Recruiting through social media has brought recruitment to the digital world. But there is some ethical issues recruitment in the internet that must be considered. Here are six of them.
The Issues
1. Non-compete issue
This is not mainly an issue concerning what a recruiter puts in his social media such as Facebook, linkedIn and Tweeter but mostly an issue from the workplace. This Non-compete issue concerns with the employers disallowing the employees to use social media site for business purposes unless granted permission.
This is not so much of a recruitment issue but it does have an affect to it. If an employee is using social media for recruiting manpower for the company, the employer has an intellectual right over the employee. If a personal page is used for this purpose there is so much personal stuff in an employee's page that has nothing do to with the employer. Thus this Non-compete issue must be considered in using social media in recruitment.
Likewise if an employee created a social page for business purpose, the employer has the right to monitor the content of that page.
2. Disparate impact issue
If the use of social media as a recruitment tool is the only means used in recruiting manpower, the company might deal with disparate impact. Every method used in recruitment needs to be in compliance with executive orders.
This issue concerns with the demographic compliance where employment must be open to the all qualified applicants. Social media members do not represent the whole of the applicants. Job wall postings response and structure interview must be equally viewed and consider.
It is very easy to discriminate applicants. Social media can give more information than work related. Sometimes a picture of an applicant with a comment under being drunk and totally wasted can make future employer reject the candidate. This has a very discriminating impact as an applicant has legal right against discrimination.
3. Ethical issues
Using social media as a recruitment tool is a boon to HR professionals. This will help them deal with a passive but highly qualified candidate. Social media is easy to access and HR personnel could check a candidate's background in his social page.
But there are ethical issues that must be considered. Every person has the right of privacy. Every applicant has the right of his own personal life. If his personal life has been a basis for his capability as a worker and has been judge due to someone snooping to what is not job related any longer, the employer has crossed ethical recruiting.
4. The Social Gap issues
In this modern world, modern applicants have emerged. Applicants now do not rely on job postings for an application. They make use of the social media to find the right company by looking at a company's profile and looking at the people working with the company.
The company on the other hand used social media as a tool for recruitment but not as efficient as the candidates, thus creating a social gap between recruiters and candidates. Details can be found in this site: http://www.ere.net/2011/01/18/how-social-media-hurts-recruiting-and-what-to-do-about-it/
5. Fair reporting issue
This is an employers using outside agency for background checks on applicants. There must be disclosure requirements of Fair credit reporting laws. This applies to recruiting through social media if outside agency makes use of it for background checkup.
6. Personal and Professional issue
This is pertaining to where is the boundary between information pertaining to a candidate's personal life and professional life. There must be a line in which to make personal information stays where it should be.
