Screening Applicants On Social Media: A Tool Or A Trap?
Today, there is more information at employers’ fingertips than ever before. So should they be taking advantage of the opportunity to learn about job candidates and how they represent themselves online during the hiring process?
Many employers are leaning that way. According to a 2013 Harris Interactive poll, 37% use social media to screen candidates. Another 11% plan to in the future.
But then there are the 15% that have policies in place specifically prohibiting screening candidates on social networks. Are they on to something?
Consider this example. You narrow your candidate list down to two people you want to interview. Would you ask the woman if she was pregnant or planning to have children soon? Would you ask the man about his religious beliefs? What about his sexual orientation? Of course not, because it would open you up to discrimination lawsuits.
Social media accounts contain a lot of information that people are willing to share with the world, but that shouldn’t be considered when making a job offer. By screening an applicant’s online accounts on sites like Twitter, Facebook or Google+, employers are collecting information they would otherwise steer clear of.
There is no prohibition against screening candidates online, but employers who plan to should follow a few guidelines:
- Determine what it is you are looking for in advance. Are there things that would truly disqualify a candidate? What information will you actually take into consideration?
- Don’t ask applicant to disclose passwords to accounts you can’t otherwise access because of privacy settings. The Stored Communications Act (SCA) affords privacy protection to private online communication, and states have been enacting specific legislation to ban the practice of “shoulder surfing”.
- Consider Using An Independent Screener. There’s a growing trend to have a third-party perform online screens. They can share the information that you really want, while protecting the information that you don’t need.
If you have questions about how your screening practices could effect your business, contact a Minneapolis employment lawyer with LeBlanc Law & Mediation at 612-337-9530.
