EmploymentMetrix.com

Yay or Nay: Employers Asking for Candidates' Facebook Passwords

I can’t let this topic slip by and not mention it. 

Employers are asking candidates for access to their Facebook accounts.  Today, when a job seeker applies to a job they should not be surprised that an employer will scour the Internet for info on the candidate—and their first stop will most likely be Facebook.  However, if they land on the candidate’s page and find the page to be privatized, they may now start asking the candidate for their password.

When I read this last week I was shocked! Sites out there train us to know that this kind of behavior is not okay.  Usually in their terms and conditions there’s even some kind of language that says “No one from our site will ever ask you for your password, if someone ever does do not give it to them.” So how do employers expect candidates to respond if they’re pressed for their Facebook password? 

With so many job seekers out there competing for jobs and the attention of employers, I would hate for candidates to think that by handing over the password to their Facebook account that they now have a leg up on the competition.

I expect that this practice will fizzle fast because employers that engage in this behavior will have a hard time recruiting candidates because no one wants to work for an organization that doesn’t trust its employees.  What kind of message does that send?

Facebook has taken a stance on the issue as well, saying that this is an invasion of privacy, even threatening to take legal action against organizations that ask for candidate passwords.

Everyone has a right to their privacy—if a candidate’s Facebook page is private, their references check out and they’re not a serial killer—there is no need to ask for their password—after all there’s a password for a reason.

Overcoming Procrastination in the Workplace

I have the topic of procrastination on my mind today, because many of my coworkers have March Madness on the brain and no one seems to be firing on all cylinders.  Also, this is a topic I’ve wanted to address for sometime as I have been known to create a to-do list where the only thing I cross off at the end of the day is the “Monday” that I change to “Tuesday”.

So how does one encourage their team to overcome procrastination in the workplace? 

• Allow Staff to work on items they believe in/enjoy doing. Working on tasks that you’re passionate about will make the time fly (and not in a “I just watched five hours of college basketball online and got nothing done” kind of time flying way). But working on something you’re passionate about means you’re excited about it and are less likely to put it off.
  
  
• Cultivate an environment where workers are comfortable asking questions. When employees are tasked with working on a project that they’re unsure of and are nervous that the output might be wrong—don’t let the fear of failure hold back your team.  Encourage them to ask questions if necessary—that is my biggest pet peeve when workers put off doing something because they don’t want to do it wrong—from my experience, my managers have always appreciated when I’ve asked questions, it shows that you’re taking initiative and you want to do a good job.  So don’t allow your employees to put it off because they’re unsure.
  
  
• Let them know that delegating what they don’t want to do is okay (in some cases).  If you’re lucky enough to have an assistant, an intern, or someone on your team that’s willing to help out, let your team know that it’s okay to hand over some of their to-do items to them.  The whole idea of having a strong team is that everyone brings different skills to the table.  For instance, there might be someone who loves to analyze data, someone who likes to write, and someone who likes to do research on your team.  If someone is assigned a project that involves analyzing data and that’s not their thing, that member of your team that is craving to crunch numbers might be begging to take that on—so it all works out in the end.
  
  
• Give employees the confidence to say “Yes”.  A big reason why employees may procrastinate is because they don’t think they have the authority to say yes, the confidence to ask for something, present an idea, etc… This falls to management to instill confidence in their staff.  By giving employees the confidence to take responsibility for a project and the autonomy to get it done in a timely manner, you’ll find that employees will be more productive.  If workers feel held back by a manager that is involved in EVERYTHING, the employee will be less likely to take ownership and thus that’s when slacking off and procrastination can take center stage.
  
  
• Stay tough, because sometimes they just have to plow through it. When the above options don’t present themselves, sometimes your employees will have to suck it up and get it done (after all they call it work for a reason). The great thing about this is when they’re done—they’ll feel great!  That feeling of accomplishment at work is like runner’s high.  It’s also a great way to end a busy week!

Marketing Communications Veteran Joins Beyond.com

Beyond.com, the premier Career Network focused on helping people grow and succeed professionally, today announced the appointment of Joe Weinlick as Vice President of Marketing. With more than 20 years of business and consumer marketing experience, Mr. Weinlick has developed campaigns for major organizations including Microsoft, Comcast, IKEA, Independence Blue Cross and Siemens. In this role, Mr. Weinlick will be responsible for Beyond.com’s marketing and communications efforts for the brand across all markets.

“We are excited to have someone of Joe Weinlick’s expertise to help drive our strategy and vision in the employment marketplace,” said Rich Milgram, CEO of Beyond.com. “Joe’s talent lies in connecting audiences through smart marketing campaigns and technologies that make organizations more relevant to their customers. His addition to our exemplary team represents our commitment to employer and professional communities.”

Formerly Vice President of Unified Marketing at Godfrey Advertising, the sixth largest B2B agency in the U.S. in 2011 according to BtoB magazine, Mr. Weinlick implemented a new agency-wide process focused on using customer insight to develop cohesive marketing and advertising campaigns. Mr. Weinlick has been a leading proponent of the use of  traditional and emerging technology to cultivate powerful brand relationships, and is a frequent speaker on this topic.

Additionally, Mr. Weinlick founded and managed Iliad Interactive, a full service interactive firm that was sold to Brownstein Group. At Brownstein, he served as the Chief Brand Strategist and Senior Vice President for six years, during which time he led development of brand research and strategy for a diverse array of organizations including the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, George Weston/Bimbo Bakeries, the University of Pennsylvania and Sungard.

Other roles held by Mr. Weinlick include Vice President, Chief Creative and Marketing Officer at Earle Palmer Brown Digital and Direct, and Director of Marketing of Maritz McGettigan. Mr. Weinlick holds a Bachelors degree in English from University of Pennsylvania.

Let Candidates Know When they Haven't Made the Cut

I recently read an article that talked about the importance of sending a thank you note to an employer after going on an interview. I am all about the thank you note; however when reading the comments on this particular article almost every job seeker expressed their anger because employers often do not follow-up with candidates.

With an 8.3% unemployment rate, I understand that HR managers and recruiters need to manage the applicant process a little differently, but candidates are people too and they shouldn’t just be dismissed—especially if you met the applicant in person.

When a candidate goes on a job interview they’re interviewing you too.  If you give off a bad impression (which includes no follow-up after the interview) candidates might not want to work for you.   As an HR pro you’re most likely the first impression a candidate has to an organization and if you give off the impression that you’re uninterested in the applicant—that vibe doesn’t go unnoticed.

Now I know that recruiters say that they’re inundated with applicants, but applicants are not asking for much—just a simple “No thanks” would suffice.  You can probably even automate this process.  But job seekers are tired of being the ones to do the right thing, HR pros are being judged too, so it’s a two way street—if you conduct an interview—follow up!

Do you follow up with applicants to let them know they didn’t make the cut?