Caution! – Using Search Engines, MySpace or Facebook for Hiring Decisions May Be Hazardous to Your Business

In Parts One and Two of the series, Les Rosen discussed how statistics from various surveys, news articles, and some of the legal implications of the increased use of social networking sites to screen candidates.
What’s REAL on the Internet?
In addition, how do you know what is “real” on the internet? How do you know that the “name” you found is your applicant? You don’t. With more than 300 million Americans today, most of us have “computer twins” (i.e. people with our names and even a similar date of birth). There is also the question of how does a recruiter even know for sure the applicant actually wrote the item or authorized its posting?
There are anecdotes on the internet of false postings under another person’s name – a sort of “cyber identity theft.” If anonymous information is posted, such as in a chat room, there is the new phenomena of Cyperslamming, where a person can commit defamation without anyone knowing who they are.
What are the lessons for employers and recruiters?

1. Using the Internet to screen candidates is not risk-free, especially when it comes to social networking sites.
2. There are no legal cases yet, but news travels fast on the web, and employers who rely overly much upon social networking sites may find that job applicants are not as eager to look at their firm.
3. If an employer or recruiter uses the internet, they should first consult their attorney in order to develop a written policy and a fair and non-discriminatory procedures.
4. For legal protection, employers should consider obtaining consent so that applicants are on notice that their web persona is fair game. Employers should not use any fake identities or engage in “pretexting” to gain access to information.
5. The most conservative approach is to perform an internet search AFTER there is consent and a job offer is made contingent upon completion of a background check that is satisfactory to the employer.
6. For job applicants, the advice is simple: Don’t be the last to know what a web search about you would reveal.

If you do not want employers looking at your social networking site, then set the privacy parameter to “restricted use only.” As a savvy applicant, you can even go on the offense and create an online presence that helps you get a job!
One rule to remember
If a website is searched by a background screening firm on behalf of an employer, then consent and certain disclosures are mandated under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).
Parts One and Two appeared on Recruiting Trends in May and June. Follow this series of articles to examine why such an apparently easy to use and readily available tool has its dangers and drawbacks.
Article by Lester Rosen and courtesy of Kenndy Information Recruiting Trends providing leading edge insights and strategies for the recruiting professional

Originally posted by Candice A