2008 Woodie Awards
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On the hunt for information
Many employers now target social networking Web sites to perform background checks before hiring employees
By: Tony Hunter
Issue date: 6/4/08 Section: Campus
Most college students using Facebook or MySpace would rather not have their grandmas look at their online profiles, let alone their future employers.
But the reality is, more employers are accessing these social networking Web sites either personally or by working with companies that do online background checks for them.
Katherine Bradshaw, a journalism professor, said she definitely knows many employers in the business world search Facebook and MySpace before hiring someone.
"They all see what they can find on those network sites," Bradshaw said. "Everybody I know who hires [uses them]."
As a manager at a chemical factory near Bowling Green, Steve Traxler is responsible for hiring employees that can be trusted with handling potentially dangerous materials every day.
Traxler's company uses the services of an independent firm called BackTrack, which does background checks using Google searches and Facebook.
"If they get on Facebook and the person is drunk and says they get drunk every night and smoke marijuana, they are not getting hired," Traxler said. "We don't want partiers."
Traxler said he doesn't check any of his current employees' profiles personally, but said he knows of other managers who do check current or potential employees' web pages.
Traxler does not believe there is anything wrong with employers doing background checks on employees.
"Now-a-days everything is open, so if you don't want people to know about it, then select private," Traxler said.
With online background checks becoming more prevalent, some students may feel the pressure of keeping their private life off the Internet.
This can be especially hard since a person's photo can be taken by another's cell phone and posted online without consent of that person.
Senior Jason Pier said employers should not use someone's Web site against them when looking to fill a position.
"They can do a light check, but it shouldn't be something they can mark you off for," Pier said. "It's a personal page, it's not a career page."
According to CollegeRecruiter.com, this belief is shared by many people who own a personal Web page on Facebook.
The Web site uses an example from Facebook's Frequently Asked Questions page that tells users they can set their profiles on private so no one can access their information, but many students ignore this advice.
Bradshaw said she understands the Web site privacy issues that students are facing with the Internet, but also explains students can only accept the situation and make an effort to protect their reputation.
"I think it's unfortunate that people younger and younger have to be aware of managing their image," Bradshaw said. "But the real issue is that students must learn how to make a good impression whenever someone is looking."
But the reality is, more employers are accessing these social networking Web sites either personally or by working with companies that do online background checks for them.
Katherine Bradshaw, a journalism professor, said she definitely knows many employers in the business world search Facebook and MySpace before hiring someone.
"They all see what they can find on those network sites," Bradshaw said. "Everybody I know who hires [uses them]."
As a manager at a chemical factory near Bowling Green, Steve Traxler is responsible for hiring employees that can be trusted with handling potentially dangerous materials every day.
Traxler's company uses the services of an independent firm called BackTrack, which does background checks using Google searches and Facebook.
"If they get on Facebook and the person is drunk and says they get drunk every night and smoke marijuana, they are not getting hired," Traxler said. "We don't want partiers."
Traxler said he doesn't check any of his current employees' profiles personally, but said he knows of other managers who do check current or potential employees' web pages.
Traxler does not believe there is anything wrong with employers doing background checks on employees.
"Now-a-days everything is open, so if you don't want people to know about it, then select private," Traxler said.
With online background checks becoming more prevalent, some students may feel the pressure of keeping their private life off the Internet.
This can be especially hard since a person's photo can be taken by another's cell phone and posted online without consent of that person.
Senior Jason Pier said employers should not use someone's Web site against them when looking to fill a position.
"They can do a light check, but it shouldn't be something they can mark you off for," Pier said. "It's a personal page, it's not a career page."
According to CollegeRecruiter.com, this belief is shared by many people who own a personal Web page on Facebook.
The Web site uses an example from Facebook's Frequently Asked Questions page that tells users they can set their profiles on private so no one can access their information, but many students ignore this advice.
Bradshaw said she understands the Web site privacy issues that students are facing with the Internet, but also explains students can only accept the situation and make an effort to protect their reputation.
"I think it's unfortunate that people younger and younger have to be aware of managing their image," Bradshaw said. "But the real issue is that students must learn how to make a good impression whenever someone is looking."
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
alexa harrington
posted 6/06/08 @ 8:47 PM EST
It seems unfair that just by virtue of mankind's technological advances, the teens and twenty-somethings have to be so intensely aware of their actions, especially any activities that might end up recorded and online. (Continued…)
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