Employers Social Media Vetting Policies

I remember a couple of years ago being warned by my mass media professor that employers were starting to vet their potential employees on Facebook before hiring them. I was concerned at first thinking about what they might see and conclude about my character.  I was tempted to rush home and lock down my privacy settings, only letting my friends access information about me. As I began examining my profile I started to see all the posts that a potential employer might see and none of these posts bothered me. I became proud of my profile. I wasn’t worried about the conclusions people would form when then scrolled through my digital life.

A lot of my classmates wondered if it was unethical for employers to scan Facebook pages before considering new hire. People didn’t like the idea of social media having this power over them, a power that could make or break their careers. When I thought of the ethics of the situation, I had one conclusion. The power social media has over people is a choice. We give employers the power to comb through our lives when we set up accounts. We can control what we post on social media, and we can try to control who sees it, but the only way to ensure privacy is to disconnect. 

A Huff Post Article  from 2012 states that 37% of hiring mangers admit to looking at potential candidates' Facebook pages. I've even helped my bosses look potential hires up on social media, too, so I could assess and provide my opinion on whether or not I think they would be a good hire. If you're worried about your online presence this article has some good tips on cleaning up your profile to appease potential employers.