To remind people to google yourselves and manage your online image!!

[MoanaMum]

I am currently recruiting for two high profile posts in our company. I've had some great CVs and applications through, but if candidates think we won't google people and check social media they are a bit naive, and unfortunately it can really change the impression a potential employer is left with. So if you are looking for jobs, take a moment to go through what your FB page looks like from an outsider, your twitter, etc and do google your name!! Just come across one which, well, just wow!!

YOU have said that recruiters routinely ask for SM passwords. When people challenged this you argued the toss, now you’ve suddenly said it doesn’t happen. Make your mind up

The point for people in the UK to remember is just that lots of people recruiting will look at their linkedin profile ( I assume no one on ehere thinks that is unethical or stalking or illegal) and look them up on Google. That would take you to their publications, public reputation in their field and that kind of thing. People could look my books up online and see my on youtube if they wanted to see if I talked sense. That is a bit different from finding a mutual friend who has access to their facebook page which I am sure goes on too but feels wrong to me.

Xenia There are millions of people in UK who haven't published anything and don't have a professional LinkedIn profile to showcase their skills. They could have had a patchy career history, and poor credit rating due to falling on hard times.

My concern is towards people who might need a bit of a break and instead they could be snooped on and ruled out of the candidate pool unfairly, esp when the employer has the power to give them the big 'e' but not because of their CV but because they take a dislike to what they said on Facebook.

It's a very tricky topic I grant you, employers will always have 50-100 CVs to choose from. And people aren't savvy with social media so isn't it somewhat encumbent on employers to play even handedly? I agree individuals also need to be responsible, but not everyone's life and decisions are 100% perfect.