Employers asking for Facebook passwords.

More Employers Asking For Facebook, Social Media Passwords | News One

Might this become common practice?

I would of laughed and walked out personally. Actually I probably would of given it to her since my FB account is nothing more than a user id and password. No friends no pictures.

This is why I only maintain professional social media profiles.

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XiaoTech

My FB and password? Please... I would tell them if they want to know so badly, all they have to do is a Google search and they'll find what they need. A few keywords from my resume and real name will reveal my twitter, LinkedIn, blog, etc. I even use my real picture, albeit obscured by a coffee cup. hah

Now my FB, it will not show up on a search. People do not add me on FB. I ask others what their user names are, and I will send them a friend request. My name will not appear on any FB search. I barely log on, but I use it to keep in contact with some international and out of state friends. If my employer finds no FB, there is no FB.

Forsaken_GA

N2IT wrote: »

I don't see how this is related to them logging into your account?

You posted the article, did you not read the entire thing?

Not all the companies are asking for passwords, instead they're requiring something like accepting an HR member or a boss as a friend. Others ask you to sign in yourself in their presence so they can screen your account.

The real issue is a prospective employers unrealistic expectation to have a glimpse into your private life, and making that a condition of employment. Asking for logins themselves is only one facet.

N2IT

Forsaken_GA wrote: »

You posted the article, did you not read the entire thing?

What are you talking about? The first 1/3 of the article was about Andrew Bassett and his experience, which included requesting his password for employment. Throughout the whole article it keeps referring back to employers asking for passwords. Briefly it mentions friending your boss and employer. The story is clearly driven about employers asking for passwords to your social media account. I understand they mentioned some other information to bring awareness, but clearly the point of this store is employers asking for password to your social media. 3-4 different occasions they brought up scenarios regarding asking for password. The real story is that some employers have started asking for password and desperate people might be forced to provide them. Even the conclusion of the story again brings up the fact the employers are asking for Facebook and other social media passwords.

HR searching Facebook and other social media is old news. That's been going on since MySpace.

Forsaken_GA

N2IT wrote: »

What are you talking about? The first 1/3 of the article was about Andrew Bassett and his experience, which included requesting his password for employment. ...snip...

The point of the story is not employers asking for passwords. That's superficial and sensationalist, it's designed to get you to read the article. The point is that some employers want access to your personal information and use it as part of the screening process. There's no other reason for them to ask for it. Some companies are brazen enough to ask for your passwords directly, others ask for methods which might not seem quite so offensive, but the goal is still the same - they want to see what you're posting on Facebook, with as few privacy controls in the way as possible.

Don't focus on the password aspect of the story, the implications are much more insidious.

Think it through -

If the company asks for your password, and you refuse, but they then ask you to login yourself and let them look around, is there really any difference? It's the content they're interested in, not your username and password in and of itself.

JockVSJock

Amazing.

Glancing thru this thread, I though I was the only one WHO DIDN'T have a FB account. I see there are others too, that is great.

I don't care about posting what I'm doing, or what others are doing. I'm busy enough as it is and also want to retain as much of my privacy as possible.

I think we will eventually see a backlash against it...

Also my last job, the management went on a witch hunt to get rid of staff and they started to dig thru folks FB to see what kind of dirt they could dig up. Beware.

N2IT

JVSJ

Do you have a LinkedIn account?

Forsaken I see your point and I concur. I just find it weird that people would ask you for your password. That must be a trick I would think.

joshmadakor

Forsaken_GA wrote: »

If they actually had the balls to ask me for my logins, I'd immediately thank them for their time and end the process, as the company has just displayed a level of moral ambiguity that I'm not comfortable with.

I'd love to do this.
Company: Please supply us with your FB login credentials.
Interviewee: I appreciate your time and consideration. Have a nice day.

swild

N2IT wrote: »

I don't see how this is related to them logging into your account?

We are talking about someone that you most likely never met, asking for your password to view your information. Crack pipes, bongs, needles, whatever, the bottom line is they are asking you for your password to log into your Facebook profile. That to me is almost as stupid as posting pictures of you and your ex hooking up at Mardi Grad.

I always love your posts, they crack me up.

Seriously, people, some jobs are not worth it. This reminds me of one of my past employers. I was the office manager and he had hired a new billing manager that no one got along with. I told him that it was to the point that he was going to have to choose between the billing manager or the rest of the staff. His response was, "It's tough out there right now. Isn't it better to just be employed?" My response was to tender my resignation. Within 2 months, the rest of the staff followed suit. The billing manager still works there.

Everyone should stand up for themselves and realize that employment is a 2 way street. You are not at the mercy of the employer. By hiring only the ones desperate enough to jump through all of your hoops, you have lost the most talented employees. I expect an employer to look for me on facebook, linkedin, whatever. It is part of the hiring process. But asking for your password should be illegal, if it isn't already.

