Social networking and recruitment

Is it ethical to use social networking sites for recruitment?

facebook - social networking and recruitmentSocial networking sites have recently come under the microscope, with 20% of employers admitting that they use them as part of their recruiting process. With talk of sackings and potential charges of discrimination, just how should this conundrum in recruitment ethics be tackled by recruiters?

What is social networking?

Social networking has grown in popularity in the UK over recent months. The site Facebook, for example, has witnessed a membership growth of 3 million over the last 6 months. Sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Bebo allow people to communicate online through a variety of networks and share photos and videos. Each user has a profile with a certain amount of personal information visible to the public.

The argument for using social networking sites

It is true that a Facebook profile will tell you more about a candidate’s personality than a humble CV. A potential candidate could also be revealing information about a current or previous employer, which may influence your recruitment process. However, recruiters are not ruling out the validity of social networking sites altogether. Business networking sites such as Linked-in provide testimonials for a candidate's professional background - which would actually enhance and not damage reputation.

One student’s opening photo was a picture of herself holding a gallon jug of vodka. She was trashed.

Lauri Syble, Director of Career Development
at Vermont Technical College, (US)

Jacqueline Thomson from the PR firm Brands2Lite said that she had turned down one applicant after discovering that he had used Facebook to criticise previous employers and disclose company information.

Other companies are taking an altogether proactive approach to social networking, and have created their own Facebook profiles. The Ernst & Young network has nearly 16,000 members across 140 countries, allowing potential candidates as well as employees to network.

At Ceridian, it is not regarded as Best Practice to make use of social networking sites. Business referrals and standard networking practices are still deemed to be acceptable, however.

The argument against using social networking sites

The most commonly mentioned risk of using social networking sites is the potential charge of discrimination. Reject a candidate on the basis of his or her Facebook profile, and lawyers representing the failed candidate could ask to see your IT records in order to try and prove discrimination based on that person’s profile.

HR departments, having spent years working on policies, are seeing their hard work undone by the temptations of social networking sites. Rent-A-Car Europe implemented a policy banning the use of Facebook in the recruiting process. Donna Miller, HR Director for Rent-A-Car Europe, says that “it is like going into somebody’s house and searching through their cupboards”.

There is also the risk of mistaken identity. You may choose to reject a candidate whose profile photo shows him or her in a compromising situation – it may not be that person, and you may be rejecting a potentially talented applicant.

What should you do?

The simple answer here is: it’s up to you. If you decide to forbid social networking sites as part of your recruitment process, then that message has to be made clear both to line managers and recruiters. A policy review may be required.

If you decide to include these sites within your processes, then you need to take several precautions:

  • Ensure that your recruiting officers are trained in equal opportunities.
  • Keep a paper trail and archive print-outs that you have used when assessing a candidate.
  • Review your policies and make it clear that only HR is allowed to consult online profiles.

If you decide to embrace the social networking phenomenon and follow the Ernst & Young example by setting up your company’s own profile and network, then make sure that your organisation’s reputation is not being damaged. While on the one hand you may improve your employer branding, on the other – without sufficient monitoring – you may be open to criticism from current or former employees, or even rejected candidates. In this case, you must:

  • Review your policies to ensure that employees use company information responsibly.
  • Constantly monitor your organisation’s profile.

Whatever you choose to do, social networking is here to stay and it poses a significant challenge to recruiters. The question is: do you open up that Pandora’s box, with its minefield of tempting (mis)information and potential recriminations – or do you shut your eyes and ears to the whole thing?

See Ceridian's ethics policies.

Contact us for more information on how we can aid your recruitment process.

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