employer ask facebook logininfo during interviews

324284 thumbnail
Posted: 13 years ago
#1
It's no surprise that employers check out the Facebook profiles of prospective employees—after all, you can learn a lot from what people choose to broadcast. But reports are amassing of employers asking recruits for their login details—and that's a step too far.

Associated Press reports that when Justin Bassett, a New York statistician, was interviewed for a job recently, he was asked to disclose his Facebook user name and password. Bassett withdrew his application—sensible man—but many people might not be in a position to hinder their future employment prospects.

While finding someone's profile online is a little like peeking through the window of their home, asking for login details is a bit like asking them for their house keys—it's a massive invasion of privacy. Also, it's dubiously legal, and proposed legislation in Illinois and Maryland is intended to forbid public agencies from asking for access to social networks in this way.

That legislation in part stems from a 2010 incident in which Robert Collins, a security guard at the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, was asked for his login and password so the agency could check for any gang affiliations. In that instance, he handed the details over. "I needed my job to feed my family," he said to Associated Press. You can watch Robert Collins talking about the incident in this Gizmodo post from last year.

While there's nothing that can be done to prevent employers taking a look at a profile page, there is plenty that can—and must—be done to prevent them being able to request login details.p

1. Would you share your Facebook login details with ur would be employer?
2. Is it ethical to ask login details?
3. If you share login details, will it negatively affect your chance of landing job?
Edited by UnsolvedMystery - 13 years ago

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hindu4lyf thumbnail
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Posted: 13 years ago
#2
Interesting topic! I was aware of employer's checking candidates FB profiles but wasn't aware of them asking for their login details!😲 I generally never post anything employment related on FB. Not even "Oh, it's been a long day at work." Yet I still wouldn't be too keen on providing anyone with my login details. Even those who are close to me do not have my login details, employers toh door ki baat hain. It's their job to judge someone through a rigorous recruitment process. They should not have to depend on a social networking site to reveal someone's 'true colours'! lol

When I was at college then FB would also be used by senior teachers to find out why someone was absent during term time and what they were up to. You've got to be very careful these days! The privacy settings aren't great on FB, so you've got to do all that you can to avoid being put in an awkward situation. It doesn't mean you don't go out or forget how to have a good time..it just means ensuring you don'y have any idiotic friends that would put up pictures of you doing something retarded when you're drunk or slightly out of it. It's not ethical to ask someone for their login details but if it's happening and not much is being done to prevent it then the best thing to do is ensure you're doing everything you can not to lower your chances of getting a job.

There's another side to this debate though. I have a friend working in HR who conducts interviews and she says she once had a candidate who knew one too many things about her lol.
246851 thumbnail
Posted: 13 years ago
#3
My big boss is a connection of mine in LinkedIn, FB is not that much used for professional purposes here but asking for login details is just plain invasive. What next? asking for password of your email account? Its one thing to check some one out, find information floating around on internet, and other thing to ask them hand out their log in details willingly. I agree with the topic opener, it is like asking to hand over the house keys. I do not support this. Hopefully i shall not be in a position where i should have to give away such personal details to bag a job. Its unethical as well as illegal. if it is not illegal, it should be made.
souro thumbnail
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Posted: 13 years ago
#4

Originally posted by: UnsolvedMystery


1. Would you share your Facebook login details with ur would be employer?
2. Is it ethical to ask login details?
3. If you share login details, will it negatively affect your chance of landing job?


I don't think that even if I share my login details and even if the employer goes through my entire FB history it'll have any impact on my prospect of landing the job, unless they interpret lack of status updates and such qualities as a sign of poor socialising skills. But irrespective of the chances and nature of impact of having my FB page checked, I won't share my login details with anyone. They can keep their job for all I care, I'll get some other so I can't be bothered.

Btw, what if someone doesn't have a FB page? What'll they do then? Ask the person to create a page and then investigate what he is doing on it?

