The Facebook phenomenon

18 July 2007

2 minute read

Putting yourself about on social networking sites? Make sure you don't get egg on your face.

Oxford University is not the only place using social networking sites to check up on people. Research by financial services recruitment firm Joslin Rowe suggests 20% of employers now use the likes of Facebook and LinkedIn to check on people before they hire them. The main things that put would-be employers off candidates using such sites (LinkedIn probably excepted) include references to drug use, nude photographs and lewd jokes.

But if you can suppress the urge to tell the one about the Chinese man and the Dutch sheep, social networking sites may turn out to be quite useful. The head of European recruiting at one US bank says his American counterparts already use them to source candidates for jobs.

European financial services recruiters are doing it too. Adrian Kinnersley, head of the financial services practice at recruitment firm Astbury Marsden, says they source candidates for jobs in M&A, capital markets and private equity from the likes of LinkedIn. It does help if you've studied something along the lines of an MBA and belong to a large group: "If you're an INSEAD MBA you'll probably be connected to all the other INSEAD MBAs in your year. A lot of people invite recruiters to join their groups, making it possible for us to contact you directly," Kinnersley says.

And what about dubious photos and Bernard Manning-style humour? Kinnersley says bankers don't go in for such things: "Anyone with an ounce of common sense isn't going to put dodgy photos on their page."

AUTHORSarah Butcher

Global Editor

Ma
Matt Demtrio Johe
10 September 2007
Typical HR hijacking a good thing and walkign al over it. Its funny how when you deal with a CEO or direct manager things get donme so much easier and quicker which benefits all parties. but when you get HR involved they feel the need to have a go and try and get their stamp on the situation whether it be good or bad for no reason, its pathetic. How someone is in the office and out is their business. You are paid to do a job, not to live a life that HR say is suitable. Would HR get away with htis if you practised a different religion or are homosexual etc. I do not thinks so, and it is practically the same principle. How many people think that HR in the recruitment sense do a good job?
Reply
J
J
26 July 2007
Regarding facebook... Other people cannot see your photos unless you add them to your friends. So why the fuss? Simply don't add anyone if you have something you'd rather they didn't see. I've had many work contacts try to connect with me on facebook, I simply ignore their requests. Facebook is for your social life and is nothing to do with work. Linkedin is the network I use for building business contacts: since it's designed for this purpose.
Reply
Su
Supergirl
26 July 2007
A different view on this...I was interviewing recently and in a moment of boredom looked up my interviewer on Facebook (she has quite a distinctive name). She had a Facebook profile but no friends listed. This made me think a couple of things straight away:
1. must be spying - no mates, come on?
2. another candidate is on my list of friends (we had kept that quiet too)
3. if I am in a client facing role would I be judged on the size of my network/number of friends I have?
Paranoid or reasonable?!!!
Reply
HT
HT
26 July 2007
It is naive to think freedom of expression will be on a recruiter's mind when they have to sort through the piles of CVs to find a candidate they are ready to put forward to an client.
The situation is likely that if they find a candidate's profile on Facebook that gives them the idea that they will not be suitable then you aren't going to be in the running.
No matter how "interesting" you think you are, putting up photos of your more controversial activities isn't going to win anyone over, much less the client.
Reply
Ow
Owino
26 July 2007
Facebook or social networking can't depict the true colors of a person.The is time for everything,time for fun and time for seriousness(at work place).An employer who would use this criteria might miss a lifetime chance of getting a very talented employee who loves fun so much but get down to work when time requires.Such employers should go back to business school to rethink and redo whatever they learnt.NEVER JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER!!!!
Reply