Hiring at Face Value
Thursday, July 16th, 2009A Facebook profile created specifically to attract employers? Let’s imagine it. If job seekers could be certain that HR managers were browsing Facebook accounts as extended background checks, what kind of virtuous profiles would they create to cater toward employment?
Name: James “Jim” Thompson
Interests: punctuality, flexibility, unreformed workaholism
Activities: hitting the sack by 9pm, reaching spiritual divinity—typing 75+ wpm, jumping when my family or employers call.
Of course, the only photos posted would be of Jim embracing his wife and four daughters, Jim concentrating fiercely at his cubicle, Jim happily swamped with paperwork, and Jim slugging a baseball above a caption that reads, “Our most stalwart volunteer, Jim, bats like a pro for charity.” Un-tagged: Jim at friend’s 40th birthday party, in which he was either dumbly smirking (with face value IQ of 70), or nearly passed out at the table, less than executive material after a few rounds of shots.
It seems logical to assume job applicants would either edit their profiles if they knew potential employers were looking at them, or they would utilize the privacy settings on the social networking site. But has our casual distribution of personal information lead to an indifferent attitude about what we allow people to know about us? If everyone else is doing it, it becomes informal and easy; we’re more willing to share. Facebook is heavily slanted toward what we do in our personal time, which is normally not the business of our employers. But if it’s on the internet, it becomes everybody’s business.
Employers and staffing professionals have the right to look at information that is laid out for them. It’s like evidence presented at a trial. Everything is fair game, and each juror must decide for him/herself what the evidence suggests about the defendant. Of course, it’s the juror’s responsibility to remain objective, just as an employer cannot discriminate based on items such as political views, sexual orientation, or religion. Still, it’s human nature for a person to develop a fondness for another individual with a similar background or similar attitudes, or vice versa; develop an indifference or aversion toward someone who holds much different beliefs.
In a professional setting, an employee might be taken aback if a supervisor asked questions about one of the aforementioned items. “That’s none of your business! If I can do the job well, what does it matter who I voted for in the 2008 election?” On Facebook, this information is often readily available, and the emotional ties associated with controversial topics may erupt and ruin the prospects of professionalism.
What if Mr. James “Jim” Thompson, unconcerned with lurkers, had left his personal Facebook page open for anyone to see? Consider this very honest exchange between hiring manager and job seeker:
Dear Mr. Thompson,
Despite your flawless resume, impressive qualifications, affable demeanor, and graceful conversational ability, we regret to inform you, you have been denied the position. To be very frank, I was very put off by that picture of you wearing a skirt on Halloween. At your age, shouldn’t you be more concentrated on making the holiday a good time for the kids? Where were they anyway? You mention them in your profile, but I see them nowhere in the Halloween album. Perhaps this is a bit biased of me, but this information has tainted the way I see you professionally.
In addition, it sort of bothers me that some of your female friends leave suggestive comments on your wall, yet you claim to be a happily married man. I just don’t think you are trustworthy to hold the esteemed position of Head Data Analyst at our firm.
And what do you mean by “minimalist interior design” as a religious view? Are you mocking those of us who are religious?
Thank you for your time and effort, but it would have been better if you’d kept your personal information private.
Sincerely,
Disturbed Hiring Manager
Dear Disturbed Hiring Manager,
I’m sorry you feel that I am not the right fit for this position, but it seems you’ve misjudged me. The conclusions you made were at face value, and my individual personality and work ethic are much more complex than that.
My wife, Janelle, and I, asked her sister to take care of the kids on Halloween. We are a family of six, and it doesn’t always give me and Janelle much time to spend together. We decided to dress up, because, yes, even at our age, we like to have fun. I am strictly professional in the office, and any “wild behavior” that you detect in these pictures can only be translated as open-mindedness and a thirst for adventure. In a professional setting, these traits would allow me to be cooperative with my co-workers and accept challenging assignments that other people wouldn’t dare take.
I don’t understand what you mean by “suggestive” comments. My wife, though she prefers not to maintain a Facebook profile, looks at my own information all the time. She has not had any trouble with the comments that were posted on my wall. I said I was a happily married man, and I continue to be.
I apologize if you took offense to my “religious” preference. Though I am a very spiritual person, I choose not to practice a religion. I am, however, very interested in interior design, especially modern minimalism. I thought my remark was appropriate given my religious-like devotion to this art form. I enjoy learning about other religions, and would certainly never mock you for being a devout anything.
It is very unfortunate that you stumbled upon my profile on a social networking site, but how can I say you are out of line for browsing the information? This is just a consequence of the times in which we live. Please accept this letter as a more accurate representation of my potential contribution to your firm.
Sincerely,
The Once-Revered James Thompson
PS. I’ve just made my Facebook visible to my friends only. Thanks for the tip.
