Comments on: MySpace costing people new jobs at record pace

By: Pros & Cons of Social Networks | WebDevology.com

Pros & Cons of Social Networks | WebDevology.com — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 07:27:48 +0000

[...] MySpace costing people new jobs at record pace [...]

By: Erik

Erik — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:14:35 +0000

“Is it legal to hire or not hire someone based on their MySpace page….I mean if that information should ever come to light?”

It is illegal and unethical, they’re going based off irrelevant information in the work place, I personally worry that if someone saw my myspace page they won’t hire me because I’m not religious or some other reason, so I use 2 completely different e-mail addresses.

By: Julia

Julia — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:07:28 +0000

I feel that the website spaces have it’s pro’s and it’s con’s.

Just because someone enjoys what I would call strange activities does not mean that they are going to be a bad employee. In fact, by eliminating someone by their personal time could possibly cost an employer a great asset to their company.

The basic background, criminal checks I think are enough, of course, along with the employment verification portion, testing. During the interview process you can get a sense if the person is going to work with your group of employees or not. Putting them on probation or hiring a temp from an agency for a period of time allows for both the employee and the employer to see how well they can work together.

You wouldn’t just jump into a relationship and say you are in love with them without getting to know them first. Employer/Employee relationships are simular.

Take Care,
Julia

By: Robert

Robert — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:06:10 +0000

I think this is good for a company to use a social network to check out potential clients for things like drug use, racial comments, and comments about an employer or ex-employer. Although I am not sure how I feel about them letting someone go for things like drinking, or not having good communication skills based on a social network. This is still a social network not a professional website.

By: Susan Hensley

Susan Hensley — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 19:51:14 +0000

Is it legal to hire or not hire someone based on their MySpace page….I mean if that information should ever come to light?

By: MEH

MEH — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 19:40:53 +0000

My space is not Public and is marked Private and only ones I want are invited. Plus how do you know that someone is sitting up the their myspace for them since they need one to communicate or just keep an eye out on their children’s myspace. I would think this is getting to personal on an interview and is not right.

By: VLJ

VLJ — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 19:12:55 +0000

If you search for a person on facebook or myspace using their specific e-mail address, you are then sure you have the right person. I always search this way, and never by name, because there is sure to be more than one of many common names, and I’m not interested in clicking through all of their pages to see if the photo matches the person I interviewed.

This of course presents the problem of someone just using a different e-mail on their resume than they use for social networking. It is surprising how many candidates do not do this, given the good common sense of it. My opinion of a candidate certaily goes down if they are stupid enough to put an inaproriate e-mail address on their resume (jonhotbuns69@xxxx.com, just for example!)

By: Contrarian

Contrarian — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 19:03:39 +0000

The fact that some people are open and honest on social network sites is a plus for hiring managers. My concern is some people are not honest, and worse, some people may set up fake personalities to trash an enemy or former partner.

By: Paul Vinetti

Paul Vinetti — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:39:41 +0000

my Myspace page is nothing but girls, so they’ll know I’m not sexist

By: N Esters

N Esters — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:30:51 +0000

I am fairly sure viewing pictures if available would be the actual proof.
Other than that it would be hard to base hire selection on “possibile” matches.