In the last week, there has been a social media topic that has really exploded – should prospective employers be able to ask for your social networking passwords? It’s common knowledge that when applying for jobs, candidates should clean up their social networking profiles (e.g. removing photos of questionable behavior from Facebook; removing profanity from Twitter, etc.). And it should go without saying that employers are most likely not looking to hire someone who practices illegal or dishonest behavior and then publicly boasts about it. But should aspects of your Facebook, such as private messages, be scrutinized and viewed by a company who is interviewing you for a job? Does this infringe upon privacy rights? Many people and companies think so, including Facebook who recently issued a statement saying they don’t approve of such behavior. What do you think – would you give a prospective employer your Facebook password or give up on the job?
Here’s a good article for the argument against allowing companies to ask job candidates for their passwords. http://lat.ms/HhgDQg
