March 26, 2012

Keeping face when interview demands go too far

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As I've written before, social media are essential tools to ensure that your expertise can be viewed by a wide variety of employers; however, Facebook should not be one of them.

The 845-million-member network that spawned a Hollywood blockbuster cannot be ignored for its popularity and marketing potential, but should be avoided by job seekers for what it has become -- a repository for family updates, meme jokes and pet photos. Amid this clutter it's almost impossible to be taken seriously; time would be better spent by just increasing your privacy settings and focusing more on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Now, there is another, more sinister reason that Facebook can be an obstacle to finding a job. According to a recent report from the Associated Press, some interview candidates are feeling pressured into revealing their password information so that their Facebook accounts can be reviewed.

The requests, the article says, usually come from public agencies or law enforcement departments that routinely make extensive background checks. While the lead example in the article refused and withdrew his application for the job, citing privacy concerns, others have reluctantly acquiesced to these requests for fear of losing a rare job opportunity.

First of all, a small silver lining to this disturbing story is that an increasing number of Facebook users are apparently wising up about privacy issues and changing their access settings to "friends only" in order to control who sees their information. It's getting harder for HR departments to find Facebook pages that are open to everyone, and that's a good thing.

My philosophy about Facebook is to never write anything stupid or libelous about a co-worker or boss that could come back to haunt you if it escapes to the rest of the Web -- that's a no-brainer. But I also encourage you to make your Facebook page as personal and frivolous as you want, provided that you lock it up as tightly as you can behind its security settings. If you must use Facebook as a job-search tool, I would recommend creating a separate page for professional use and only "friend" your most trusted professional networking connections.

The notoriety and attention this is getting around the web will probably restrict this kind of questioning in the near future. Every HR manager in the country has now heard the outcry about this practice in the last few days and is well aware of the public concern. In fact, the American Civil Liberties Union has spoken out against the tactic, calling it an invasion of privacy, and two U.S. senators said they are considering introducing legislation to ban requests for password and login information in a job interview setting.

Another sign that these password requests may be a short-lived phenomenon is the slowly thawing economy. Just last week, the Employment Security Department announced that another 4,200 net jobs were added statewide in February, lowering the unemployment rate from 8.4 percent to 8.2 percent. Since the depths of the Great Recession, businesses in Washington have steadily chipped away at the jobless rate, adding more than 90,000 positions. If this positive trend continues, the balance of power between hiring manager and job candidate will slowly equalize as more interviewees gain confidence to refuse these requests and start looking elsewhere.

Another job-search lesson to be learned is that a social media presence should not be confined to just one avenue. If you are ever in a situation where a hiring manager asks to get behind your Facebook privacy settings and you feel uncomfortable about it, I recommend not only telling the interviewer that you would prefer to keep such information private, but also mentioning any other social media tools you are using, such as LinkedIn or Twitter.

Explain how either of these sites would give them a much more accurate picture of your professional web presence. Better yet, if you belong to any industry-related blogs or online networking groups, provide them links and any necessary login data to check out your contributions.

While it's understandable that hiring managers want to make sure they're getting the right match, there's no call for strong-arm tactics. If you can steer them toward more professional sites, the savvy interviewers will probably drop their interest in your Facebook status. If they still pursue it, that's probably a red flag that this employer is not worth any more of your time.

Randy Woods writes about job-search tools, networking techniques and other tips to help you land your dream job.

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Read more
background checks, Facebook, HR trends, LinkedIn, privacy, profile, social media, Twitter

2 Comments

Dave Ritter on March 31, 2012 12:49 AM | Reply

This another reason why I don't have a Facebook, Twitter or other social media accounts set up! The other main reason is Identity Theft.

John Drabble on April 1, 2012 11:09 PM | Reply

I was once offered a job contingent on my passing a urine test for drugs. I assured my interviewer that I used no illegal drugs of any kind and did not smoke tobacco or drink alcohol. "The test is just a formality" he responded.

I had less than a $1000 in the bank and badly needed the job, but I declined to take the test and was not hired. I always smile with pride in myself when I recall that incident.

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