Social media | Do employees have the right to a comeback?

How much snooping is too much? Diving into someone’s personal history before considering them for an interview is becoming increasingly easier with social media.

Today, over 50% of businesses monitor their workforce’s social media activity and 20% admit to having used it for background checks.

Abi Ashford, Lead HR Consultant at HR Solutions, agrees that snooping is “commonplace”. and says: “If someone’s profile on social media is not made private, then whatever is publicly posted is, to a certain extent, ‘fair game’.

However, Ashford does point out that whatever viewed should be “considered in the ‘right’ way,” and continues: “The sector that the organisation operates in should be factored in, as should the company’s stance on matters such as drugs/alcohol, inclusivity, climate/sustainability etc.”

So is there a right way? Joanne Frew, Global Head of Employment & Pensions at DWF, believes there are a number of requirements to be considered “including having a legal ground for such processing and explaining this purpose in its recruitment privacy policy made available to candidates.”