During the last couple weeks I have been exploring whether companies should be able to look at your personal social media as a reference to either hire you or keep you on as an employee. I have learned that so many companies do use this as a factor, but do we really know how many did use it and never told you that's why you didn't get the job? Don't, think we will ever know the answer to that question. So I have concluded that no matter what your opinion is on this, that knowing they could use it against you, you might want to think about what pictures or comments you do post. I do believe that the type of job you are applying for will determine if someone would think your posts were inappropriate.
Even though I find myself learning towards more of it being inappropriate for a company to research you and get into your personal business , I still also find myself leaning on don't put something out there that you don't want someone to know. Think about it if a cop, who is suppose to be a upstanding citizen is caught at a bar doing a wet t-shirt contest, I know it would be help against them and lose there job. This actually happen in Weld County couple years ago. So should we have to keep this in consideration at all times, including social media? But after researching and reading articles on the National Labor Research Board that is used in my prior posts, a company can not use sex, relationship , religion or politics in consideration of hiring. So if they are on Facebook they would know all the answers to that. I want to research more about lawsuits that have happen due to this issue, either the employee or employer even.
I do believe that someones education, experience and references should be the prime consideration for hiring someone. If there is something that a company feels is a issue the company should just bring it up to potential or current employer. I mean if a company is going to use it against them then they should give that employee a chance to explain.
Personal note; I do want to thank all of you that have taken the time to read and express your opinion. I will say that there was only one or two comments made that was in the favor of the employer searching online social media, that really made this interesting to see both sides.
Friday, November 8, 2013
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Back and Forth....
On my last post I was talking about the National Labor Board when writer Emily Bennigton on Monster that employers need to make sure they don't step over the boundaries and try to not hire someone or fire due to something on Face Book. She stated "While many of the off-duty conduct laws were drafted to address an
employee's use of tobacco off the work sites, many of them written
broadly enough to encompass use of social media, blogging, or other
online activities. In addition, the NLRA protects an employee's right to
engage in "concerted activities " regarding the terms and conditions of
employment. I decide to look into this further since I feel I didn't dig down far enough on this.
So I went onto the actual site of National Labor Board and what it states is that "Even if you are not represented by a union, federal law gives you the right to band together with coworkers to improve your lives at work - including joining together in cyberspace, such as on Face book". Now this makes it sound like I am gearing towards the side of the coworkers that employers must watch themselves. But, I started to think about that statement from the NLB it's self that workers can ban together on social media and talk about a issue at work , but what if what they are talking about is a rumor not the facts? You could end up with a reverse law suit and the company going after the employee. This brings me the question should we just completely leave work out of the social media? But doesn't that mess with our freedom of speech? I could go back and forth and then we just end up with another issue that people are sue happy no a days.
I understand both side's have a point; on the business side we have to many people that are easy to vent on their lunch break on their cell phone, even if they don't mention the company name but under profile it does say where they work. Is that a total negative about the company? So much that they could be fire for slander? But then you look at, who has that much time to see a comment of someone and then go on their profile to see where they work? If a company sees it , is it because they were going through their employees social media? Again with my point of we could go back and forth all day long.
If this is such an issue of business's going to far and "snooping" in a sense, why isn't there more control of this? Now Maryland State, posted in NY Daily News has been the first state to make it illegal for an employer to ask for a potential employee pass word on the spot. I think though why would there actual need to be a law passed on that? Would an employee applying for a bank have to give the password to their bank accounts to make sure they actually can balance an account? But with anything we are having issues with we have to set guidelines. Also think about our freedom of speech like I mentioned before; is there a difference between putting a statement online vs. a protest out front of a building of the business? You don't see the protestor out front getting arrested, do you think because of how many people see Face Book that should give the right for the company to fire, not hire or sue? Also, if businesses are willing to have social media accounts themselves aren't they leaving themselves open for comments that are neccassaly true? Remember when someone would write a news paper and make complaint , but now it can cause damage at a blink of the eye for both sides of employee or employer.
Below is a few of articles of moments that this happen;
Mashable
This one shows the difference between who is really right?
In the Above the Law
How do we keep the boundaries on both sides from going out of control?
