

Recruiters Using Facebook... as a Reference Check - mbabbitt
http://www.youtern.com/thesavvyintern/index.php/2011/03/02/recruiters-using-facebook-as-a-reference-check/

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beaumartinez
If you set your privacy settings _correctly_ , nobody but who you allow will
see anything about you (bar your name, profile picture, gender, networks, and
username {which are visible to everyone}).

Poorly researched article.

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oceanboy1225
Poorly thought out comment... what if recruiters follow the ever-growing trend
of asking for the login for privacy-set FB accounts?

Oh - then they'll see all of those pictures etc.

What are you, as the job seeker going to do... say "no you can't have my
login?" That would take some big juevos, my friend.

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matthewlyle
_> say "no you can't have my login?"_

Of course I would. I don't think that takes big anything. That's an incredibly
inappropriate request.

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mbabbitt
YouTern would never suggest giving login information to an employer, or anyone
else. And it highly unlikely -- unheard of, even -- that a recruiter would ask
for login info or passwords.

We've heard of several applications that contain fields for links to social
media sites, including Facebook... so assuming the commenter used "login" when
they actually meant "URL" or "link".

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iuguy
I use a completely different name for my facebook profile and have a gmail
account (unconnected) associated with it. I routinely get job offers for
security work even though I have everything set to private.

I'm assuming that this is me showing up as linked to other people that are not
so cautious.

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joe_the_user
Are saying they manage to associate the gmail account and Facebook account
themselves?

Are they truly unassociated or is there are name in the Facebook account that
your friends could use to find the gmail account?

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iuguy
I get on average about a message every 3 months from recruiters looking for
'fresh meat'. What I think they're doing is they're looking at friends on
facebook, then their networks and making the assumption that the person will
have a gmail account, then guessing what it might be. Sometimes I'm cc'd into
variants of potential spelling like firstname.lastname@gmail, flastname@gmail
etc. but most of the time it's a bcc. If you bear in mind that my profile has
a distinctly odd name which used to be a googlewhack and that most of my
friends friends on facebook are in the UK and in the same industry (I use
multiple profiles for multiple purposes).

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trotsky
Clearly this is going on, but the article seems a little sensationalist. I
highly doubt my ex wife or my pet is being used as a measure of
recruitability.

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dd_barnes
Maybe the HR person doesn't like your type of pet....hmmmm...IT HAPPENS!

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goalieca
I have everything in friends only.. even friends list. I have a public twitter
though. I see no reason why they should not hire a human being. We are all
human and if they are clinging on to a 1950s view of Man then maybe I should
not work there. I am quite professional and accomplished but I always speak
from my heart.

My biggest gripe with HR is in their ability to understand transferrable
skills. I may have x years and a masters degree in y but they are looking for
y'.

I have faith that with my generation, politicians and businessmen alike will
stop pretending they are "perfect" people. Then finally we can get past these
old ideas of how everyone should exist.

~~~
joe_the_user
That innocuous phrase "hire a human being" masks serious problems for a world
without workplace privacy.

The modern world's move to _capitalism_ from feudalism, circa 1800-1900
involved a move from dictators (feudal lords) who could demand anything from
their vassals on a life-long basis to a world in which workers and
professional entered into definite _contracts_ with employers for _limited_
purposes.

Capitalism, even according to its proponents, is an adversarial system. It's
just hopefully a adversarial system to brings benefits to all concerned at the
end of the day. But you don't get those benefits if you surrender in the
middle of the day - "negotiate not and ye shall not receive..."

It's problematic if your employers has demanded to hire a "human being of
their choice" rather than a human being who will competently accomplish a
codified job in a competent manner.

Try the phrase "I don't see what's wrong an employer giving a _human being_ a
job evaluation" in contrast to "I expect to be evaluated based on my ability
to accomplish a job" For _a human being_ , "I didn't like their hair" might be
legitimate as a complaint. But

Your employer is giving you something _limited_ a wage. You owe them something
limited too -

This is as much for the benefit of the employer as the employee. An employer
who works according to objective criteria is going to accomplish their money-
making tasks better than one that gives in to arbitrary criteria and demands.
Sometimes it the employees who need to remind the employers of this.

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dpapathanasiou
This is neither new nor remarkable.

~~~
oceanboy1225
Quite a group of remarks though for something "not remarkable".

~~~
dd_barnes
Its a very HOT topic found in many areas right now. Those who listen will have
a leg up from those who still say "FMJ" on the site they have so many
colleagues "friended".

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williamdix
Every time I read an article describing any practice of recruiters, I lose
more respect for them. Whether it be discriminating against un-employed job-
seekers or mining facebook to eliminate candidates, their practices just seem
terrible. Employers expect employees to keep a barrier between their personal
and professional lives, but do not respect that barrier in the other
direction.

still have pictures of the intoxicated you with your shirt off in 23 degree
weather with the ‘A’ from “WILDCATS” painted on your chest during a football
game (not exactly their idea of a “team player”).

How in the world does that affect ones ability to perform a job?

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dd_barnes
If the HR person DOESN'T like the Wildcats...you are NOT getting the job.

Seriously...think outside your little world. HR folks are people who get to be
a God for a moment and choose who they want their boss to interview.

HR practices to schedule an interview was based on how many "key words"
appeared in your resume....count the words and if there are enough move them
to the interview.

Seriously...HR folks may be the receptionist at the front desk, the mail boy
who got the resume, an intern who wants the job someone is applying for....HR
folks are PEOPLE...think about this folks!

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maeon3
As evidence that these facebook-reference checks are actually occurring, Here
is an example of a recruiter friending me during an interview process:

Elizabeth Nuzzo, Senior IT Recruiter @ Professional Alternative Inc. Studied
at University of Connecticut, Lives in Boston MA Born on May 23, 1982

It feels wrong for the hive mind to discuss Elizabeth Nuzzo's behavior against
her will. But hey, it's a two edged sword.

It is a bit jarring for everyone on the internet be able to expose you and
your innermost personal preferences, what you do, and how you work, why, and
evaluate you based on this against your will. I figure it is inevitable that
privacy becomes a thing of the past, we might as well embrace it and remember
that what you do online is as important as how you present yourself during an
interview.

You are never off-stage, your entire life is an interview. Sleep with one eye
open.

