To Facebook or Not?

I am not even sure why I chose this as my daily topic. Nevertheless, here it is.

Nowadays it standard practice when hiring to look at candidate's Facebook, LinkedIn or any other social media account. Don't think so?! Try applying for a job, really any job and see if they ask you for your account information.

In all honesty, the hiring firm doesn't even have to have your permission to check up on your stuff, you put it on the world wide web...guess what there's no privacy on the Internet (I know I am giving you invaluable information here...no one knew this until I pointed it out, right?!). Which brings me to my point...so firms disqualify the candidate based on a drunk picture or something else (funny repost, opinion...) posted on their account. Fabulous, but who are they to make these judgment calls number one. Granted they can do anything they want to, but let's think of this..."you never got drunk and inappropriate Mr. HR? And none of your opinions would offend someone?" (not sure about you, I had a a boss once and every time we had a company party she would get wasted to the point of someone had to hold her hair back while she'd projectile vomit in the parking lot, then come Monday and we'd have to pretend nothing happened and she'd have to reassert her power by being a major biatch for few weeks. However, this woman decided if I stayed there or not on a daily basis. Let's just say if I danced on a table at the company gathering in just my undergarments...I most likely wouldn't be returning to work on Monday). Secondly, what does a social media post have to do with the requirements of the position applied for...I am quite sure Bernie Madoff didn't post on his FB account how he was royally fucking everyone...yet, here we are.

So basically, you will reject a candidate based on their Facebook, Twitter and so on account, not their ability to get the job done. Yet someone that has chopped up bodies in their freezer will get that position supported by the fact they do not disclose as much about their life in the social media. (Always beware of the quiet ones! ;))

Practice seems at the very least hypocritical, not to mention unjust. Who made you the police of the social media lonely little HR catlady wearing Mr. Roger's sweater??? Buzzkill. I for example, always like to know what kind of crazy I am dealing with, then again that's just my opinion.

So lesson here is life isn't fair and neither is the HR department, so go lightly on your Facebook posts people or use an alias that would not be so easy to figure out. Now go on, delete all your drunk posts from this weekend and have yourself a fabulous Monday.