Question

Do you think it is ethical for a prospective employer to use your online persona in their evaluation process? Why or why not?

Answer 1

Companies monitor their employees to ensure that no harm is being done within the workplace. A professional business wants to be viewed exactly that way; professional. If an employee makes statements that are malicious or harmful to the employer’s business reputation, this could potentially lead that employee down a very difficult path due to the social media privacy laws put into place. Companies are not allowed to request or demand personal account login information from employees. The only reason an employer should have access to an account is if, and only if, a potentially legal issue within their policy reaches the surface and needs direct attention.

It’s just part of basic research. At the end of the day, that person represents the company. We’ve seen over and over that when someone does something crazy online, it will come back to the company they work for. In that way, a company should be allowed to see how you present yourself, since that public persona could affect them directly once they’ve hired you.