Employers turning to social media

By Brandon White

In an increasingly competitive job market for students and new graduates, experts say employers are turning to social media to screen potential employees for deal-breaking behavior.

Canada’s unemployment rate was sitting at 7.3 per cent as of September of this year, and student unemployment was at an all-time high of 14.3 per cent. As more and more students and graduates apply for jobs, employers are trying to screen applicants thoroughly.

Francine Short, an employment and career advisor for Loyalist College, said one of the tools employers use is a social media outlet like Facebook and Twitter.

“It’s not uncommon for employers to poke around Facebook pages,” said Short.

“Certain industries might ask for background checks, like if you were going into security or if you were going to work for public relations,” Short said, “But there are legal stipulations, and they can’t force you to share your social media passwords or information. It’s not appropriate to ask for.”

Hilary Predy, the regional vice-president for Adecco Employment Services, said scanning social media is a fairly common practice for employers, but only in certain situations.

“The only time employers might try searching through social media is when they are looking for habits or bad behaviour that would have an impact on your professional life,” said Predy, “So it’s always a good idea to think that maybe those party pictures should stay offline.”

However, Predy and Short both agree that social lives are important and that employers shouldn’t judge applicants for having an active one.

“It becomes a fine line,” Predy said, “I think employers should judge more on skills, and the ability to do the job. Should party pictures or evidence of recreational drugs two years ago affect their ability to do the job now if they are presenting themselves as professionals and are qualified to do the work?”

Short said, “Everyone is entitled to free time and a social life, and generally, I think most employers understand that.”