So I went onto the actual site of National Labor Board and what it states is that "Even if you are not represented by a union, federal law gives you the right to band together with coworkers to improve your lives at work - including joining together in cyberspace, such as on Face book". Now this makes it sound like I am gearing towards the side of the coworkers that employers must watch themselves. But, I started to think about that statement from the NLB it's self that workers can ban together on social media and talk about a issue at work , but what if what they are talking about is a rumor not the facts? You could end up with a reverse law suit and the company going after the employee. This brings me the question should we just completely leave work out of the social media? But doesn't that mess with our freedom of speech? I could go back and forth and then we just end up with another issue that people are sue happy no a days.
I understand both side's have a point; on the business side we have to many people that are easy to vent on their lunch break on their cell phone, even if they don't mention the company name but under profile it does say where they work. Is that a total negative about the company? So much that they could be fire for slander? But then you look at, who has that much time to see a comment of someone and then go on their profile to see where they work? If a company sees it , is it because they were going through their employees social media? Again with my point of we could go back and forth all day long.
If this is such an issue of business's going to far and "snooping" in a sense, why isn't there more control of this? Now Maryland State, posted in NY Daily News has been the first state to make it illegal for an employer to ask for a potential employee pass word on the spot. I think though why would there actual need to be a law passed on that? Would an employee applying for a bank have to give the password to their bank accounts to make sure they actually can balance an account? But with anything we are having issues with we have to set guidelines. Also think about our freedom of speech like I mentioned before; is there a difference between putting a statement online vs. a protest out front of a building of the business? You don't see the protestor out front getting arrested, do you think because of how many people see Face Book that should give the right for the company to fire, not hire or sue? Also, if businesses are willing to have social media accounts themselves aren't they leaving themselves open for comments that are neccassaly true? Remember when someone would write a news paper and make complaint , but now it can cause damage at a blink of the eye for both sides of employee or employer.
Below is a few of articles of moments that this happen;
Mashable
This one shows the difference between who is really right?
In the Above the Law
How do we keep the boundaries on both sides from going out of control?
Sunday, November 3, 2013
To be held against you or not?
In my last post I was talking about an article that a writer who had just found out her company using social media to search their current candidates and she was shocked. She brought up wanting to know if they searched her on face book when they considered her? They said they couldn't find her, because she used a different name on her social media. This brings me to the question of do we have to hide who we are to make a employer or possible employer happy? Do we need to stop posting pictures of our kids to show the aunt and uncles around the world the happy experience of your kid playing a sport or receiving a reward? Does a job win over being who we are? Why do celebrities get to post anything and everything and still remain popular and still employed? Are we to the point that our jobs must remain at a higher standard and choosing to keep your face book more professional? Should you not celebrate your birthday and post a picture of you with a glass of wine?
Well if we look at it one way, if you were a lawyer and trying to become a partner in a new company and they look on face book and see that your really a family person, should they be allowed to think we can't hire this person cause they family person and can't give it all to us? or we as the possible partner not want to work for a company that uses that against you? I have gone back and forth on this and question many on some questions to think about.
1. What if you find your kids teacher on there and she is partying on the weekends? Do we say she can not be a good teacher cause she drinks?
2. Same scenario- What if your teacher has a side job selling the home based business "sex toys" and she has her attachment for the company website on there? Should we use that and say we shouldn't have our kids go there anymore?
We could go back and forth on how we think and react to stuff. But, what I found very interesting was a article in Monster called What to do When an Employee Violates your Social Media Policy written by
Emily Bennigton. She points out that employers need to remember they must follow the National Labor Relations Act and some states will prohibit employers from being able to disciplining a employee from having a off duty. She states; "While many of the off-duty conduct laws were drafted to address an employee's use of tobacco off the work sites, many of them written broadly enough to encompass use of social media, blogging, or other online activities. In addition, the NLRA protects an employee's right to engage in "concerted activities " regarding the terms and conditions of employment.
So this brings me to the questions I will be researching on have any companies been sued for using social media findings against there employees? If there is something that is covered with the National Labor Relations Act, shouldn't everyone have to use that ?
I bring a personal questions about myself? I work full time for a company that is owned and ran by Mormons out of Utah, not that is bad or anything just trying to have you put a visual . So I own a event planning business and throw a lot of parties which are posted on face book to promote my business. Now they don't drink or party in a sense , should they fire me if they saw my face book, twitter and Lind en even?
