No doubt, by now, you have heard the hype about how social media influences hiring decisions. In fact, one could argue that social media background checking has become almost as prevalent in the hiring process as credit report reviews. However, what you might not know is how social media can affect the job you already have, even if your boss isn’t on your friends list.
Meet Rebecca
My friend Rebecca works for child protective services. Rebecca is a firecracker in a tiny package, but has a bigger heart than most giants I know, and more compassion than I could lend justice to. However, her passion also extends into the political arena. While she and I might not see eye-to-eye on many of her politically charged, incensed Facebook rants, we are adult enough to agree to disagree. Unfortunately, not everyone is quite so mature.
Meet James
One Sunday evening, Rebecca posted another of her normal, politically motivated micro-blogs. It was pro-Obama, anti-Tea Party. However, instead of the usual suspects, prodding her with wise-guy commentary and lighthearted banter, or even absent the loyal clan of disciplines that make up her readership, a new player entered the game; a player with a malicious agenda.
The Debate
James didn’t like Rebecca’s post. He made that abundantly clear. Then, he made it abundantly clear that he didn’t like Rebecca either. The debate went back and forth for hours, and eventually exploded like a dirty bomb. As can happen, political disagreements spurred professional disagreements and eventually wound up in a few personal asides. Once all was said and done and everyone was asleep in their beds, James changed the rules of the game.
While most people would go have a glass of wine and go to bed after a Facebook disagreement, James decided he was going to attack Rebecca where it hurt: at work.
The Debacle
The next morning, Rebecca went to work as always, and was unexpectedly called into her supervisor’s office. During this meeting, Rebecca was chastised for her behavior. You see, her opponent, James, had taken the liberty of writing a scathing letter about Rebecca, and attaching the Facebook debate with him as fodder for his cannon. While James’ replies, retorts and arguments were worse than anything Rebecca could have or would have said on a personal or professional level, because Rebecca posted her employer on her profile, she remained their envoy; thus, she was acting in a less than professional capacity, according to her boss.
Because of this, Rebecca has lost a promotion.
Right or wrong, and no matter what happens in the eyes of her human resources department, her reputation is forever tainted with her direct line supervisor; all because of social media. Be careful what you say and to whom you say it. You never know who is lurking out there with nothing to lose and axe to grind, no matter how below the belt that may be. Social media; it’s not just for hiring anymore.
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