The Impact of Social Networking Tools and Guidelines to Use Them | LLRX.com

The Impact of Social Networking Tools and Guidelines to Use Them | LLRX.com: "Why should the law librarian care about these social networking sites?

Potential employees use the Internet to get the inside scoop on a future boss. But bosses are also getting the scoop on potential employees. Do you want to hire the young person who lists her minor as 'drinking' and says her most overused phrase is 'oh wow im getting wasted tonight.'? How about the candidate who posts on his web log, 'I like to blow things up.'? On the other hand, do you really believe everything your teenager says? Taking statements such as those above at face value is highly questionable. If you don't believe the good stuff without verification, why would you believe the negative? According to some reports as many as 50% of employers and 75% of job recruiters concerned about alcohol/drug use, violence, and similar problems check out potential employees on the web.[4]

There have been dozens of articles in recent months about employers using social networking sites such as MySpace and FaceBook to find personal information about job candidates including drinking habits, nudity, general sleaziness, and criminal behavior ranging from shoplifting to violent assaults.

In addition to the social networking sites, employers also use search engines and other Internet sites such as PeopleFinders.com, Local.Live.com (for satellite images of homes), Zillow.com (for real estate information), Feedster.com and Technorati.com (to search for blogs), Opensecrets.org and Fundrace.org (for campaign donations).

Many employers argue that due diligence requires they look up Internet profiles of all job candidates. Researching students is fairly typical among high-tech employers.[5] However, some employers feel the information on social networking sites is of a personal or artistic nature and not appropriate for consideration in determining employment. Would you ask about race, sexual orientation, sexual partners, past relationships, religion, body type, favorite book or movie, or ask to see photo albums in a job interview? Perhaps not, but you can glean this information from a web site. If it's publicly available information should you use it?

Certainly there is growing concern over workplace violence. About 900 work-related homicides occur annually. From 1993 to 1999, 1.7 million people a year were attacked as they worked.[6] If you can determine that a job candidate has a potential for violence or brags about committing violent crimes, shouldn't you find that information?

No law firm wants to be in the position of the pizza shop ordered to pay $175,000 to their deliveryman's rape victim.[7] Not only did this employee have a long history of arrests, he didn't even have a current driver's license! Any kind of background check should have alerted the employer that they were looking at a potential problem employee.

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) more than half of all employers use some kind of online screening technology including social networking sites like FaceBook and MySpace. NACE in their annual survey will be asking employers for the first time if they check to see if potential hires have postings on social networking sites."