Well if we look at it one way, if you were a lawyer and trying to become a partner in a new company and they look on face book and see that your really a family person, should they be allowed to think we can't hire this person cause they family person and can't give it all to us? or we as the possible partner not want to work for a company that uses that against you? I have gone back and forth on this and question many on some questions to think about.
1. What if you find your kids teacher on there and she is partying on the weekends? Do we say she can not be a good teacher cause she drinks?
2. Same scenario- What if your teacher has a side job selling the home based business "sex toys" and she has her attachment for the company website on there? Should we use that and say we shouldn't have our kids go there anymore?
We could go back and forth on how we think and react to stuff. But, what I found very interesting was a article in Monster called What to do When an Employee Violates your Social Media Policy written by
Emily Bennigton. She points out that employers need to remember they must follow the National Labor Relations Act and some states will prohibit employers from being able to disciplining a employee from having a off duty. She states; "While many of the off-duty conduct laws were drafted to address an employee's use of tobacco off the work sites, many of them written broadly enough to encompass use of social media, blogging, or other online activities. In addition, the NLRA protects an employee's right to engage in "concerted activities " regarding the terms and conditions of employment.
So this brings me to the questions I will be researching on have any companies been sued for using social media findings against there employees? If there is something that is covered with the National Labor Relations Act, shouldn't everyone have to use that ?
I bring a personal questions about myself? I work full time for a company that is owned and ran by Mormons out of Utah, not that is bad or anything just trying to have you put a visual . So I own a event planning business and throw a lot of parties which are posted on face book to promote my business. Now they don't drink or party in a sense , should they fire me if they saw my face book, twitter and Lind en even?
Monday, October 28, 2013
social media advantage or disadvantage?
In my last post (which is my first ever) I discuss the idea of a potential or current boss using what you have on social media against you. Whether a picture of you in your bikini at your family function should be used against you based on showing to much skin. Even a picture of you celebrating with your friends at your 40th birthday with glass of wine in your hands represent that your an alcoholic ? Well since my first posting I started to research if this is really something that happens a lot? To my surprise yes! There was so many articles, videos and personal stories of it happening. I found a article titled "Yes,Employers will check your Facebook Before Offering You a Job" in the Huff Post Business and writer Rachel Ryan actually found her employees looking up potential candidates for a job and she was shocked that they actually do use social media to see what type of person they are. Ryan talks about how many people have been changing their name on social media so you are not able to find them. Then I think doesn't that defeat the purpose of social media of finding friends from your past? Ryan did ask her current boss if they found her and they said they couldn't find it under her name, then she admits she used another name. I feel that her comment of " we have all been in college" and might have the pictures of the red-solo-cup era up on your site but is that really a bad picture to show. I felt in the article she states that you can have pictures of a beer on there and shouldn't effect the results of getting job, but if your a person that has brain cells don't post a picture of you laying in your own vomit. I than wanted to check on the other side of this whether a person should play the game and change their social media stuff around to fit the perfect for that boss. Another article called. "How Social Media Can Help or Hurt You in job" published Forbes Magazine are finding that companies are using the social media to find out if they know how to spell, or if they are raciest in any way or party pictures on the weekends make him/her unstable? Can a picture really tell a story? If you received a story of a woman who had just lost 35 pounds and was so happy to show off her new body dancing at the club, she yes it shows more skin than normal. Next day a potential boss pulls it up and she is partying her weight loss, should the boss just assume its bad or pull in the person and ask about the story?
Now I have found in these two articles of a person looking for a job to use their social media to their advantages. Make their profile represent them as only professional and great communicator or do you place some of you just human and normal for them to see also? I have a Facebook that I had to change little bit cause my friends where posting pictures I wouldn't want anyone but my friends to see , basically being silly in the moment. So half of me would be normal but than should it not include that I am a fun person? Do I think a boss could over look that party picture? If they get into mine than I think I get fair game of looking into theirs. Does that sound fair?
So summing up the two articles has brought me to a confusion of use Facebook posting against you but at the same time the article brought up use the social media to show the world you are a over the top amazing person. Its like giving a fake resume. But companies are saying that they are finding potentials through social media, that the potential employee could research and be friend current employees that work there and have little conversation to feel more comfortable going in social media there could be to our advantage. So you could represent yourself on that professional organize person , BUT at the lost of one picture or post changes your employer view.
