning-employers-from-asking-for-facebook-passwords-go-into-effect-2013-01. It also becomes a little fuzzy because social media is a great way to advertise job openings or in other words do social recruiting. This will continue to be a debated topic in the coming years, especially when it comes to the HR departments and the policies that they create.
HR departments should use Google and social media to a minimum when an applicant is going through the interview process. There are a couple of times that it would be relevant. If you are hiring for a position like PR or Marketing, it is a great tool to find YouTube videos of the applicant on previous work they have done. Some applicants may even include these links in their information.
HR departments should not use Google and social media sites for finding any reason to not hire a person. This is a lazy way of trying to weed out applicants. The HR specialist should use the application, employees history and references to see if they would be a good fit. Social media is a personal site for someone to be able to post pictures and connect with family and friends far away. Where should employers draw the line? Besides, what will the internet provide? Skewed information? Misconception of a situation? It could lead to letting a potentially great employee get away.
What do you all think about using Google and social media as a way to look into applicants? Feel free to comment with your opinions!
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