General Discussion Board

I saw your facebook so I won't hire you...

RudiXeno — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:09:17 GMT

The point is, that prospective employers can look at your FB page and note your posts, the posts of your friends and pictures you make public. They can also see the time of day you left your posts. Was it during business hours?

Like it or not, what appears on your page gives others a "snapshot" of you. They may like or dislike the snapshot of who they believe you to be. It may not be fair, but since when has life been fair?

Rudi

I saw your facebook so I won't hire you...

vivasuzi — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:09:32 GMT

Wow Anna, working with dinosaurs must have been exciting :-D Just kidding!

The funny thing is that my first job out of school was all about writing letters because I couldn't seem to find a job in my field. I had no idea how to form a letter - but it didn't matter. They hired me because I had a computer degree and a fast typing speed. They didn't test me or anything, they just hired me. And I learned quickly. But I guess you can't put that on a resume. I can say I'm a quick learner but there's no way for someone to know for sure unless they test me.

It is funny how some people can be in high positions but they can't seem to do the most basic things. I know a few people who cannot type even though all of us sit in front of a computer all day long. All of us send emails non-stop, but I know some people who type so slow! Granted, people always tell me they can't believe how fast I type when they are sitting and watching me... but I can't believe how slow some people type! I also can't believe how many people don't use the "home keys" and how many people type with just one or two fingers. I'd never make it through the day if I typed that slow!

So anyway, I just don't see how anyone would know anything about my skills by looking at my facebook or viewpoints even. There are days where I try hard to type and spellcheck and all, but there are days where I really don't care and just want to chit-chat. I don't re-read my posts a million times, but I DO re-read almost every work email before I send it.

Can you imagine if employers started looking up people to find out their political views and such? They'd certainly see some interesting stuff on discussion boards like these! I try to stay out of those discussions but if I have something to say i realllllly try to phrase it in a way that doesn't make me look bad (I hope!) But best to just stay out of them because you never know who's reading and misinterpreting what you said.

I saw your facebook so I won't hire you...

AnnaBanana — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:33:47 GMT

Back in the days of yore, when dinosaurs roamed the earth and I was first starting out on my clerical career, spelling and punctuation were important for the jobs I was going after because very often my responsibilities would entail the preparation of documents and letters.

They had an easy way to test for this back then -- either they just brought in a bunch of work to see how much you could get done and how it would look, or they would ask you to type a short essay about "Why I Want This Job" -- and No, you couldn't just say "To make money." Once they saw how you did on a document of your own, they could guess how you would do with THEIR material.

But of course, this wouldn't make a difference for someone applying to be a professor, a doctor, or a rocket scientist as they would probably end up with secretaries of their own to handle documents and correspondence while they concentrated on more serious stuff.

It all depends on what kind of job you're looking for. I suppose if you were applying for a position as a Fifth Grade English teacher, they would bird-dog your spelling and punctuation more than for other jobs.

Say, isn't this a good discussion thread? This is the boards at their best. Good show for starting us off, Suzi!

I saw your facebook so I won't hire you...

vivasuzi — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:40:44 GMT

Patty and Anna, your examples just go to show how dumb some people are. Honestly I wouldn't even DO things that I thought would be looked upon badly, let alone take pictures. Boy how society has changed!

Ok so moving away from pictures and stupid things like that. One of the things I said in the original thread was that employers would look down on an applicant if their page was filled with bad spelling. I personally thought that should not be considered! Social networking spelling/writing is nothing like real life. I do not put :) in every email I send or lol or :P, but I do put them online and on boards like this. Bad spelling online should not be a reason not to hire someone. If an employer is really concerned with how someone may write, they should request a sample letter instead of looking at their online habits.

I saw your facebook so I won't hire you...

AnnaBanana — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 07:10:47 GMT

ATTAGIRL, PATTY!

Hey, not to change the subject, but we are only hours away from the new season premiere of HOARDERS! YAYYYYYY!

I saw your facebook so I won't hire you...

