Alone in the Car: Employers and Facebook

Serious job seekers seeking advice have probably be given counsel about Facebook. It would go something like this: 1. don't get involved at all or 2. if you do, know that everything you write and show(photos, etc.) is out there for the public to view including prospective employers. This is nothing new and has been said to job seekers for some time now.

Another long-term policy which usually is part of new employee orientation, or at least should be, is computer use for personal reasons. Some companies allow it during working hours, some allow during break times such as lunch, and some have strict policy forbidding any personal use. Someone allowed to use a company computer could then get on their Facebook page while at work, following employer protocols.

Now we have a new twist. Employers may ask for a job seeker's name and password of their Facebook account. Facebook has responded by stating they will protect their users even if it means legal action.
Where do we go from here?

Here are my thoughts:
1. Thank you media for stirring the pot like you usually do. Let's see if we can find some cooler heads to prevail.

2. Employers, you have 3-4 times the usual amount of people applying for the job than you used to. I would anticipate in all those resumes you can find the person that matches your qualifications and can pass a background and financial check.

3. Get on the applicant's Facebook page, which is public, but after you interview. Get your own impression first and then look for additional information. Many companies prefer referrals anyway. Either they trust their own instinct or a trusted employee's instinct. Really, are you saying Facebook gives better, more accurate portraits than actually seeing and speaking to the applicant in person? Is that why you want their name and password?

4. Job seekers, if you know there are 200 resumes sitting on the personnel manager's desk for the same position, why on earth would you post anything that is embarrassing? Google your name and find out what is out there.

5. Would you hire you? Do you look like, from what people can find out on the internet, that you could be an asset to the team that is already in place? What salary should the employer pay based on what they saw? Does what they saw match in any way to your resume? Does it "compel or repel" (referring to a previous blog)?

6. In the short term, you the employer who is in fact a stranger, asking for someone's name and password is shaky ground in my opinion. I don't give out that information to anyone for any purpose for security reasons. My guess is you don't give your passwords out either. I would get a legal opinion before making this part of your hiring process.