I see the two points in these articles..... Change your name and represent in professional matter only on there to guarantee a job, but I think that is boring. BUT, if you have a more wild social media does that really show your uneducated, alcoholic? I am finding out that you really need to lay it all out to see what would be your different as a employee or how this could just be bad for the potential employee. So now the question I will start to search on is whether you have to change completely who you are for social media? And does it seem far that they want to judge you on your sites so can we judge them? Can you use social media to see what type of boss you will have? I also am looking for answers on if does it matter what occupation you have??
the Huff Post Business
the Huff Post Business
Now I have found in these two articles of a person looking for a job to use their social media to their advantages. Make their profile represent them as only professional and great communicator or do you place some of you just human and normal for them to see also? I have a Facebook that I had to change little bit cause my friends where posting pictures I wouldn't want anyone but my friends to see , basically being silly in the moment. So half of me would be normal but than should it not include that I am a fun person? Do I think a boss could over look that party picture? If they get into mine than I think I get fair game of looking into theirs. Does that sound fair?
So summing up the two articles has brought me to a confusion of use Facebook posting against you but at the same time the article brought up use the social media to show the world you are a over the top amazing person. Its like giving a fake resume. But companies are saying that they are finding potentials through social media, that the potential employee could research and be friend current employees that work there and have little conversation to feel more comfortable going in social media there could be to our advantage. So you could represent yourself on that professional organize person , BUT at the lost of one picture or post changes your employer view.
I see the two points in these articles..... Change your name and represent in professional matter only on there to guarantee a job, but I think that is boring. BUT, if you have a more wild social media does that really show your uneducated, alcoholic? I am finding out that you really need to lay it all out to see what would be your different as a employee or how this could just be bad for the potential employee. So now the question I will start to search on is whether you have to change completely who you are for social media? And does it seem far that they want to judge you on your sites so can we judge them? Can you use social media to see what type of boss you will have? I also am looking for answers on if does it matter what occupation you have??
the Huff Post Business
the Huff Post Business
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Social Media vs Career
Pretty much now in the 2013 social media has become a regular part of our day; You eat a meal post it on twitter, post a picture on face book of your ladies night out with your friends or family photos on the beach. This to some can be really innocent, but can it become a negative outlook to some? Imagine you work so hard through all these years of schooling, take on any job you can and work your butt off to get a chance at the job of your dreams. Your interview went great, they loved all the answers and tell us that they need to do background check etc.. Not realizing that part of that background is the company going through online to find all the social media on you. The picture of you and your friends at a birthday party taking that quick pose with all holding up your champagne glasses, or standing on the beach with your family in your bikini could hinder their decision. Have employers gone to far with decided on whether or not you are fit for their company before they hire you ? Is holding a glass of alcohol making them think your a alcoholic? Was the bikini picture showing to much skin for a corporate job?
The world is changing so much and so do we have to adapt with it? Or go with whatever we want to do or post and take the chance? . Not only can it be before you get hired it can be during your employment. I found this article while writing this, interesting after seeing some issues and the results of a company taking it so far the person lost their job because of it or continue with the job.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-57391779-281/does-your-future-boss-have-a-right-to-see-your-facebook-page/
After viewing the video and the article it brings up does a company have the right to ask for your password to your account at a job interview? I start to think if we don't give it to them we look like we are covering something up , but than if we give it could they take something and turn it into something that isn't? I will be researching the articles and videos that are on the subject and hoping along the way figure out how serious the matter is of "Social Media vs Career"
Leigh Ann Schwartz
The world is changing so much and so do we have to adapt with it? Or go with whatever we want to do or post and take the chance? . Not only can it be before you get hired it can be during your employment. I found this article while writing this, interesting after seeing some issues and the results of a company taking it so far the person lost their job because of it or continue with the job.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-57391779-281/does-your-future-boss-have-a-right-to-see-your-facebook-page/
After viewing the video and the article it brings up does a company have the right to ask for your password to your account at a job interview? I start to think if we don't give it to them we look like we are covering something up , but than if we give it could they take something and turn it into something that isn't? I will be researching the articles and videos that are on the subject and hoping along the way figure out how serious the matter is of "Social Media vs Career"
Leigh Ann Schwartz
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