Social media is a strong and viable entity that should be used as a tool for sifting through the bad and the ugly. Not too long ago employers only had basic tools for the screening of its future employees; the standard paper resume with references and past work experience. When I finished my bachelors degree I hit the streets with my resume in hand and hoped to get an interview to discuss all the virtues and endearing qualities I possessed. Instead I had quick formal meetings that ended with the proverbial “we’ll get back to you.” Needless to say I felt I never got a fair chance to discuss myself or my abilities. I feel potential candidates have a better shot at landing jobs that fit their lifestyle and employers have a better understanding of the people they are hiring. A job is life-changing for most people, managers are giving strangers the keys to a incredible gift. I feel those hiring managers should be able to make more formal decisions based on individuals social media content. Future and current employees should not post things to embarrass themselves, family members or their respective companies.
As an employer I am tired of all the government rights employees carry with them. ‘What about me?’ I have worked hard to build a business, every holiday or family event missed for the sake of the company. You can’t put a price on time lost. I have had to give employees seminars on sexual harassment, copyright infringement, internal affairs and ethics. Over the years I have hired countless losers, liars and lazy people! I want my justice, if social media helps me to discover the “real” person behind the primped up person I see across from my desk then so be it! If you don’t want people to see who and what you are about you shouldn’t put it out there. Social media protects me and my business from costly firings and possible litigation. I don’t want to break the law but if I can weed out trouble early on then why shouldn’t I? If things don’t start lightening up in America I may have to do business overseas then everyone loses.
As an employee I know living in this day and age; everything I post, write or read will be an open book for the world to see. Instead of chiding away from the inevitable I embrace it and present myself genuinely but with discretion. Personally I have become a social media butterfly; it fits with my personal style. I am an extrovert and love the social media banter as many do. I also have worked for the largest media companies in the world and currently I am at probably the biggest, Time Warner. In recent years we have been held accountable for any postings on social media and co-workers have been fired for acts of foolishness on the web. Every year we have required seminars regarding harassment, media law and now social media policy. I cannot divulge every secret but I am very careful about what I post, who I friend and what I ‘like’. I do have issues, ideas and discussions that I am passionate about and I still tweet or post them but I remain neutral in my stance. I am shocked at what some people post out there. And if they think that no one is watching then they are idiots! What comes around goes around I say. Personally I feel that social media policy regarding hiring is a good thing. I have babysitters in my employment that watch my children and I have checked them out. They are watching the loves of my life! I am responsible for my babies and if someone isn’t responsible on the internet… then how could they be held responsible for anything, a job or children? Big brother is watching so get used to it there is no turning back.
