Social Media Background Checks

            For years companies have been doing background checks on potential employees.  The traditional background check told the employer if the potential employee had a criminal background or was a drug user.  Today some companies are taking the traditional background check a step further, and are also performing social media background checks.  This practice includes searching social networking sites in order to find more out about potential employees.  Commonly searched social networking sites are Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedln.

            It is currently being debated whether or not performing a social networking background check should be allowed.  Employers argue that the social media background check helps them determine if the potential employee will be a good fit in their organization.  It can provide them with insight into the candidate’s personality, and also help them design appropriate questions for the interview.  While potential employees often argue that it is an infringement of their privacy.  They tend to feel that what happens in their personal life is just that, personal.  They also worry that the information that they find while performing a social media background check will influence their hiring decision in a negative manner. 

            It has been reported that seven out of ten U.S. employers reject candidates based on information they have posted online.  The same study also reported that ninety percent of employers are "somewhat concerned" to "very concerned" that the information they find can be inaccurate and unreliable.  (Siedsma, 2012)  Yet, although these concerns have been noted employers are increasingly placing more importance on information and pictures from this source. 

            A lot of information found as the result of social media background checks can cast an unfavorable light onto the potential candidate.  For example, a candidate's age, gender, sexuality, and religious beliefs are typically exposed in such checks.  Employers are not supposed to consider this information when making their decision, but once they know something it can be difficult not to let it influence their decision.

            Another concern of potential employees is their use of short hand when writing messages to friends back and forth.  For example, “What r u doing 2nite?”  is something that a friend might post onto another friend’s wall.  Although this form of communication might be found appropriate by the two people who are actually communicating in the conversation, a potential employer will likely view it as unprofessional. 

            Social networking sites are also likely to provide the potential employers with information about your family.  They might find out that you have four young children, and worry that you will not have enough time to commit to the job.  Or they might find out that you are single, and become concerned that you are a flight risk.

            While most of the discussion related to social media background checks focuses on the negative information, some positive information can also be found.  For example, when some employers are doing social media background checks they are looking to see who your friends are, and what groups you are a member of.  This can benefit the candidate when they are connected to other individuals or groups in the same business.  The employer wants to see if you are connected to key people who can potentially benefit them. 

            Federal employment laws are in place to level the playing field.  All individuals are supposed to receive an equal opportunity regardless of age, class, gender, race, sexuality, and religious beliefs.  As more and more social networking sites are developed, new laws will have to be developed in order to regulate what is considered fair game when it comes to social media sites.  The reality is that social networking sites are a very important part of today's society, and their use will only continue to grow making this an even larger issue.

Social Networking In the Workplace

            Many social networking sites were developed with the hopes that they would be used to connect friends with one another.  It was not long after this that social networking sites were being developed in order to foster relationships with possible love interest.  Now you see social networking sites being used in the classroom as educational tools.  Based on this rapid growth across varying fields, it is really not that big of a stretch to believe that social networking sites are now making a place for themselves in the professional workplace. 

            Social networking applications have been designed that share many of the same characteristics of Facebook.  These applications allow employees that work for the company to connect with one another.  Social networking applications are designed to increase productivity.  They are each encouraged to set up a profile.  This profile might include information such as what their job responsibilities are, education, special training, and work history.

            These social networking applications allow employees to form multiple groups.  One of the benefits of this is that employees who are working as a team can form a group dedicated specifically to that project.  This allows for a virtual file where all group members can find information within a few click of a mouse.  Group members can follow one another allow them to receive status updates that are important in their workplace on their newsfeed. 

            Social networking applications are slowly beginning to replace the use of email in some workplaces.  This movement is being met with some resistance though.  In order for this new form of communication to be effective all of a company’s employees need to commit to it.  The transition from email to social networking seems go better if all group leaders are completely behind its use.  Some companies have also tried making it a game and/or competition. 

            Email systems have been in operation for over 50 years.  (Dow Jones & Company, 2012)  Over the years many upgrades have been made to the systems.  Employees are comfortable with using them.  Clients are comfortable with using them as a form of communication.  Since many companies are required to keep documentation of their communication with clients, company email has provided a great storage bin.  How will social networking application fulfill this role? 

            There is also some question as to how employees can search for older documents using social networking applications.  This will be particularly problematic for companies that employee millions of people.  Millions of employees equals millions of updates on a daily basis.  This is allows for great communication flow, but can also become somewhat overwhelming.  Heavy use can also make looking for an older document challenging if there is not an adequate history bank that the employees can use to search for historical documents. 

            Another concern with these new applications will be controlling viruses.  Although these applications are relatively safe compared to public social networking sites, nothing is fool proof.  This foreseeable problem is something that companies can prepare for by educating their employees and increasing their software security. 

            There is still a lot of room for the develop of social networking applications in the workplace, but what we have seen so far is a very promising start.  The overall goal is to unify employees of a company.