recruiting and myspace

NaeNae55

[url]http://www.accountantsworld.com/desktopdefault.aspx?page=newsstory&category=newsstory&StoryId=i1129741.3nw[/url]

This is a link to an article I read about employers checking out myspace and myface to find out about potential employees. I thought you might be interested.

I got it from a daily I receive called AccountantsWorld. If it turns out you can't access it, please let me know and I will try to reprint the article here.

Nae

ray a

Nae, you have to be a member to open up the site.

NaeNae55

Oh cussword!

T Kessler pointed out to me that the article might be copywrited so I cannot reprint it here without their permission. He gave me another article, but it is nothing like the one I am trying to share.

The phone number was at the bottom of the article and I have called it. It is early for the west coast, so I will have to wait awhile for a call back. Hopefully, they will give me permission. If not, I will just have to try to do a brief snyopsis (definitely not as good as the article itself).

Nae

Paul in Cannon Beach

If you search "Myspace" on this forum you will find a couple of threads that talk about this website and the various responses that employers are taking.

I learned about the website in October of 2005 when someone hinted to me that I might want to check out one of our ex-employee's blogs. This person was essentially bragging about breaking one of our policies.

Since that time, I have addressed comments made on Myspace with two employees. Both were apologetic and removed the comments.

My general advice to employees, especially younger ones, is just to be careful what they say. If they want to vent, do it privately. Myspace allows a user to post private blogs that can only be accessed by other designated users.

Having a bad day at work and then talking about it on your Myspace page is a bad idea. Especially when specific names and incidents are being mentioned.

As for employers who check out Myspace pages as a way to "screen" potential applicants, I think that is unwise. Reading someone's myspace page is going to give an employer a lot of information that shouldn't be considered when making a hiring decision: race, religion, sexual orientation, outside interests and activities, marital status.

Judge the applicant by their interview, resume, employment history, and references not what bands they like or which of their friends are "hawt!"

I have my own Myspace page as HR manager for my organization. We hire about 90 college students every summer and Myspace is their preferred method of communicating. Its a great tool for staying in touch and communicating information. For example, we are having a staff reunion in January and I am using Myspace to advertise the event.