Social Media: Can it ruin your job interview?

Okay so we’re all aware, or most of us are aware that most companies, when they want to hire you, they go directly for social media sites like facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. These are the sites we go to after work when we want to vent, when we want to have a laugh or make others laugh, we drop the f bomb a few times or for some of us, we simply post “un-appropriate” photos that we simply would not share with others at work or at least share when were on the clock; of course, when going for a job interview, the last thing you’re thinking about is the nasty post you posted about your boss on facebook right? Of course not, what in God’s name does that have to do with my work ethic or history? 

Well, a lot of employers use that information we so carelessly throw out into the world against us, and sometimes it comes back to bite us in the ass. Is that right? Yes and no in my opinion. Yes because we have the option of making our page private so people who are not our friends can’t be nosey and snoop around; however, even with the page set to private, they still can get a small glimpse of who you are. I think no because it’s wrong to not hire someone because they had a disagreement with their boss and choose to share that with family and friends. We all have disagreements in life, and if it weren’t for sites like FB or twitter, that same person would’ve been on the phone or at a bar, or somewhere talking shit about you; so either way, there was some dirt that was going to get thrown on your name. 

In a sense, it seems shallow to me that we use a person’s personal life to decide if we want to hire them. How many people do you know, who are messy people, always have constant drama in their life but never post on FB? All they do is log-on, look at other people stuff and then log out, only to talk shit about something someone else posted; so in turn companies, you hire the one who is probably the one who might burn your business down because there quiet and don’t post much. However, the one who is loud on FB, always has something to say, post his or her whole life on the internet is the one not to hire? Look I would rather one vent and let all their frustration go on social media, rather than be on the five o’clock news, being interviewed by a reporter saying something like, “I never saw this coming”.

Now I know, not everyone who is quiet on FB or twitter are devious and up to something, but the point I’m trying to make is we can’t judge someone according to their social media sites; it’s just that, it’s just a glimpse of who they are. I understand being professional as well but most of us off the clock, let our hair down and like to have a little fun. If I’m at a night club with a drink in my hand, it doesn’t mean I’m drunk, it means I’m having a drink. I’ve taken so many pictures sober, when I was tired, it looked like I wasn’t sober. We all have those moments…your friends, significant other, wife, husband or family have forced you to come out. You say no, they peer pressure you, you finally give in and go. After you go out, you have a drink and you’re not as tired; you take a picture that happens to be at your “crowning” moment and BAM! You’ve been tagged in a photo, right after you yawned, at some bar. 

Forgetting about the photo, you go back to look at it when you’re phone goes off, and you open up your FB account and there you are, eyes slightly red and a little glossy. It’s not a bad photo, hell if anything, it might be the best photo you’ve taken all year, it might be showing off the tan you got last week or something you wore that night you hadn’t got a chance to show off. In addition to that photo, there might be other photos of you partying from months ago. I’m pretty sure this is probably an extreme case of not hiring someone but there are managers out there who are like that. I get it, if everyday you’re posting about what bar or night club you went to, there might be a problem or is it?  

As a hiring manager, you would hate to waste the companies money on someone who won’t even get pass the 90 day evaluation; however, I would hate to judge someone to come and find out a few months up the road, that they became the next Steve Jobs or Bill Gates. What’s your opinion? Do you think companies should stop using Social media as a reference for whom to hire? Do you think companies should continue with this trend on using social media for whom to hire? I mean, before all of this, companies didn’t do this, what was done before when they wanted to hire someone?