Facebook for Hiring

By now, we should know that Facebook is already being used for applicant screening in the Philippines.  And now more than ever.  And it is difficult to get away with it.  This is a sample conversation between a recruiter and an applicant about Facebook that you need to factor in everytime you update your facebook status.

Recruiter:  Do you have a Facebook account?
(If the applicant says no, but the applicant has a Facebook account.  Then that is lying.  And it is really easy to find out if a person has a Facebook account or not.  So be very careful what you answer)


(If the applicant say yes...then)


Recruiter:  Can I have access to your facebook account, add me as a friend?

(If the applicant says no, then the first question is why not?  Are you to hide something?  Why wouldn't you let a potential employer see your Facebook profile?)


(If the applicant says yes, then the applicant needs to be very careful about what they post, their photos)

AND they have to consider CONTEXTUAL COLLAPSE.  As a concept, contextual collapse existed in many forms of communication, but never before has it been felt than in Facebook.  Contextual Collapse refer to 1 comment or 1 photo or 1 tag that a friend of yours did, potentially incriminating you.  One comment of a friend is all you need for things you wanted to keep in the sidelights be highlighted in the forefront.  It could be a trip to Vegas, the night you were drunk, or a boyfriend/girlfriend.

The danger of Contextual Collapse is that it can hit you from any conversation thread.  You can be posting about a wholesome family getaway in the beach, when out of nowhere a friend comments about the time you spent with your boyfriend at a secluded resort.  And the friend just happen to be your boss.

Or you could post a picture of your family at a Christmas dinner, when a facebook friend of yours suddenly talk about the night you got drunk at your Corporate Christmas Party.

Or worse, out of nowhere you were tagged by a Facebook friend in a picture at the beach while you were wearing the skimpiest of swimsuits.

So be very careful not only on what you post in Facebook, but even on what you are tagged in.  These days the difference between you being hired or not is a matter of 1 Facebook tag.