Should your employer have your username and password to YOUR facebook?

http://socialmediatoday.com/neville/271920/should-your-employer-have-access-your-facebook-account?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Social+Media+Today+%28all+posts%29

The article above, written by neville Hobson, discusses a story he found about a man, in Maryland, that had to disclose his facebook login information in his interview when he applied for a job at the state’s Department of Corrections (prison service). They told him this was for background checking purposes.

While I understand that employeers want to know who they are hiring in order to maintain the intgretity of their business, and that social media is a pretty good way of getting to know someone, but having full access to someone elses account (including messages and other privatized information) crosses the lines.

So I raise the questions: Is THIS ethical?, Does this intrude on personal rights?

 

I think this is unethical and invasive. Yes, if someone freely and willingly gave their information, that is their choice. However, by doing so, it puts that person's contacts at risk. Companies now are enforcing social media guidelines into their codes of ethics, that limit and restrain employees from unethcial behavior, but I wonder if the codes of ethics apply to this unethical behavior. No employeer asks for your e-mail user name AND PASSWORD. So how is this form of  disclosing personal information of e-communication any different?  

who is to say this comany, that is asking you to give them this information, is trustworthy after just an interview? ...and once you leave the job, they still have access to your profile.

There are other methods to conduct background checks. I think this is an invasion of privacy. Companies already have software that searchs potential employees on facebook, but having the individual give usernames and passwords is over-stepping boundaries between corporate & social media worlds.

When A Social Media Campaign is * SUCCESSFUL *

An example of a successful campaign is the
Old Spice "The man you could smell like" campaign.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owGykVbfgUE

"Major blogs and websites talked about the campaign as well, which made the campaign even more viral and successful. Even tough cynics at Reddit are even calling it “the greatest ad campaign in Internet history.”"-http://blog.thoughtpick.com/2010/07/

These campaigns are funny and creative, yet, are simple enough for audiences to understand. The commercials are very popular with Youtube; the original commercial has more than 13 million views.  The old spice  wraps several key components into one catchy campaign, thus making it successful. The commercials contain  'appropreiate' sex appeal (which is proven to sell), creativity- that gained huge brand recognition, and they knew their target audience (men).
This campaign worked because it grabbed the attentions of millions and got people talking about it. they were smart to air it during super bowl ads. This approach is very expensive, but it got the attention of a mass audience (conveniently also being their target audience).

Another campaign that I think worked is the Dove Evolution Campaign: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omBfg3UwkYM
I think it was successful because it was honest. Women appreciate the notion of a product that is focused on the consumer. Women are highly influenced by the images they see in magazines and billboards, but what they don't know is that most likely they have been altered.  I've actually taken a graphic design course and I have the capabilities to distort images. I think it was a great campaign and it generated a lot of viral buzz. Besides generating a new approach to marketing, it definitely boosted Dove's image and brand.

Social Media Can Help and Hurt your Professional Life*

According to our reading, 75% of managers used social media networks to perform background/recruitment research on job applicants in October 2010.

           Today, social media is becoming a more mainstream method for hiring employees.

Social media enhances a person's social life; including but not limited to: networking, and staying in touch with friends. But, if used correctly, then these tools can also be your 'key to success' in job hunting. If you abuse these tools and expose overly-personal or inappropriate information, it can also hurt you.

As a I near graduation in 3 months, this topic becomes increasingly important to me. While I used to view facebook more as a personal social site, i recently view it more as a self-marketing, job-seeking tool. Growing up, my mother told me that anyone and everyone can see what you choose to put on the Internet. This made me cautious of what I've put on the sites. I always knew that what you put on the Internet, stays on the Internet. College students are uploading pictures and posts from fun parties, however, professionals in the working world are also seeing these uploads.  It's important for college students to "clean up" their social media outlets and portray themselves in a positive light. We have all heard the stories of employees losing jobs because of inappropriate posts and pictures on social media sites. We just need to be aware that people are constantly looking at our profiles. It's our own responsibility for the content shown and none of us want to fall into the "no" pile of job applications because of our profiles online.

Sites like facebook and linkedin do have privacy setting and give some control to the user, however, I have heard that some companies and professionals have access to programs that allows them to override the privacy settings and see complete profiles.
"Over 80% of employers now look for new hires on linkedin." My linkedin account is strictly business-oriented. Its clean, professional, and aids me in job searches. I engage in job forum discussions to help me find out what jobs are available. In comparison, I use facebook and twitter more to capture my social life and networking (which also helps in hearing about job opportunities), however, there is privacy settings that I have established and I made sure that I portray a positive image.

Dan Schawbel, Author of HOW TO: Leverage social media for career success, said it best; "Social media tools are becoming mandatory for career success. They are free advertising and give you the ability to connect directly with hiring managers, entrepreneurs, and recruiters. ---your digital assets- blog, podcast, and social networking profiles- are your online identity and how people discover and connect with you." He gives several tips throughout his blog, but I liked the idea that you have to establish a personal brand- promoting strengths and passions and then getting feedback from your network.

We got the chance this week to engage in a personal social media audit. I have never googled my name before. I found another Melissa McCarty who is a well-know newscaster/reporter that came up in every search I conducted. I noticed that she has successfully branded herself out in the online world. I was happy to find that the only search that I was  included in was Linkedin. I  think this is important for everyone to do in order to monitor their "personal brand". 

Is social media marketing a fad or here to stay?

Social Media is a low cost, effective marketing tool that is here to stay!

According to a video on youtube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VInXr2Sl2ao, it took radio 38 years to reach 50 million viewers, television 13 years, Internet 4 years, i pod 3 year it only took less than a year for Facebook to reach 200 million users in less than a year.

While these numbers are astonishing, I can completely believe it. I don't have one friend that is not using at least one social media outlet. These outlets include facebook, twitter, linkedin, youtube, netflix, and blogs. People are using social media as valuable creative outlets and are satisfied knowing that what they say is being heard. Not only are people having a voice at little to no cost, but people are being connected globally. According to Paul Gillin's book, Secrets of Social Media, "Many experts believe that the Internet will become the world's largest advertising medium within the next three to five years." 

"78% of consumers trust peer recommendations or Word-Of-Mouth.

Where are they going to research products? Sure they may go to

manufacturer websites, but they’re asking their friends on social

networking sites and user review sites. In fact 46% do this on

Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn."
-A guest speaker from a social media firm in Entrepreneurship Marketing class

Not only is social media being used in PR and Promotions, the business world is using these tools for employment and recruitment.  The fact that it is providing jobs for people, adds tremendous value to social media and aids in the long-lasting existence of social media.

My Own Experience:

Once against the Myspace craze several years ago,  I fell "victim" to the addiction of social media. With applications being available on my phone now, it's hard for me to not check facebook and twitter throughout the day. Now, I'm a strong user and supporter of facebook, Linkedin, Youtube, and most recently Twitter and blogging. I truly believe that social media is the greatest strategic asset currently taking over old marketing efforts.

Concluding Thoughts:

This industry is rapidly continuing to grow. Each day, people are jumping in the social media world. There are so many different social media outlets (most I haven't even used, let alone heard of) that are still to be tampered with. Social media is positively 'infectious' and is most definitely here to stay to continue to be explored and developed.

Sources:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VInXr2Sl2ao
The New rules of Marketing & PR,  by David Meerman Scott
Secrets of Social Media Marketing, by Paul Gillin