On January 28, 2010, Microsoft sponsored Data Privacy Day and left us thinking—who knew we would ever honor privacy of online photos and blogs with a “day”? In Washington DC, Microsoft held its 4th annual panel discussion entitled “Think Privacy? Your reputation is ON the LINE” to empower consumers to take control of their online reputations. Since social networks and blogging are becoming a bigger part of a person’s daily life, it is no surprise that it has a correlated effect on their jobs. Is this fair? Depends on who you ask.
Microsoft conducted a survey in December 2009 that presented data showing how online reputations effect job applicants. 70% of Human Resource workers in the US admit to denying job applicants a position due to their online behavior. In close comparisons 60% of web surfers acknowledge that their online “life” may affect their careers. Astonishingly of the 60% only 15% take consideration for their careers (or possible careers) when posting information.
Many companies have formal policies for checking online reputational data and, in the United States, male recruiters are more likely to perform the check. These recruiters also search deeper than most consumers are aware. Despite the fact that all online information is not true, recruiters feel all information is valid. Recruiters also report that they tell applicants when online information plays a role in the company’s decision; however candidates claim not to hear this.
One key thing to remember is not all information on the internet can harm you. In fact, 86% of recruiters admitted that good online reputations have positive effects on the candidate’s chances of being hired. Needless to say, people need to become more aware of what the put on social networks and blog sites. This is not to say do not use these sites, just use them with caution because companies are looking!
Danielle Murray
Data privacy is becoming a growing topic of concern. In the fall I met a recent UNCW graduate who had lost her job because of a picture on facebook– she wasn’t even facebook friends with her boss. Stories like this make me realize how susceptible we all are to having our privacy invaded over the internet.
However, the internet is not the only one to blame for our loss of privacy. Companies like Mosaic track our every purchase through our online buying habits and loyalty card use. They then segment us into categories so they can best market things to us in the best way possible. So whether we are online, or even at the grocery store there is always some variation of big brother keeping tabs on us…
Data privacy is becoming a growing topic of concern. In the fall I met a recent UNCW graduate who had lost her job because of a picture on facebook– she wasn’t even facebook friends with her boss. Stories like this make me realize how susceptible we all are to having our privacy invaded over the internet.
However, the internet is not the only one to blame for our loss of privacy. Companies like Mosaic track our every purchase through our online buying habits and loyalty card use. They then segment us into categories so they can best market things to us in the best way possible. So whether we are online, or even at the grocery store there is always some variation of big brother keeping tabs on us…
Like Holly said, Data privacy is undoubtedly a growing topic of concern. I feel this is especially true for young adults. The internet and it’s social networking are still relatively new and their effects on our future (or current) professional lives, both positive and negative, are still unclear. Our personal social networking identities aren’t not ‘limited’. Most of us willingly sent our private information, likes, dislikes, relationship status, tweets, and pictures out there into cyberspace. We are naive to think that there aren’t ways to go around whatever ‘blocks’ or denied friend requests that we believe ‘protect’ us from stalkers, parents, or potential employers.
I have had both good an bad experiences that involved my online data privacy over the last three and a half years I’ve been in college. I was fortunate enough to have an internship with Red Bull for two years. I am aware that my Facebook pictures were looked through and that my fun ‘party’ pictures actually may have played a positive role in my hiring.
This was not the case when I began to apply for my teaching internship last semester (before I switched my major to Communication Studies). Personally, I believe all of my online data (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) is respectable; However, there were strict warnings given to all of the future interns at our initial orientation meeting. We were ‘strongly encouraged’ to google ourselves and ‘clean up’ or delete any social networking information or data that other parents and partnership teachers could access. I understand the concern and I think that this should be a consideration whenever anyone is applying for an internship or job. I am concerned that our generation is no longer going to be allowed to have a private life separate from our professional one.