In the previous post we talked about employer reticence in formalizing Social Media Background Checks as part of the process for on-boarding or monitoring employees, contractors and vendors. Conclusion: for most employers, everyone’s doing it but no one is talking about it. (Seems the opposite of high school in a different context?) Anyway, around 75% […]
Social Media usage by employers is hardly new – recruiters, for example, have been plying Linked-In and other online venues for years in search of new candidates, and this blog has described how Social Media Background Checks are often used to verify employee credentials, avoid negligent hiring, and for other hiring purposes. Employer use of […]
Employers and recruiters should not conduct Social Media Background Checks in-house; there are strong legal reasons why this should be subcontracted to a neutral third party. But if you must…
Consider Direct Entries Only. Only consider direct posts by applicants; “friends” are not at all helpful in this context. There is a big difference between “I […]
NFL players continue postings to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and the other usual social media suspects, often to the chagrin of management both at the team and league level. Fans often want as much as they can get from players, but players are increasingly nervous about the reactions – as well as disciplinary action and fines – they […]
There is much discussion of how employers can learn about relevant social media entries by employees. Sometimes this is needed to verify and understand problems – sometimes it’s intrusive, unwelcomed, and illegal.
It’s generally a bad idea to simply Google a name and see what appears, and don’t even think of asking for user names and […]
Most companies conduct informal “quickie” Social Media Background Checks as recruits move through the recruiting and on-boarding routines. But – be careful. There are many ways that these ad-hoc, informal processes can backfire. At “best” you will reject a great candidate based on misunderstood information; at worst you will reject the candidate AND end up […]
Most companies conduct informal “quickie” Social Media Background Checks as recruits move through the recruiting and on-boarding routines. But – be careful. There are many ways that these ad-hoc, informal processes can backfire. At “best” you will reject a great candidate based on misunderstood information; at worst you will reject the candidate AND end up […]
Here is a real story about how social media postings can end up badly for employers.
An ISIS terrorist, apparently proud of his position and keen to brag to his social media network, took a selfie and posted it to an online network favored by terrorists, along with a few comments. Unfortunately for him, he said […]
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces Federal laws to protect employees and job applicants against employment discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, veterans status, disability or genetic information. It was formed in 1965, and it’s scope includes everything from the Americans with Disabilities Acts (ADA) to the Civil Rights […]
A Federal District Court in Northern California recently looked at the case of Sweet vs. Linked-In, and made an interesting decision that affects the “Reference Search” tool for recruiters on this popular business oriented social-networking site. Reference Search allows recruiting parties to find their own references in checking out would-be employees, rather than relying only […]