I wouldn’t believe it if I didn’t read multiple stories talking about employers asking prospective employees to hand over their Facebook passwords during job interviews.  This is simply outrageous yet I can see how those who have been looking for work for over a year may feel compelled to provide their credentials or lose an opportunity for employment.  This really ranks as a big thumbs down for employers who are engaged in this behavior.

Now, I’ll be the first to say that publicly accessible information in a digital world is fair game.  If you allow pictures of your pot smoking adventures or previous dime-store stealing expertise to be available to anyone on the Internet then you can’t complain when that public information ruins your chance of getting a job.  If you’ve been bashing an employer on public forums using your real name, I would think that an interviewer can fairly question you about it.  The thing is, what you decide to make public on the Internet is part of your global resume available for any potential employer to view.  You can’t cry foul.

That said, asking a potential candidate to turn over their user ID and password so you can view something intended to be private is beyond the pale.  That is no different than invading a candidate’s home, snooping through their medicine cabinet and snatching their diary from under the mattress in order to read their “private” thoughts before making a hiring decision. This isn’t an episode of House, right?

Let’s take this a step further.  Do potential employers have a right to access information related to friends and family who aren’t applying for a job?  A request for Facebook credentials gives access not just to information a candidate has deemed private but also allows them to pry into the private information of friends and acquaintances.  Insanity anyone?

The potential for abuse here is enormous.  While it is fair for any employer to do as extensive a background check as they feel is necessary to vet potential employees (criminal, financial, public records, internet search, etc.), it is not appropriate to invade into areas that someone has explicitly chosen not to expose publicly as part of the hiring process.

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