10 Things To Include In A Social Media Policy – Part Two
Continuing on the previous list of topics to include in your company’s social media policy, here’s a list of 5 more key points: (refer to part one of this blog post for more tips)
6. Mandate engagement – Outline as part of the policy why it’s important to engage with key stakeholders online. If a recruiter just broadcasts messages without “engaging” with their audience, they risk losing followers and discouraging candidates.
7. Screening vs. recruiting – decide if the policy will allow social media sites to be used to recruit and/or screen candidates.
8. Screening candidates – Use the policy to mandate that recruiters check publicly available social media profile pages (this is called screening) only when the candidate offers it on their resume, or if they’re applying for a social media-related position.
9. Never ask for passwords – Specify that recruiters who are doing the screening are not permitted to ask applicants for log-in or password information to access private pages, unless you’re fully aware of local laws regarding this practice.
10. Regulations – There are potential legal risks when using social media to identify and screen candidates, and some states have regulation around the process. Remember, you’re representing your company, so be sure to know and really understand your legal obligations.
Using social media for recruiting is an area you want to be fairly well educated on.
In the US, Utah joined California, Illinois, Maryland and Michigan on the list of states that have passed social media privacy legislation that prohibits employers from asking employees and job applicants to provide login information for their personal accounts.
Say, for example, you find out through social media about a person’s sexual orientation or a potential disability, you may not have known that information otherwise. If you don’t hire the candidate, they could claim “I know you looked at my profiles and you didn’t hire me because of my disability.”
In the example above, you would have gained knowledge of a candidate that you may not have intended to and you’ve opened up the company to claims that someone may be able to pursue through legal channels.
It’s important to distinguish screening and recruiting candidates as two distinct activities in the hiring process – you should seek legal advice, you should use a third party screening service and you must include these guidelines in your social media policy.
As a talent manager, you must be aware of social media regulations in all countries you actively recruit in. To discuss your social media employee policy, request a complimentary consultation with a BlackSharp advisor.
