Social networking sites spark unofficial background checks.
Online searches can save entrepreneurs the money they would invest in a traditional third-party background check.
They help entrepreneurs sketch an applicant’s character. When hiring, try visiting popular social sites like MySpace and Facebook to see what, if anything, applicants have posted there. Searching for someone’s online footprint from the comforts of your office is quick and easy, and it’s also cost-effective.
Online searches can save entrepreneurs the money they would invest in a traditional third-party background check. And they help entrepreneurs sketch an applicant’s character.
Employers can reject applicants based on what they find, and they don’t have to tell applicants why they were rejected or even that an online search was done. Some job seekers are learning about the perils of online journaling the hard way. In one instance a CEO was shocked recently to find that an intern divulged on Facebook that his workday consisted of “screwing around on IM” and “talking to my friends and getting paid for it.” When showed the entries to the intern; the intern fessed up and was fired.
Some employers bring up significant information from online searches during interviews. Remember, it’s a chance for the applicant to get the monkey off his or her back, too.
Lawsuits over internet snooping are only a matter of time, but for now, the onus is on applicants to put their best footprint forward, even if it’s too late.
Remember, you are what you post.
Filed under: background checks, Business, business growth, business management, employees, employer, entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurship, facebook, hiring, Internet, myspace, small business | 3 Comments »
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