In this assignment, you will explore the potential impact of social networking on the workplace. You would be surprised by what people can find out by simply Googling the name of a job applicant. Consider your own social networking participation. Do you believe there is anything on the web that could be potentially harmful to your chances of getting a particular job? If you have a personal page on a social networking site, what do you think it says to other people about you? Do your friends agree about the messages being conveyed? Is the impression of your digital self the image you want to be conveyed to a potential future employer? Juan Enriquez has recorded a very thought-provoking, short discourse on TedTalks regarding the permanent record we create of ourselves with social media. As a primer for this discussion, conduct an Internet search for "Juan Enriquez: Your online life, permanent as a tattoo" and view his talk.
Tasks:
Employers have based hiring decisions on social networking site content. In your response, answer the following questions:
- Do you believe that assessing a candidate partially based on his or her social networking site (for example, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, or LinkedIn) is justified?
- In what ways do employers using social networking sites for the evaluation of job candidates compare with school officials using these sites for student discipline?
- What would your profile on social networking sites tell an employer about you?