Pre employment social media checks

[Mad Cyril]

I have been offered a new contract position at a bank. Pre employment education, credit and criminal checks are part of the process and I have been through several in the past however this time there is a social media check as well.

Has anyone had one of these checks performed?

I can't say I am particularly comfortable with the idea and am in two minds to the organisation that I am no longer interested in the role.

At best I don't see how I can resign from my current role until the results of the check are known.

 

[Member]

Not had one officially performed. Do they ask you for your handles on various sites?

It seems pretty open to bias and not good from a diversity/equality perspective.

I'd let them have my linkedin but nothing else (I'm not on facebook, my insta is locked and boring, work twitter is vanilla, personal twitter is anonymous).

I expect they'll be looking for anything that invalidates your CV (e.g. lying about uni/employment etc) or anything that appears defamatory or illegal. If you're worried about your views on Emile Acquah then I doubt that will be held against you. Likewise a general sense of humour or social life isn't going to be something to worry about.

I agree you should wait for all checks to be complete and an offer letter is received before you hand in your notice.

 

[GNH]

This seems very odd, although not entirely unexpected. If firms are starting to take this into account then there are going to be some very nervous people out there.

One of the reasons I have no social media accounts like Twitter, Facebook etc (I've never had any) is more for my personal security than anything else. I just don't trust those platforms.

I also have no understanding of why you'd want to share your life in pictures and comments with complete strangers.

 

[SARF]

It was always gonna happen. .. they will probably find a dubious taste joke from 2008 and have you arrested .. well ok that’s a bit extreme. That won’t come in untill 2025

 

[Mad Cyril]

I passed the background checks so am going to resign today.

I guess I will find out how much I am valued...

 

[Napster]

I passed the background checks so am going to resign today.

I guess I will find out how much I am valued...

I found out the other day that 77 people have blocked me on Twitter. I know Alvin Martin has blocked me but have no idea who the others are.

 

[Mad Cyril]

I found out the other day that 77 people have blocked me on Twitter. I know Alvin Martin has blocked me but have no idea who the others are.

I got banned from twitter and have no idea why.

 

[rigsby]

I found out the other day that 77 people have blocked me on Twitter. I know Alvin Martin has blocked me but have no idea who the others are.

How did you upset big A

 

[Napster]

How did you upset big A

https://twitter.com/x/status/1353004571866619905

https://twitter.com/x/status/1353004827312324609

 

[Ricey]

I found out the other day that 77 people have blocked me on Twitter. I know Alvin Martin has blocked me but have no idea who the others are.

How do you find out who has blocked you?

 

[Napster]

How do you find out who has blocked you?

I only know that Alvin has. Twitter won’t let anyone know specifics around who’s blocked who

 

[londonblue]

My sister in law owns her own company. She told me a story about a guy that came for an interview for a position she was advertising. She said he came over brilliantly, said all the right things. In short, she was really impressed with him.

She then checked his facebook page and found that he had lied through the entire interview.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

I passed the background checks so am going to resign today.

I guess I will find out how much I am valued...

Congrats. I'm glad your SZ social media presence swung their decision in the end.

 

[rigsby]

This seems very odd, although not entirely unexpected. If firms are starting to take this into account then there are going to be some very nervous people out there.

One of the reasons I have no social media accounts like Twitter, Facebook etc (I've never had any) is more for my personal security than anything else. I just don't trust those platforms.

I also have no understanding of why you'd want to share your life in pictures and comments with complete strangers.

Several years back i was told by someone from that world that they have developed a programme that could read everything you have written including from your school days and it would work out what sort of person you are.

Are you likely to challenge management. Or are you a happy sheep ideal for the 'new normal' working on zero hours for Amazon etc.

 

[pottster]

I packed In Facebook and twitter. Finally realised that seeing what someone had for their dinner really wasnt that interesting and worth my time. Twitter just made me get angry for no reason whatsoever.

 

[Freedom for Tooting]

Social media checks are usually focused on whether you have posted anything illegal (eg hate speech) or defamatory (in a legal sense). To not offer a job or withdraw an offer because you don't like what someone says on Twitter would be dodgy. To actively try to track internet history would be likely to breach privacy laws.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Social media checks are usually focused on whether you have posted anything illegal (eg hate speech) or defamatory (in a legal sense). To not offer a job or withdraw an offer because you don't like what someone says on Twitter would be dodgy. To actively try to track internet history would be likely to breach privacy laws.

In theory maybe but I'd suggest it's rather naive to believe this applies in practice.LB's SIL's FB experience is fairly typical I'd 've thought.

 

[SARF]

Facebook probably have a section that charges a company for prospective employee online once overs.... nothing to sinister. Just a few key words or phrases.
well ok not now but maybe by 2025

 

[Freedom for Tooting]

In theory maybe but I'd suggest it's rather naive to believe this applies in practice.LB's SIL's FB experience is fairly typical I'd 've thought.

Do a lot of recruitment, do you? I have had responsibility for recruitment functions in three organisations over the last 20 years but feel free to patronize.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Do a lot of recruitment, do you? I have had responsibility for recruitment functions in three organisations over the last 20 years but feel free to patronize.

Thank you I will.The difference between how internet privacy is siupposed to work in theory and in practice is obviously vast.London Blue's FB story is not dismililar to many I've heard.

Anyone of employment age who isn't very careful about the digital footprint they leave is making themselves a potential hostage to fortune.