Recently, there has been a lot of buzz about your online presence on social networking sites and your google history which employers look at sometimes before hiring you. I am really curious to know to what extent employers look into this info.
For eg: My name and last name are extremely common. If one runs a google search, unless they specifically know about my background and few details, can never reach the 'actual me'. So how can an employer find out about me through google and ensure that it is not some other girl who shares the same name as me?
Secondly, if our Facebook profiles are private and you have disabled yourself from anyone coming across your facebook profile through google, will the employers still be able to look you up?
Is this kind of background check specific for US companies alone or do Indian companies indulge in this as well?
Your online presence
Your online presence
Koeli
I am sharing here pieces of an article that I got in email which you may find relevant:
it's time to Google yourself. with the Web being the first place that people go to search for things to buy, places to fly, or new things to try, it's also where recruiters and hiring mangers go to learn about you "on the sly."
And it's important to Google more than just your full name. When companies are trying to poke around in your history, they'll search out all of your past experiences
It's the first page of results that's most important. Go through these searches and check each of the links on the first page to understand how you are being presented or referenced on the web.
If all you find is glowing praise and adulation, fantastic for you and congratulations!
But if you find material that might put you in the wrong light, it's important to try and do something about it:
Patch up: If you control the site or page that has the troubling information or photos, patch up your online reputation quickly by removing or deleting the questionable material.
Push it down: If you do not control the site, another way to improve your online reputation is to push the offending material down in the results. By expanding your presence on social networks, blogs, and community forums, you can generate new, highly relevant web content that could get ranked higher in the search results than the bad information.
Petition: It's a long shot, but if you're unable to remove the offending information, you can petition the site owner or webmaster to remove it. You are asking for a favor, so never approach a website proprietor with outrage, incredulity, or legal posturing. I can almost guarantee that won't work.
You best bet is to humbly seek their help... "I'm looking to clean up my online reputation so that my family, friends, and business colleagues won't get the wrong idea about me. There is some unfortunate information on your website, and I'd really appreciate it if you would consider removing this particular bit. I know you have the right to have whatever you want on your site, and perhaps you didn't even put everything up there yourself. So I would really appreciate it if you could help out a guy who is in a little bit of a jam."
Again, the anonymous Internet seems to make e-mail arguments much easier, and many website operators can be very prickly about preserving their independence, so never, ever take a high-handed or aggressive approach.
Prepare: If patching, pushing and petitioning don't work, that means you'll have to prepare for the question in your job interview. Simply and clearly state the circumstances that led to the bad information and then stop. Don't go into a long or tortured conversation about implications, how it makes you feel, or how unfair it is. By being open, honest and sensible, you may actually be able to come out ahead...
I am sharing here pieces of an article that I got in email which you may find relevant:
it's time to Google yourself. with the Web being the first place that people go to search for things to buy, places to fly, or new things to try, it's also where recruiters and hiring mangers go to learn about you "on the sly."
And it's important to Google more than just your full name. When companies are trying to poke around in your history, they'll search out all of your past experiences
It's the first page of results that's most important. Go through these searches and check each of the links on the first page to understand how you are being presented or referenced on the web.
If all you find is glowing praise and adulation, fantastic for you and congratulations!
But if you find material that might put you in the wrong light, it's important to try and do something about it:
Patch up: If you control the site or page that has the troubling information or photos, patch up your online reputation quickly by removing or deleting the questionable material.
Push it down: If you do not control the site, another way to improve your online reputation is to push the offending material down in the results. By expanding your presence on social networks, blogs, and community forums, you can generate new, highly relevant web content that could get ranked higher in the search results than the bad information.
Petition: It's a long shot, but if you're unable to remove the offending information, you can petition the site owner or webmaster to remove it. You are asking for a favor, so never approach a website proprietor with outrage, incredulity, or legal posturing. I can almost guarantee that won't work.
You best bet is to humbly seek their help... "I'm looking to clean up my online reputation so that my family, friends, and business colleagues won't get the wrong idea about me. There is some unfortunate information on your website, and I'd really appreciate it if you would consider removing this particular bit. I know you have the right to have whatever you want on your site, and perhaps you didn't even put everything up there yourself. So I would really appreciate it if you could help out a guy who is in a little bit of a jam."
Again, the anonymous Internet seems to make e-mail arguments much easier, and many website operators can be very prickly about preserving their independence, so never, ever take a high-handed or aggressive approach.
Prepare: If patching, pushing and petitioning don't work, that means you'll have to prepare for the question in your job interview. Simply and clearly state the circumstances that led to the bad information and then stop. Don't go into a long or tortured conversation about implications, how it makes you feel, or how unfair it is. By being open, honest and sensible, you may actually be able to come out ahead...
Your online presence
Koeli;324061 Is this kind of background check specific for US companies alone or do Indian companies indulge in this as well?
Koeli,
I had a very prolonged discussion on LinkedIn from folks across continents on the online presence & the ethnics/morals behind usage of online data (public of course) for back ground check. The topic is quite deep & I was astonished at the range of emotions it brings up.
A short answer is, yes. Almost all internet savvy recruitment teams now-a-days check your online footprint. Sometimes we may feel anonymity by taking a vague ID helps, but even that is being demolished slowly. People have found ways to search for keywords across FB, Orkut, Twitter, Forums like these, LinkedIn etc. to check for connections & when matches are found, may read further to see the 'other' side of the same person. I am not saying every hiring manager/recruiter will spend 20 minutes searching for the candidate's social media presence, but it is increasingly becoming a factor. No matter how we try to hide behind anonymity or secrecy, trained eyes can capture writing style & the interests of a person to gather further info, if they are inclined to do the same. I personally scan through LinkedIn (only, as that's 'professional' networking) before an interview. When I am on the other side of the interview table, I have been informed of social media search done by the prospective interviewer. So yes, social media screening & information gathering is very much in vogue in India. Personally, I am against using social 'personal' media like Facebook, but many people disagree with me.
For further reading:
1. A slideshow from beginning of this year should give you some ideas:
http://www.slideshare.net/rickysoo/background-check-using-social-media
2. Twelve months back, nearly 45% employers were reportedly using social media for screening candidates. My guess is that it may be as high as 60% today
http://mashable.com/2009/08/19/social-media-screening/
3. While at it, check out some warning signs to watch for, that's from my blog here:
http://www.r2iclubforums.com/forums/entry.php/289-Risks-of-Internet-Posting-that-every-Diary-writer-should-know
hope it helps you to research further
-Kiran
Your online presence
Hi Koeli,
When I was in a position to hire staff, I'd search their online behaviour meticulously. You'd be surprised by the stuff one can dig up. With a full resume on hand, a hiring manager will know your past jobs, hobbies, professional affiliations, photos etc so narrowing down the person on a SN is very easy. (and scary about the things that people publish about themselves). The other leak happens via friends who thoughtlessly post your photos, realnames, what you did etc etc.
One of the reasons I don't blog consistently is also to protect my customers' project details and the happenings I notice there ...
When I was in a position to hire staff, I'd search their online behaviour meticulously. You'd be surprised by the stuff one can dig up. With a full resume on hand, a hiring manager will know your past jobs, hobbies, professional affiliations, photos etc so narrowing down the person on a SN is very easy. (and scary about the things that people publish about themselves). The other leak happens via friends who thoughtlessly post your photos, realnames, what you did etc etc.
One of the reasons I don't blog consistently is also to protect my customers' project details and the happenings I notice there ...