Edited by souro - 13 years ago
return_to_hades thumbnail
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Posted: 13 years ago
#5

Asking someone for their FB login is akin to asking permission to tap their phone or read their personal diary. Inside the account is personal data . They are not only violating my privacy, but will be violating the privacy of each and every one of my FB friends and acquaintances. Why should they have access to phone numbers, pictures, addresses and such personal information people shared with "Me".

I will be more than happy to provide an employer the URL to my FB page if they wanted to snoop on bits of my profile that are open to the public. If my closest friends and relatives don't have access to login, why should an employer need this information. Asking for that information is highly unethical. I would rather not work for an employer who has no concept of privacy and respect for personal space.

I'm not against employers checking FB etc. While the invasion of privacy is a bit perturbing, it is our responsibility to ensure our own privacy. Internet is public domain and what we do in public domain is as good as doing it in front of everyone. If you don't make your images or data private, part of it is your fault. If you got fired because you called in sick and posted party pictures or if you didn't get a job because you posted a public message making fun of your interviewer those are your faults.

Sometimes companies check FB not to snoop, but get an overall feel on how responsible a person is. An FB page reflects a lot about a person. If your FB page reflects negatively of you – update it. You can remove things, un tag yourself and set privacy such that all tags need approval.

324284 thumbnail
Posted: 13 years ago
#6

Originally posted by: souro


<font color="#990099">I don't think that even if I share my login details and even if the employer goes through my entire FB history it'll have any impact on my prospect of landing the job, unless they interpret lack of status updates and such qualities as a sign of poor socialising skills. But irrespective of the chances and nature of impact of having my FB page checked, I won't share my login details with anyone. They can keep their job for all I care, I'll get some other so I can't be bothered.

Btw, what if someone doesn't have a FB page? What'll they do then? Ask the person to create a page and then investigate what he is doing on it?</font>


I don't have Facebook account. If I say I don't have one, will they believe me? In this hard economic situation, does people have choice when job is on the line? Your Facebook info may not impact on your prospect of landing job, but there are many people who post anything they like on FB, that might impact their chance.

@Rth...Government should declare it illegal. If not the then let the perspective job applicants see all internal information, hiring criteria, accounts etc etc of the company.


-Believe- thumbnail
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Posted: 13 years ago
#7

Originally posted by: UnsolvedMystery


1. Would you share your Facebook login details with ur would be employer?
2. Is it ethical to ask login details?
3. If you share login details, will it negatively affect your chance of landing job?

NO WAY...but but...if they force ...I can give my dead myspace or orkut id... its like a ghost town now... 😃
blue-ice. thumbnail
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Posted: 13 years ago
#8
I don't think any employer would have the courage to ask for the FB login details here is US without facing the music...when interviewing...employers cannot ask about, age, marital status, kids, medical history , race etc etc...unless it is totally necessary for the job...Regarding if an employer asked me to give the FB account login details...he will get a letter of complaint from me instead
While interviewing employers do use tactics to find out abt age or other details but they cannot ask it directly...for instance...they can say..."Oh..i graduated from Highschool in 1993...long time"...hoping that the other person would give away their graduation date..lol...but they cannot ask directly...that would be against the federal laws...
return_to_hades thumbnail
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Posted: 13 years ago
#9

Originally posted by: blue-ice

I don't think any employer would have the courage to ask for the FB login details here is US without facing the music...when interviewing...employers cannot ask about, age, marital status, kids, medical history , race etc etc...unless it is totally necessary for the job...


But both the instances listed in the article occurred in USA.
blue-ice. thumbnail
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Posted: 13 years ago
#10

Originally posted by: return_to_hades


But both the instances listed in the article occurred in USA.

Maybe they occured in the USA...but then not everyone is aware of the laws...but asking questions about personal things that I mentioned are illegal...most of the times the employers get away with these because the person being interviewed is not aware of their rights and privacy laws and sometimes even the employers might not be aware...its the duty of the HR department to make the interviewer aware of what can and cannot constitute and interview question...

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