Online Employment Screening and Facebook Background Checks: Friends or Foes?
In a November 17th Webinar, AccuScreen.com's CEO will reveal " The 7 Commandments of using Facebook, YouTube and Twitter as part of the screening and hiring process."
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November 9, 2010 (FPRC) -- TAMPA, FL -- The rapid rise of online social media has drastically and permanently altered the world of employment screening, and not always to the benefit of employers.
That's the message that AccuScreen.com, an industry pioneer in employment pre screening services, will emphasize in an upcoming webinar on the topic of online employment screening. The webinar, scheduled for 2 to 3 p.m. EST on Nov. 17, will examine potential legal issues and other concerns related to using sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube as part of the employment screening process.
"More and more companies are routinely combing the Internet for information on job applicants, assuming that everything they find is fair game for consideration in the hiring process. What they often don't realize is that the information they're gathering may be not only completely inaccurate but also legally risky in terms of online employment screening. Our webinar is intended to help employers understand that even accurate information found online cannot always be legally used as a consideration in employment decisions," said Kevin Connell, CEO and founder of AccuScreen.com.
The webinar will examine several specific cases in which information posted online reflected poorly on the applicant, the applicant's employer or both. Connell, who will present the webinar, noted that laws regarding privacy, off-work conduct and discrimination vary from state to state and are subject to change as legislatures and the legal field as a whole scramble to keep up with the challenges posed by social media technology.
"As a major provider of background check services for pre-employment screening as well as other types of screening, we at AccuScreen.com must stay on top of these issues and legal trends, keeping in mind that the situation can change without notice depending on the terms-of-use policies of sites such as Facebook and Twitter," Connell said. "We also want employers to realize that even if they're outsourcing their screening to a company that specializes in background check services, not all such companies are created equal. Anyone can offer online employment screening, but not everyone understands the nuances of how to go about it in a legally sound and responsible way."
In addition to looking at specific examples of online content concerns, the webinar will address the issues of identity and authenticity related to online information. In some cases, Connell noted, a company may be faced with the challenge of "unlearning" what it finds out about an applicant if that information falls under legal protections of anti-discrimination laws.
Space is limited for the Nov. 17 webinar, titled “The 7 Commandments of using Facebook, YouTube and Twitter as part of the screening and hiring process.” Those interested can reserve a seat at http://www.accuscreen.com/media/webinars/.
About AccuScreen.com:
AccuScreen.com's provides criminal background check services, can run credit checks, verify professional credentials, driving record histories, social security numbers, and perform other essential pre-employment screening services. AccuScreen.com reports are delivered to companies across the world in 2-72 hours.
Send an email to Sue Marriott of AccuScreen.com
1.800.689.2228 ext # 1100
Keywords:
employment pre screening services, online employment screening, background check services
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