Would you turn over a password and username in order to get a job? Or are your social interactions private?
Would you turn over a password and username in order to get a job? Or are your social interactions private?
This current HR policy is terribly wrong in my opinion. Who I am with my friends in no way demonstrates who I am with at my job. And it opens the companies to a whole plethora of legal issues, I would think. Did they not hire you because you were tagged at a strip club or because you posted "Santorum is a douche?" Did you not get the position because you're friends with someone who was let go from that company previously, or because you have "Wiccan" down as your religion?
Questions they cannot legally ask during an interview are now open game when you turn over your password information or approve their friend requests.
Originally shared by Boston.com
It's legal, but is it right? Would you let your prospective employer comb through your Facebook or G+ page?
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2012/03/20/job_seekers_getting_asked_for_facebook_passwords/?p1=News_links
This current HR policy is terribly wrong in my opinion. Who I am with my friends in no way demonstrates who I am with at my job. And it opens the companies to a whole plethora of legal issues, I would think. Did they not hire you because you were tagged at a strip club or because you posted "Santorum is a douche?" Did you not get the position because you're friends with someone who was let go from that company previously, or because you have "Wiccan" down as your religion?
Questions they cannot legally ask during an interview are now open game when you turn over your password information or approve their friend requests.
Originally shared by Boston.com
It's legal, but is it right? Would you let your prospective employer comb through your Facebook or G+ page?
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2012/03/20/job_seekers_getting_asked_for_facebook_passwords/?p1=News_links
Comments
A lot of what I post is public, at least on G+, but I'm well aware of that and know it might have consequences.
If they're pressuring you to login on the spot, you could say, "I use an automatic password generator (like lastpass or 1password) so I don't have my passwords memorized. I can only log in from the computer where 1password is installed." or say "I'm sorry, its the same as my bank password and I don't feel comfortable sharing that." (that better be a lie!)
With any luck you can string them along for a while while you look for an interview with a company that respects boundaries.
Truth be told, I'll never get to test any of those. I'm pretty sure this is an illegal question where I live, and I would politely decline on those grounds. If they insist, I would tell them that I'd prefer to work for a company that operates within the law and that the Ministry of Labour will surely agree with me.
So beyond being breach of FB's EULA/TOS; you could also claim it would be in their best interests to maintain legal hiring practices to not have you provide your login, or to even log in front of them.
I didn't even have my job as a friend on FB until recently and that's because we have various events. Even as I added the company to my friends list I have it in limited profile AND created a "work" list where I add my colleagues who send me requests. Most of my posts go to friends, except limited profile & work.
In my previous job, my boss sent me a friend request and I never accepted her. When she mentioned it I told her I don't really be on FB that often and besides that I only have family and friends. No further explanation, no elaborate excuse. It's my personal ish and I don't see the reason for them to be in it.
If they want to check out your profile they can get off their lazy asses and find it like anyone else does. By giving them your password, they are free to do anything to your account that they please. Even to the point of taking it over and locking you out of it, or posting things that you would never post. You are basically giving them a rope to hang you with while you stand there with your hands tied.
If they want to hire you and set up a company profile for you, then yes they should have access to that password for security reasons.
I would want to ask if instead of allowing personal access to my account, would they like to spend a week with me? Then I can introduce them to everyone I see/talk with on a regular basis too. And really, if companies gain access to your private account anywhere, they also see other peoples private things that they post or send you directly. That is not fair or right to expose friends and family to that.