How employers use social media to hire and fire

Weve received a few employment law calls recently that indicate that a discussion of the connection between your social media activity and your employment prospects is necessary. For other steps that employers can take to minimize risk, see the law and social media in hiring in the september 2014 issue of hr. Seventy percent of employers use social networking sites to research job candidates on par with last year, while seven percent plan to start. Do list our company as your employer on your personal accounts. You should do it, but not to make yourself feel good about all of the references you can find to your person andor your work, but to find out how much digital dirt youve left all over the internet. Social media screening is tempting to use as part of the hiring process, but is it a good idea. Use social media screening properly to ensure that you dont hire a toxic employee who will cost you money or tarnish your companys reputation. Potential discrimination claims one issue that may arise in connection with the use of social media is employment discrimination based on a.

Digital dirt may nix that job you were counting on getting. More than half of employers have found content on social. Employers can use social media in two ways when hiring. According to a 2018 careerbuilder survey, 70% of employers use social media to screen candidates during the hiring process, and about 43% of employers use social media to check on current employees. According to careerbuilders latest social media recruitment survey of more than 2,000 hiring managers and hr professionals and more than 3,000 fulltime u.

The nonos when using social networks with more than half of employers 54 percent finding content on social media that caused them not to hire a candidate, why take your chances. Can or should hr fire an employee because of a social. Pause before you post and remember these key reasons that employers were turned off by a candidates online presence. How employers use social media to hire and fire the. After reading the results of careerbuilders annual social media recruitment survey, we were blown away to learn that over the last decade, there has been a 500% increase in the number of employers using. Increasing numbers of workers use social media on the job. Many employers prohibit the use of personal devices or social media during work hours because it tends to make employees less productive. Social media screenings gain in popularity business news daily. Here are six hr tips for navigating the murky waters of social media.

This is up significantly from 52 percent last year, 22 percent in 2008 and 11. We knew employers relied heavily on social media to recruit, hire and fire employees, but candidly we didnt understand the extent of it. The basic fact is that employers have the right to monitor employees social. After a deluge of employee complaints about firings and discipline resulting from their social media use, the national labor relations board has issued a report about the many cases in order to. Can my employer legally fire me for my internet use at work. In canada, employers cannot screen potential hires through social media if the process will violate a persons privacy rights or human rights laws. The purpose of the new law is to protect both job applicants and employees in maine. Is it ethical for employers to use social media in hiring. Whether employers like it or not, social media privacy. If you use social media on employers computers or on your own device using the employer s wifi network, you should be aware that you may not have a strong expectation of privacy. Can you get fired for what you post on social media. Pointcounterpoint should employers use social media to.

If youre not currently using social media in your hiring process, youre in the minority. Some 47 percent of prospective employers said that if they. Should hr use social media in hiring and firing decisions. A handful of state legislatures have enacted laws prohibiting employers from requesting or requiring that employees and applicants provide access to personal internet accounts and social media websites. Below, we detail the benefits of social media in modern recruiting, as well as the extent to which social media could hurt youas an employee or employer. More than half of employers have found content on social media. Yes, employers can refuse to hire you and can fire you based on your social media activity. It included a representative sample of more than 1,000 hiring. When you can and cant fire employees for social media.

Seven in ten employers 70 percent use social networking sites to research job. A 2009 survey conducted by careerbuilder found that 45 percent of companies use social media sites to screen potential hires, with most of them looking at facebook 29 percent and linkedin 26. This is up significantly from 60 percent last year and 11 percent in 2006. The use social media in making hiring and employment determinations, when social media communication or content is not relevant to the employee s ability to do the job, would be disrespectful, demeaning, and unfair to job applicants and employees, again, regardless of consent.

Dos and donts for employees on social media and the. The federal government and other states have proposed similar laws. So an employer can elect to look only at the last two. Ever wonder how companies are using social media profiles to screen their employees.

Of those, 34% have found content that caused them to discipline or even fire. Social media and recruitment today, most employers recognize that the web is the place to go to hire your next great mindsbut increasingly, most are bypassing the electronic job boards. A new maine law addresses workers social media privacy. We spoke with our network of hr professionals about how to avoid the risks of snooping, while still leveraging the advantages of online information.

Your privacy interests are particularly compromised if your employer has an express policy in place regarding your expectation of privacy on work devices. Can potential employers use information from social media in the hiring process. How companies use facebook to hire and fire employees infographic by james sunshine in an increasingly digitized world, roughly 45 percent of employers now reportedly use social media sites like facebook, linkedin, and twitter to screen potential employees, according to. Why employers are using social media to screen job candidates. Employers use social media to hire and fire 500% increase. Chicago and atlanta, june 15, 2017 prnewswire before posting pictures of your latenight revelry or. The impact of social media on hiring and firing decisions. Most employers say theyve passed on a candidate based on. Should employers be allowed to fire employees based on. Social media and employee rights social media today. How companies use facebook to hire and fire employees. In particular, employers can and must use human rights legislation as a guide with respect to what they can and cannot consider when using social media to screen potential candidates for a position.

A new survey by careerbuilder found that 70% of employers use social networking sites to research job candidates on par with a similar study last year. Most employers say theyve passed on a candidate based on social. Of those, 34 % have found content that caused them to discipline or even fire. A 2017 careerbuilder survey found that 70% of employers now use social media to screen potential hires. In light of these new and proposed laws, it is imperative that employers revisit their employment policies and practices. Employee privacy laws and social media in the workplace. Some employers unlikely to hire if youre not on social. Social media use in background checks fire engineering. Half of employers check current employees social media profiles, over a third have reprimanded or fired an employee for inappropriate content 70 percent of employers use social media to. In these situations, simply participating in social media while you are being paid may violate company policies and make the employee subject to discipline. Consider the lawful side of this process and you may be able to hire the best employee ever.

One of the most important considerations in employment decisions is compliance. However, employers still need to follow other employment rules. Half of employers check current employees social media profiles, over a third have reprimanded or fired an employee for inappropriate content. Should employers use social media to screen job candidates. Is it a good idea for companies to look at social media. The survey also examined how employers use social media after. In some cases, a prospective employer or current employer s use of social media in connection with hiring may subject the employer to legal liability. Nearly half of companies surveyed use social media sites to screen potential hires, with most of them looking at facebook and linkedin. Survey says 70% of employers check job candidates on. Yes, employers can refuse to hire you and can fire you. According to a new national survey conducted online on behalf of careerbuilder by harris poll, 70 percent of employers use social media to screen candidates before hiring.