JockVSJock

N2IT wrote: »

JVSJ

Do you have a LinkedIn account?

I do, I can add you to my network.

Tackle

Plantwiz wrote: »

@Tackle,
Removed quote for length...

Valid points, when and where do we draw this line? What information is asking for too much? Is a UA or background check an invasion of privacy as well? Failure to agree to either of those would most likely end up with you not getting the job, but they are pretty much the norm for most employers now a days. When and why did they become acceptible? Society just give in?

I said I have nothing to hide on my FB. If it's between me living on the curb or getting a job, I'd give over my credentials faster than you can blink. If I am just searching for another job while currently employed, it's doubtful I would give it over. Granted, it's all circumstantial and depends greatly where on the grey line of ethics you stand.

swild

Oh and another point I meant to add to my earlier post. I will not submit to a "random" drug screen either. Fire me for negligence, or incompetence, but don't insult me by asking for a drug test. If you have a problem with my work, tell me. I have made 2 of my employers change their policies on drug screening because they were looking for a reason to fire another employee and would have to fire me if I didn't comply. I would have passed the test, but that is not the point.

The point is that you shouldn't even ask.

This idea of asking for my password to anything just grinds my gears. If you should know it, you already do, or can have someone change it, otherwise, no dice.

NetworkingStudent

N2IT wrote: »

More Employers Asking For Facebook, Social Media Passwords | News One

Might this become common practice?

I would of laughed and walked out personally. Actually I probably would of given it to her since my FB account is nothing more than a user id and password. No friends no pictures.

This is why I only maintain professional social media profiles.

I don’t get it, I thought there were a few companies that did social media background checks, why ask for someone’s password?

The economy is slowly getting better, but it’s not 100% fully recovered. With gas prices slowly rising I can see recovery slowing down drastically. What does this mean for job seekers? Well jobs are still hard to come by and employers are aware of this situation. Employers will always look for new ways to quickly eliminate unqualified and qualified candidates from the job pool, checking face book(and other social media sites) is just one of those ways.

I have face book and Linked in and I’m always try think of what I’m going to say before I post anything. It’s the internet..what is shared, can always be found.

The funny thing about social media is there stuff people would say or do on face book, linked in, ect, that they wouldn’t do in public, yet social media is usually accessible by the public.

Note-If I had to friend someone from my company on my facebook to stay employed, I would just close my facebook account. I use facebook mainly to stay in touch with family members and relatives.
I truly believe that every time you use social media, you give up a bit of your privacy. The point of social media is to share bits and pieces of your life. At least this is the way I see it.

Ch@rl!3m0ng

joshmadakor wrote: »

I'd love to do this.
Company: Please supply us with your FB login credentials.
Interviewee: I appreciate your time and consideration. Have a nice day.

I loved this too made me chuckle! Though I have to agree with it.

BIGDub

I'm in the cleared field and I have never seen a policy like this even at my level. I do know a friend though who was on Twitter and did have the agency he worked started following him on Twitter.

Frankly, if I were confronted with this in an interview I would walk out without a second thought.

techdudehere

I don't understand the point of "social networking", as I use my phone to contact people I wish to speak with. I suppose those companies would not hire me since they cannot log into my non-existant "social networking" profiles? Perhaps, they are aiding my screening of unethical employers!

erpadmin

techdudehere wrote: »

I don't understand the point of "social networking", as I use my phone to contact people I wish to speak with. I suppose those companies would not hire me since they cannot log into my non-existant "social networking" profiles? Perhaps, they are aiding my screening of unethical employers!

There was an article on Yahoo (which I won't bother linking because it was only a paragraph) that stated if someone is part of a protected class (e.g. minority) and they supplied a potential employer with FB credentials, that person could have potential grounds for a suit if they weren't hired. For someone with an ethnic name (read: not John Smith) that point is kind of moot...especially if you're called for an interview to begin with.

These types of issues are why I don't participate in FB to begin with. I have a Twitter account, but there's nothing on Twitter that I have posted that I'd be embarrassed about and the only reason I do it is to follow deals from other companies (which I could do the same with FB, but I know it would never happen like that...)

Heck even on LinkedIn, I had an ex-girlfriend want to be a connection....no issues with that though since it was nothing memorable. But I refuse to participate in FB, even at the insistence of two very good friends and a bunch of acquaintances. I will not feed the Suckerberg machine.

Psoasman

I just don't trust Facebook. So, I don't have an account. And, if I did have FB, I would never give out my password.

Slowhand

Say what you will about their privacy policies, but it looks like Facebook themselves aren't too happy about this trend of employers asking for your credentials or trying to spy on your profile either: Protecting Your Passwords and Your Privacy