All of us career minded people should think seriously about what we are posting online. We might be doing damage to our future job prospects because of the digital footprints we are creating today.  

Certain entries posted for fun on Twitter, Facebook, Utterli, and other social media applications can end up having unintended consequences.

Even though social media searches are not commonly conducted by hiring companies; as the medium grows that’s likely to change. And one serious concern is that the longer we use social media applications the bigger our digital footprint becomes. As our digital footprint grows, the greater the likelihood something unflattering will be found, especially given these rather unfettered days while we’re still learning to use this medium and posting things without much forethought.

When companies perform online searches on candidates, it’s generally not to find a reason not to hire a particular candidate, but rather to make certain there is nothing horrible out there. As long as companies are only seeking information that is openly available to the public it may be considered not just their right, but their responsibility since it might create a direct liability if a company didn’t find something deeply incriminating that was just a finger click away. I’ve been hearing from HR Directors that they are looking at HR software that among other things will access all publicly available social media sites and pull them up for the hiring representatives to review.

So what’s the potential problem here? Here are two examples:

In one case a company finds a picture online of a candidate smoking what appears to be pot and in another case a company finds a few severely off-color jokes that a candidate posted dealing with race and gender.

Such things can create serious roadblocks to being hired regardless of the candidates’ ability to perform the functions of a job. The company is asking for trouble if they hire such individuals because if there is ever a problem with drug use or the harassment of coworkers they could be liable. “You knew this about this person and you still hired them, thereby putting other employees at risk.” In some states it could constitute negligent hiring or negligent retention.

It’s about judgment

Most cases aren’t extreme. Companies find postings that are neither off-color nor illegal, merely sophomoric. Such things create questions about a person’s judgment – “what were they thinking posting this and must I be concerned about them using similar poor judgment if he/she worked for me”? Something that seems entertaining at the moment and in a particular context, but seen five years later or by an unintended audience, might be construed in a completely different way.

A similar irritant that is not directly social media related is when candidates use “goofy” private email addresses. Nothing gives more cause for pause than receiving a resume from an email address like “BigGoofyRuthie@XXXXXXX.com”. The initial image of such a candidate is not a positive one.

I typically advise companies to consider questionable things they find online about candidates as single “data points”. In other words, just an additional piece of information to take into account with all the other things they know and have learned about a candidate.  Only in circumstances where a known posting might create a direct liability to the company were someone hired and problems ensued, should a social media post play a more significant role in the hiring decision.

Liability or just poor judgment. Does it matter?

In the vast majority of cases social media postings are less about legality and ethics, and more about simple “judgment”.  We must all think about how things we post might be perceived when it’s not just a few of our friends joking around, but a potential employer wondering if we are someone they want to hire.

What you do today, can mean something different tomorrow

Regardless of initial intent or meaning- comments, pictures, and entries made today will be scrutinized through a different prism in the future than they are today. It’s likely they will be seen in a very different context than which they were originally made. With the growth of social media we are all vastly expanding the possibility of having to explain things in the future that we can’t even fathom will be a problem. But to that end, it all starts with the prudent and thoughtful use of social media.

Some key considerations

• Every time you post something in a social media application you basically lose control of it. Yes you may be able to delete it later, but you can’t delete what’s already been seen. Many posts can be copied and re-posted without your knowledge and attributed back to YOU.

• Security and privacy policies of social media providers create a false sense of security. There is always the potential for a breach and ultimately there is no guarantee what authorized friends will do with what you post.

• Have the forethought of hindsight and imagine how your posts might be construed if others were to see them now or in the future. Ask yourself would you be proud of them?

• Remember that everything communicates and often it’s not what is intended. Social media is different from real life in that when you share a joke with three people it’s among that small group. And while a social media posting might be aimed at a few friends if it’s accessible to all friends it’s like telling that same joke to everyone you know.
  

• A funny picture today, seen three years from now might look more ridiculous and embarrassing than funny. You are not only dealing with how different people see your entries today, but with the unknown effect of time and how things may appear different in the future.

• What you post online can last forever. Some things might get lost in the ether, but you will be surprised how many things pop up years later. Don’t assume that just because you have the control over what’s posted, that you have equal control getting it all back if you change your mind.

Some rules to live by:

1. Never post anything you would be embarrassed to have seen by your pastor, your children, or your parents.  
2. Keep work and private life as separate as possible. There are social media sites such as LinkedIn and Plaxo for professional networking where you can keep things formal. But don’t just freely add professional contacts to Facebook, because you will often find one of two things happen:1) In consideration of those more professional contacts you end up not posting much and thus fail to use the social media application in the way it was meant to be used. Or 2) You freely post things but over time some of your professional contacts might judge you based on the tone of your posts. Complaints, worries, and criticisms over time can lead them to thinking you are negative. Funny and stupid things over time tend to make people feel you aren’t as serious or mature as you should be.
3. Define what is private and don’t cross that line. Social media applications stretch the limit of what is private. To that end, people need to define, if not re-define, what the line is between private and public. Semi-private is like being semi-pregnant. There is no semi-private. So while you might be willing to share more in Facebook than you might in real life, have a well-defined line where what’s “public” ends - and don’t cross it.  Your private life is private but social media makes it less so. The travails of a single mother raising four children for instance who posts about her day-to-day life can create unintended consequences. Instead of showing someone who is diligent, responsible, and qualified it can be used against her if it’s perceived that she is too tired and overburdened to be considered for a promotion that might require more time and energy. Though this would not be right for a company to do, if colleagues and superiors are Facebook friends it’s impossible not for the constant barrage of posts to affect them in some way. Potentially making them think they are doing her a favor by not promoting her.
4. Don’t change who you are. The point of being careful does not mean faking who you are online. Different situations require different behavior. You and three friends at a Lakers game will behave differently than you attending a funeral with your family. You are yourself in both situations, but the circumstance determines the “you” that you exhibit in that forum. When it comes to social media applications you have to show good judgment as to the behavior you exhibit in that forum.

This entry was posted on Sunday, August 9th, 2009 at 15:51 and is filed under Candidates, Career Development, Career Management, Job Search. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.