Community Corner

POLL: Would You Give Your Facebook Password to a Potential Employer?

Some job seekers are now being asked to allow prospective employers to view the content of their social media accounts.

Would you let a prospective employer snoop around in your social media accounts? More and more employers are reportedly asking to do just that.

According to Reuters, studies have shown that examining a job seeker's Facebook profile can yield more information than a personality test. However, as social media users become more security-conscious, employers are asking for -- and in some cases getting - access to private information.

USA Today reports that a Maryland correctional officer willingly gave his password during an interview because he feared that failure to do so would prevent him from gaining employment.

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"I needed my job to feed my family. I had to," he recalled, according to the USA Today article.

New York statistician Justin Bassett felt differently.

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During Bassett's interview, the Associated Press reports, the interviewer turned to her computer to peruse Bassett's Facebook profile. When she could not access the private section of his profile, she asked Bassett to provide his login information. Bassett refused and said he did not want to work for a company that would request that information.

But what if you needed the job? Would you turn over your login information if you thought it would help you secure employment? Do you believe employers have the right to request such personal information?

Some people believe the practice is completely appropriate. J. Swift, in a guest post on Forbes.com, wrote, "Now that users have mastered Facebook’s privacy settings, it has become harder for HR personnel to do the necessary background checks on job applicants. Employers have little recourse but to demand direct access."

Swift maintains the practice helps protect organizations from "bad apples" and questions why anyone would want to hire someone who refused to provide the information.


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