Facebook posts could jeopardize your job prospects

Savvy employees know that controversial posts and racy photos on social networking sites could get you fired. Now FIU researchers have confirmed that Facebook posts also could keep you from getting hired.

A study conducted by researchers at FIU’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication (SJMC) highlights a growing trend – employers that are scrutinizing job candidates’ Facebook profiles when they make hiring decisions. While other articles have documented instances of employees getting fired because of their Facebook posts and job seekers who were hired through career opportunities posted on Facebook, the FIU study sheds new light showing that employers are using Facebook to screen candidates.

“We hope to raise questions about whether or not employers should be using social networking sites to screen candidates and to start a conversation about establishing guidelines for the use of social media in the hiring process,” said David Park, a Social Media and Globalization professor at FIU’s SJMC and the study’s lead researcher. “This is an emerging phenomenon that will continue to grow.”

The study titled At Face(book) value: uses of Facebook in hiring processes and the role of identity in social networks was published in this month’s International Journal of Work Innovation. The two-year study was carried out by Park and Global Strategic Communications graduate students Vanessa A. de la Llama, Isabel Trueba, Carola Voges, and Claudia Barreto.

The researchers found that employers are paying particular attention to a job seeker’s online personal appearance/portrayal; lifestyle image; wall posts; likes and interests; and privacy settings on Facebook.

Because of the nature of the topic, it was difficult to find employers who wanted to participate in the study, Park said. The research team interviewed 19 employers in the information technology; healthcare and wellness; education; law enforcement; food and drink; travel; and advertising industries.

Many of the prospective employers compared a potential candidate’s Facebook profile to a reference letter because they felt it gave similar insight into the candidate’s overall character. Additionally, the way candidates portrayed themselves through their wall posts, as well as what others wrote on their walls, also influenced the employers that were interviewed. The majority of employers interviewed also agreed that placing personal information on a public medium is not intelligent.

“There is no standard policy among employers regarding use of Facebook in this manner.

This practice raises many ethical issues and can create pitfalls for both prospective employees and employers,” Park said.