This week’s course project deals with social media and how companies today should handle this growing form of communication. When you apply for a job, do you feel that the company to which you are applying has a right to search social media websites for information on you? Should they use this information as part of the decision factor when evaluating applicants? Do you feel that people should be held accountable for what they post on these websites?
Expert Answer
Answer: I do not feel that the companies have a right to search the social media websites for getting information about an applicant. I feel that this is wrong as while doing so the recruiters may come across some protected personal information which a candidate may not like to share with them. Secondly many of the posts on the social media are personal and cannot provide a right clue about the professional inclination of a person and hence the information is not always reliable. This practise is ethically wrong until the recruiters have obtained permission from the candidate. Therefore this information should not be used for the decision making as it is not reliable and suitable for making the right recruitment decisions. Social media is not a professional platform and mostly people use it for their entertainment recreational purposes and hence they cannot be held accountable for what they post until it is illegal and unlawful.