Facebook and Business: Hiring/Recruiting

While advertising and public relations seem to be the main aspects of business being improved by Facebook, many businesses are now using Facebook during the hiring process. Specifically, businesses use Facebook to scope out possible employees. As businesses are now aware that people commonly use social-networking sites to express themselves, businesses use these sites to see not only the way in which a possible employee expresses themselves but also to try to determine the personality of the possible employee. And if your Facebook profile does not display you in the most favorable light--i.e. a profile picture which displays underage drinking--employers are less likely to hire you. Because of this, many colleges suggest to those students applying for jobs or internships to set their Facebook profile to private. However, even when a profile on Facebook is private, all users can see your profile picture. So, those applying for jobs and internships should always choose a profile picture which displays them in a favorable light just in case that employer decides to take a peak.

Similarly, many colleges and universities are using Facebook to research and recruit potential students. Specifically, many colleges and universities are now creating Facebook pages in order to encourage students to join in such a way that is less obtrusive than mail and emails--i.e. through status updates, messages, and pictures on Facebook. Also, since many colleges and universities simply do not have the time to look at every applicant's Facebook profile, admission offices will often only look at the profiles of applicants brought to attention for containing illegal or inappropriate behavior or language.

While colleges' and universities' use of Facebook is not as common as business' use of Facebook, this use still gives Facebook users, especially college students who are about to embark into the job market or high school students searching for a college, a lot to think about. Facebook is making interviewing and applying to college a different process: we now have to present ourselves not only in the interview but on Facebook as well.