Should employers be allowed to check on social networking sites before hiring you?

[dowhanawi]

yep, you make it public, it's anybodies right to look.

[Onery]

Oh yea,

High end employers who have headhunters do wayyy more than that, so for you to give up the goods on a public site only makes their back grounding you cheaper and easier.

[KissThis,Yahoo!]

Absolutely. If you choose to put your personal information on the internet, anyone has the right to look at it. All the social sites have the option to set the profiles to private so that only people you allow can access them. All of my social sites are private, because they include information such as my children's names, birthday messages to friends, those types of things. But if you google me, several things will pop up, including the domain name and site I own for work...nothing bad at all. If you are stupid enough to publish nude photos or something with your name attached to it, or put on the internet in a public profile that you drink or use drugs, or whatever, then you are obviously not responsible enough to do more than flip burgers. and if you are announcing to the world that you went out last night and got trashed with your friends and slept till noon, why should even mcdonalds hire you?

[Rake]

I don't see why they shouldn't. Employers want to know who their employees are, because their identity reflects on the company. And if employers can find this information, you can bet your little petunias that clients can find it as well.

People don't want to be judged, they can be a little more careful what they put online. Nobody's twisting anyone's arm to let it all hang out!

[Tiger Toe]

i'm sure they'd snoop anyways

[greatcoil558]

I don't think they should. People should be able to have a private life apart from their jobs.

[mattapan26]

Whether they should, prospective employers and colleges do check things like facebook and my space. I have a friend who set up her real account using her mother's maiden name and another under her own name that was intended to make her look like an angel to colleges checking on her. Bottom line, if it's on the internet, it's public, so don't do something stupid like Michael Phelps.

[VENKMAN [SPACS]]

No, I don't think so. A lot of the stuff people put on their social networking sites has nothing to do with their job.

[mr dance moves]

should they, no. but i know they do. Employers really don't have to say why they won't hire you. I mean if they really did, they probably would be sued. is there a coincidence coeds around here get all the waitressing jobs? umm, no. Guys don't put their applications in? yeah, okay!

The can descriminate against you for any reason. And they do. is it hard to believe they do it, no. My ex does it and shes not even a hiring manager, shes just a manager!

[D R A K E]

I don't think they should. But they do anyway.