PattyTherre — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 06:57:41 GMT

I agree, Anna. Everyone has to have some level of discretion on the net if they care about what others think. I have seen some things posted by people I know that shock me but they think it's funny. It may be but if certain people see those things, it might not be so funny.

For instance, a net friend posted a pic of herself and friends drunk and drawing on a car in a bar parking lot with a Sharpie pen. Funny? I wouldn't want that person near MY stuff. That she posted the pic tells me she has a lack of good judgment (and maybe a drinking problem. lol.).

I saw your facebook so I won't hire you...

AnnaBanana — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 22:32:39 GMT

This is an interesting thread with many excellent posts but I think we may be missing the point here.

If I was going to hire someone to be a security guard, I could care less if she has been carousing wildly in the past, or drinking with friends (but no clothes) or whatever. What she has done in the past on her own time is her business.

But if she was dumb enough to post personal pictures on Facebook, then I would have to wonder if she was really up to the job of keeping ME safe and maintaining proper discretion about anyone else's personal business.

I believe a lot of potential employers are turned off not by what is in a person's personal photos but more by the fact that the person posted them on Facebook in the first place and thereby has shown a potentially fatal lack of judgment and good sense.

I saw your facebook so I won't hire you...

onwaytozion — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 22:04:01 GMT

It's not just potential employers! I just heard about a women who was collecting compensation for depression, then was denied in a review because she looked too happy in her Facebook pictures!

You might lose benefits if you smile too much.

I saw your facebook so I won't hire you...

vivasuzi — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 01:29:20 GMT

That's not what we are talking about silverscreen. We are talking about employers who go to facebook to research potential employees and then decide not to hire them after seeing their facebook. This isn't about people looking for jobs on facebook, it's about people looking for jobs the regular way, and then facebook hurts their chances to get it.

I saw your facebook so I won't hire you...

silverscreen — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 23:24:38 GMT

It's hard enough to find good help who really appreciate having a job when you interview them face to face. They seem okay at first and then they begin to show their lack of enthusiasm over the first couple of weeks. Finding someone on Facebook would be a disaster in my opinion. Before I started a business, someone told me that my hardest problem would be finding good employees and they were right! So hiring from Facebook? Why aren't these people hitting the streets to find a job?

I saw your facebook so I won't hire you...

vivasuzi — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 21:50:20 GMT

Tara I never knew that you can hide stuff from some friends and not others. I only add friends that I know in real life, and like Patty I don't say or post anything I wouldn't want the world to see.

Facebook is much much cleaner than myspace, I've noticed, because most of the younger people I know that are on Facebook have their parents and family members on their friends list. Whereas Myspace is a mess and I only go there to check in on a few friends of mine who won't move to Facebook! But myspace is where I run into the crazy teens that don't seem to have any sense of decency. I believe FB was started for college age students which might be why people there (at least the ones I am friends with) are more mature.

I saw your facebook so I won't hire you...

TaraLee — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 18:18:26 GMT

The good thing about FB is that you can really tailor who sees what. I am addicted to the game FarmVille on facebook, and to make it better you need neighbors, but only about 12 of my friends play, so I found other fans and created a list of FV friends, I limit their ability to only see my wall posts, they cant see where I live, any photos, etc. so you really can control who sees what.

I am constantly amazed at what people will say on the internet. And yes, if someone had something particularly disturbing on their facebook page, and they had the page set so that anyone can see it then yes they deserve not to be hired for poor judgement.

I saw your facebook so I won't hire you...

PattyTherre — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 06:27:40 GMT

If you set FB for friends only though, Does the whole world see what you write? I don't care because I never write anything I wouldn't want someone to see but was just wondering. I think people forget that the net is a very public place and what they say there isn't confined to who they may be intending it to be for.

I just stay light and fluffy on FB. I have friends of all types including family members and professional coworkers so I am mindful of what I say at all times just to be sure no one gets the wrong idea or whatever. I almost wish I had split myself into two Facebook names, one for family and certain professional friends and one for my goofy, real life crazy friends. But oh well, it's only Facebook.

I saw your facebook so I won't hire you...

