If you were interviewing for a job and the hiring manager asked you for your Facebook or My Space user name and password, would you provide it?
Click here to read an interesting article by HR Morning on the city of Bozeman’s (Montana) hiring practice – where they do exactly what I just mentioned.
Frankly, I’m not surprised at all by the “outcry” from the HR community regarding Bozeman’s hiring method.
I’m a realist. When recruiting, of course I Google names and check free web resources – including social networking web sites. But what I find with Facebook and My Space is that those pages are often private at the request of the member (which is exactly what I think they should be and should remain).
If you’re looking for a job, change your status on those sites to private so I can’t see it. I really started preaching this to the graduating college seniors who attended my seminars last year. Yet, this advice is also applicable to most job seekers out there.
I would never give my consent or provide my username and login. It should be interesting to see where this issue goes from here.