Finding the true Self on MySpace

In class we discussed the fact that companies are expanding their interview scope to include searches for individuals on websites such as MySpace, Facebook and Friendster. Some people may view this as an invasion of privacy, but I think that it is ingenious method to find out who the candidate really is. When looking for a job, or when an employer is looking for an employee, it really is necessary to find the best fit. If the person’s morals and behaviors outside of work are extremely different from the corporate culture then that person may have difficulty fitting in to the company and being successful at the position. Costs to train new recruits are high for the company and if the person fails to work out it results in lost time and money. The goal of any company is to maximize profits for the shareholders, and in the case of small business, the owners. Managers need to minimize waste. If searching on these websites gives them better information on the individual and prevents failures of new recruits to work out, I am all for it. This would then lead to the issue of students being aware of their behavior on and off the internet. If it not something you would want your mom to see, maybe it shouldn’t be posted online for the world to see. If students are more conscientious of their behavior online maybe they will be more conscientious of their behavior offline.