Meowmom — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 04:26:12 GMT

If you write it, others read it. Many cases, it is simply "too much info" to be floating about the world. If you are too "loose" in public, as an employer would I have to be concerned with the lack of discretion on the job??

I saw your facebook so I won't hire you...

vivasuzi — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:43:58 GMT

Yeah I might complain that my office is freezing (which I do often!) but I can't imagine posting all kinds of ridiculous things like that. Granted, I don't want to leave my job so I wouldn't even say that. But even if someone does something dumb there, I don't post it on FB just in case.

I tend to keep my facebook updates to simple or silly things or otherwise positive things. I might complain about being sick, or tired, or getting cut off on the drive home, but I won't complain about people I know because I think that is just rude... even if those people cannot see my facebook, it's still kind of rude to bash people in such a public forum.

I saw your facebook so I won't hire you...

lilmisssunshine — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:41:28 GMT

Facebook has even worked in reverse for my company recently. I know of a girl who was posting on her public profile how tired she was of her job, and how she would just stick it out a little bit longer before she quits. Needless to say, a few higher-ups in the company caught wind of this & were able to find her replacement & let her go before she dropped them. Naturally, she then posted how she was jobless & didn't know what she was going to do. If you don't want EVERYONE to read it, don't post it!!

I saw your facebook so I won't hire you...

vivasuzi — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:38:52 GMT

Yeah i don't get that Bob. People make plans and private conversation on the "wall". I do sometimes but usually only if some of my other friends might be interested. Otherwise, my friends and I use the private messaging - which is actually very convenient on FB and a great way to plan an outing with multiple people!

There are many benefits to FB and I've found more and more people using it for Party invites, remembering bdays, and sharing photos that your friends would never see otherwise. I love that my videos of my nephew get lots of comments by my family and friends :) But even then I keep the videos limited to "friends only" because I don't want the world to see.

I saw your facebook so I won't hire you...

bkovacs — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:58:30 GMT

A woman who is a former co-worker and I have kept in touch occasionally on Facebook, strictly professionally. I thought she might be willing to give me a work-related reference, so earlier today I started typing my request on her "wall" on Facebook. Then I realized that the whole world could see it and she might not want dozens of other "friends" asking for similar references. Therefore, I sent my request to her privately.

Yeah, it makes sense that you only put things on Facebook if you want the world to see them. And it's a BIG world, so keep that in mind.

--Bob

I saw your facebook so I won't hire you...

RudiXeno — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:16:50 GMT

vivasuzi said…

Wow this is an old thread that came back up. I still am on the same side I was before - go ahead and have a FB page, but be smart about it. Keep it private, only add people you know and trust, and don't post stupid stuff that you wouldn't want everyone reading. The same goes here at Viewpoints if you think about it!

Ok so here's another issue I have with FB. Some people use it as a way to argue, complain or whine about their family and friends when they aren't getting along. I can't even imagine ever doing that. Some people on there look so childish when they are fighting with their friend via FB. I don't get it! One of my friends was posting when she was fighting with her spouse - moved out even - and sounded like he was a major jerk. Then that fight was over and she's back with him and we are all supposed to think he's a great guy? Why'd she air her dirty laundry for all her old friends to see?

I also have some friends who will communicate with their spouses through FB using the public wall. Why? I don't know. If I need to tell my husband something I call him or text him on his phone. I'm not sure I understand why some people think the world needs to know what they are planning for dinner or that they told their spouse they'd be home late. My husband and I rarely (if ever) comment on each others pages/photos because - well we live together and can say it to each other's face.

Sounds like you have more than a few dumb friends. Sometimes you just gotta thin the herd.

I saw your facebook so I won't hire you...

vivasuzi — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:52:33 GMT

Wow this is an old thread that came back up. I still am on the same side I was before - go ahead and have a FB page, but be smart about it. Keep it private, only add people you know and trust, and don't post stupid stuff that you wouldn't want everyone reading. The same goes here at Viewpoints if you think about it!

