Will You Get Fired because of what you say on the Internet??
What role will social media play in tomorrow’s job search? Hiring? Firing?
I can recall my mom saying to me that i should never post anything incriminating on your Facebook profile, and I would always just take it with a grain of salt. Its only now that I am in university and have my first job, these words haunt me. I think to myself, what if I posted something that may affect my future, cost me a job or even a career? I have taken that advice to heart and let it guide me when I make decisions on what I post. Social media is now becoming the key outlet for employers to “creep” their potential employees, being able to find out the scoop even before an interview takes place.
Social media is a very public place; we need to remember this. Even when profiles are set to private, people have ways of getting ahold of what you post (internal IT departments). What you write on social media is very influential toward potential employers. If you write something that is offensive and/or is against company policies, it could make or break the interview or job. We must think about the way we conduct ourselves and be professional if we choose to have social media accounts. We must keep in mind that anything is accessible, and just because we keep things private doesn’t mean that it can’t eventually be seen by others you may not want viewing it.
I know when I want to find out something about anyone, I go online and look them up. You can find out so much with a few clicks, and searching their profile on social media outlets like: who they hang out with, what they do for spare time, family background and possibly incriminating evidence, that may have you asking if you want to be associated with this person. Does this person represent what your company stands for, are they in line with your company politically, socially and educationally? Many of these prescreening questions can be answered before an interview even takes place. This is scary stuff! Imagine, you don’t even know someone is screening you before an interview may take place or your boss is watching your every move all on social media. This is the truth… the truth about the power of social media and jobs! Social media gives employers a chance to take ethics into their own hand. Out the window goes equal rights and freedom of speech. Although a company may act as if they follow certain criteria in regards to these areas it’s easy to just use social media to get a few answers you may not want people knowing you’re searching for. It is now possible to prove if someone is truly sick or where they say they were at a specific time. A lot of cases that can be made against someone when they are firing an employee can be based on social media evidence (future). This isn’t put into use as of now due to legal and ethical issues but I could potentially see these things put into use one day down the road.
Let’s talk about the typical interview… go to an office, sit in front of a hiring committee and have questions fired at you all while backing up your responses with your background information YOU provide, evidence that YOU have. Now it’s easy to conduct an interview over social media or online and never even get to see the potential employer face to face. just like you can have an interview over the phone or skype, you can also have an interview over social media. Social media has turned into this powerful tool where you can encrypt or make private or flat out have full conversations over the internet anywhere in the world.
Jobs are hard to come by, but I must say that social media (in my opinion) will be an aid in helping people connect, job searches to begin and a place to make connections. Social media can be a great tool for someone on the job hunt. You can generate a group of people who could possibly connect you with the right person or lead you in the right direction on the hunt for the best job. Social media as a tool in the job search can be stellar. The idea is that it networks (exactly what one would need while looking for a job). Networking and making connections, talking to people you may not have crossed paths with if it were not for social media, you are now able to. Being able to have a way to reach out and get through the barriers other primitive ways may close the doors otherwise is AMAZING!
Social media drives many companies; it’s how some companies have thrived and become the million dollar fortunes that they are (especially today and moving forward). We must remember this is a changing time, social media runs the show. People are so consumed with being online and checking these “important” outlets that companies have put a lot of money into areas that focus on social media to reach their market. Companies now know the importance; therefore, social media will play a major if not the only role in hiring and firing potential employees and running a successful company.