Ok so here's another issue I have with FB. Some people use it as a way to argue, complain or whine about their family and friends when they aren't getting along. I can't even imagine ever doing that. Some people on there look so childish when they are fighting with their friend via FB. I don't get it! One of my friends was posting when she was fighting with her spouse - moved out even - and sounded like he was a major jerk. Then that fight was over and she's back with him and we are all supposed to think he's a great guy? Why'd she air her dirty laundry for all her old friends to see?

I also have some friends who will communicate with their spouses through FB using the public wall. Why? I don't know. If I need to tell my husband something I call him or text him on his phone. I'm not sure I understand why some people think the world needs to know what they are planning for dinner or that they told their spouse they'd be home late. My husband and I rarely (if ever) comment on each others pages/photos because - well we live together and can say it to each other's face.

As of late, Facebook has become a fun way to keep in touch with some old school friends and my current friends. We post silly status updates (like 'I need a nap!') and respond to each other. There's not much seriousness in my facebook world and definitely nothing bad. My mom and uncles have since joined and are my friends. As you can imagine, I would never post anything that my mom wouldn't like and therefore an employer shouldn't have a problem with it either. Even so - I'm still private because it's non of their business.

I saw your facebook so I won't hire you...

Jo — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:25:12 GMT

The thing about adding friends as the only people who can see it - well I've come across posts I've written in the past while googling. I think you can be found much more easily by those who know what they are doing than we can imagine (as Old Hippie said). I am much more cautious now about what I say about people I know for example even in a post such as this (people as IRL).

I saw your facebook so I won't hire you...

RudiXeno — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:49:33 GMT

OldHippie said…

Whatever you post on-line - stays on-line for a long time! Simply, the Internet is GLOBAL. If you would be embarrassed for anyone to see it - don't post it...period.

I agree totally. Whether it should or should not be isn't the question. It is!

I remember a boss once telling a number of us that when it comes to submitting our expense reports, if we wouldn't want to see it published in the Wall Street Journal, we shouldn't submit it. That was long before the Internet, but sage advice.

Today, everything we put up on the web is fair game. Post responsibly!

Rudi

I saw your facebook so I won't hire you...

OldHippie — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:42:25 GMT

Whatever you post on-line - stays on-line for a long time! Simply, the Internet is GLOBAL. If you would be embarrassed for anyone to see it - don't post it...period.

I saw your facebook so I won't hire you...

vivasuzi — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 15:47:02 GMT

See that's what I'm saying Patty, even GOOD kids do stupid things on Myspace, I don't know why! My teen cousins go on there and through out the F word all over, but they would never say that to their parents or (when they get a job) their bosses! OH and it seems to be the culture of teen girls now to take kissy face pictures (they are always pursing their lips). I don't get that, I'm a smiler and think smiling is pretty, but they do it all over.

Glad you are being more general when doing your discussions and such. On mylot I always keep things general OR make up a story with fake names that basically explains what I'm trying to say without being anything anyone would be able to figure out. Basically, although I complain about some ppl on mylot, they would never know it was them if they ever came across it! Speaking of mylot, it's time I return! I stay away during Big Brother season b/c I always end up hearing a spoiler or two, but now that is over!

I saw your facebook so I won't hire you...

PattyTherre — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 02:09:18 GMT

Well, I have a public MySpace and I wouldn't care who saw it because I carefully honed it to be a networking site in many ways. There are links to everything I do, my reviews, etc. I do not let people post sexual comments (I don't know most well enough for them to post any comments really.), and I don't get involved with people who seem to be friendly but whom I don't know. They can be "on my friends list" but I won't engage in personal chit chat with them.

I am careful about what I say but I have opened up in blogs in the past, never mentioning names but venting in a way that maybe wasn't so cool. I have since closed off those blogs for the most part.

The thing is, my son is one of the best kids I ever met. I don't say that because he's my kid either. But his MySpace page makes me cringe. Dumb pics, dumb friends, not so sweet language at times. If a potential employer saw that, I don't think he or she would get to know the person my son truly is. Those social sites encourage outrageous and dumb behavior, especially for younger people. I'm not so sure they should be used as a way to measure the integrity of a person. Then again...as you have all said, what you put out there in public can be seen by anyone and it could bite you in the tail. Luckily he never talks about anything or anyone. Oh oh, he may be reading this. DOH!

I write at MyLot (vivasuzi, you should see some referral money coming your way. I have been on a MyLot spree! LOL.) and often answer some personal questions in discussions. I have recently started to leave out certain facts because I have to stop being such an open book to the whole world.

I really don't care who reads my public stuff though. If they got into my email or something, then I would be ticked off because that's obviously supposed to be private.

I saw your facebook so I won't hire you...

vivasuzi — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:41:50 GMT

I agree with you scorpio and I think you explained what I was thinking better than I could. Something about them looking up and being able to see people just chatting with their friends doesn't sit right with me. Once again, I think more people should keep it private and then they wouldn't even have to worry about it as much.

I saw your facebook so I won't hire you...

scorpioeyez — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 19:05:04 GMT

My two cents is that things like a myspace profile and such should be off limits when determining a job hire. While I can see the point of wanting to pre-determine the kind of work ethic or professional demeanor of someone based solely by things they post online, I disagree with the practice.

A person's personal life is not their professional life, and there are more than a few of us out there who have two very different lives that they lead in and out of their respective places of employment and my personal life and internet life are directly related as well.

Just my thoughts at least.

I saw your facebook so I won't hire you...

Buggheart — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 16:28:13 GMT

You were probably looking at my husband's niece's page! Seriously. Only I don't think she's engaged. I look at some of the poses in her pictures on MySpace and I think OMG she's 17 and someone's MOM and she's doing this crap. Ugh.

I saw your facebook so I won't hire you...

vivasuzi — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:36:10 GMT

And Buggheart, I totally agree that I can't believe the stuff I find on these sites. Ok so I found one girl that she was 17 and her tagline said: "I'm pregnant!!!" Then a few days later it changed to "I'm pregnant and engaged :) "

Honestly that is NOT something I would be bragging about, but to her it was like totally awesome to let the world know. This to me shows how life has changed in the world of the internet. A lot of people think things are totally OK now just because they see it all the time online.

I saw your facebook so I won't hire you...

vivasuzi — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:30:26 GMT

Well I don't agree that you shouldn't put it online at all, instead you should be smart about who you add as friends. I have only a few "friends" on those sites, and all of them are people I personally know and trust.

Those people who add everyone in the world need to get it under control and realize that they shouldn't add people they don't know just because they are funny or cute or have something in common.

As many of you have stated, I can see how employers would get a lot out of myspace/facebook if they are hiring for positions where they need someone they can really trust. The funny thing is, I am 100% sure there is nothing on my sites that would incriminate me, but I still would rather they weren't looking which is why I stay private. I've found some coworkers on Facebook but I haven't told them I'm there or added them, just to be safe! What's innocent fun to one person may be considered bad to someone else. Although I'd still think everything I do online is A-OK, but you never really know what people think is bad. Maybe someone doesn't like my opinion on a certain topic, or maybe they think I shouldn't be friends with a certain person, that's why I stay private.

I saw your facebook so I won't hire you...

CyndiA — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 01:10:37 GMT

If you don't want it out in public, do not put it online - public or private. You would not believe how many of your "friends" will show your private stuff. When you have 500 "friends," you are kidding yourself.

As far as employers, if it's posted in public . . . It gives them a pretty good idea as far as what kind of decisions you make. If they come and look in the window at your house, that would be odd. Probably wouldn't want to work for peek freaks anyway.

My spin. And, I have seen a lot and much that you could not pay me to do or to post.

I saw your facebook so I won't hire you...

krislynn — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 23:01:28 GMT

Buggheart said…
I'm always totally amazed at the stuff people put on their social networking pages. My DH's niece who is 18 has the nastiest stuff on there. She'd probably spin around thrice and drop dead if she knew me and her uncle were reading her nasty crap. It literally makes me sick to see the stuff she and her friends say.

I always keep my profile(s) private (I have nothing to hide), but you never know who is lurking around.

My friend's brother spreaded lies about his best friend on his MySpace page. Needless to say, some people found out including his family and the best friend. I can't believe some of the things people put on their MySpace pages.

I saw your facebook so I won't hire you...

Buggheart — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 20:00:24 GMT

"Everyone's gotta learn to make their profiles on these type of sites private. " I could not agree more. I used to keep my MySpace profile open until someone I know locally who turned out to be a psycho. I didn't put anything skanky on there but I didn't want her knowing what I was up to in my life so I closed it down. I'm now over at Facebook and keep that private as well.

I'm always totally amazed at the stuff people put on their social networking pages. My DH's niece who is 18 has the nastiest stuff on there. She'd probably spin around thrice and drop dead if she knew me and her uncle were reading her nasty crap. It literally makes me sick to see the stuff she and her friends say.

I saw your facebook so I won't hire you...

JovialCougar — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:44:02 GMT

I don't think we yet know all the ramifications of posting thoughts and pictures of ourselves on the internet. My understanding is that virtually everything gets archived and is ''out there'' somewhere, even if you deleted it. Think twice before hitting the 'submit' button.

I saw your facebook so I won't hire you...

bkovacs — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 17:20:35 GMT

I think it depends on what you're being hired for. If you're going to work flipping burgers at Five Guys, it probably doesn't matter if you have pictures of your tattoos or baudy poems you've written on MySpace. However, if you're applying for a job as an assistant district attorney or a financial analyst, then your potential employer has an obligation to screen out inappropriate candidates.

Employers often make a BIG investment when hiring new employees. In some cases, it can literally cost $10,000 to recruit and sign a new employee. Any employer needs to do "due diligence" when spending that kind of money. If they have two candidates with similar backgrounds but one of them has pierced nipples, goes to goth trance events and picks up girls at Miley Cyrus concerts, which would you hire? Investigators paid to look into the backgrounds of potential employees must find MySpace and Facebook quite the feast.

The bottom line really is: If you don't want people to know about it, keep your mouth shut and your fingers off the keyboard.

--Bob

I saw your facebook so I won't hire you...

mysticstarfish — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 17:14:57 GMT

I saw this on tv the other day. I have mixed emotions about it. As an employer, it must be really hard to find good, honest, reliable employees. I see it when I go shopping or the doctors office. Some employers have very high turnover for a number of reasons.

If an employer is looking for someone to fill a position that requires the employee to handle clients, money or an executive position, the employer would want to make sure the employee is fit for the position. It is so easy to dummy a resume; they may need more information.

Someone may present his/her self as an honest, maybe family type of person, but on their facebook page, they are dressed provocatively and swigging from a keg.

On the other hand, a person does have a right to post what they wish on their page and shouldn't have it held against them because Facebook and MySpace are basically for fun.

I saw your facebook so I won't hire you...

vivasuzi — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:53:18 GMT

The other day on the radio, they were talking about how employers use Facebook/Myspace as a means of researching potential employees. I personally have nothing to hide, and I keep my facebook private, but even so, I still find this to be out of line. Although there may be some legit things they find wrong, they shouldn't judge a person by their facebook. The way people act around friends is not necessarily the way they will act at work.

The stories report that employers are looking for things like:

Comments or photos of drugs/drinking
Bad pictures of oneself
Bad spelling/grammer ???? what??
bad-mouthing a previous employer
having an unprofessional screen name

Ok, first of all I know some people are reallllly dumb, but do you know how many people out there will openly joke about doing drugs and drinking who don't actually do drugs or drink? It's like some stupid internet cultural thing that happened but joking about drugs and drinking is now something these kids consider funny. So if you see this on myspace, should it be the reason NOT to hire them when you don't have any other proof of this?

While I agree with some of the things they check for, others I think are ridiculous. I wouldn't want to hire someone who posts slutty pictures of themselves all over their website, but having bad spelling/grammer on a free website does not mean I can't type a professional email.

In conclusion: I don't do anything wrong online that I would feel the need to hide, yet I still feel it's none of their business to try and see what's on my facebook. Everyone's gotta learn to make their profiles on these type of sites private. There is no need for the world to see conversations between you and your buds.

I found there are actually quite a few articles about this online if you want to look. Share your thoughts....