Jobseekers are having to be ever more vigilant, especially about what they share about themselves in the public domain. It might be fun to tag a friend on Facebook in a photo of a drunken night out, but what would the boss think if they saw that pic? Even with privacy settings, jobseekers need to understand that anything that is posted in the public domain can come back to bite them. As great as technology is, it has one major drawback. Real privacy is a thing of the past.
Data gathering has become the norm
Unless you live completely off grid and off line, operate only on cash and avoid cell phones, your movements, preferences, observations and interactions are being tracked. And that data is being 
collected and made available to third parties, whether you like it or not. Data is the new commodity and most jobseekers are blissfully unaware of just how little privacy they really have.
It’s common practice for companies to review jobseeker’s social media profiles to gain additional insight on their interests, interactions and general nature. Some companies have taken this a step further asking employees to wear tracking devices that record everything from colleague interactions to physical activity and the tone of conversations. The claim is that employees wear the devices willingly and the objective is to improve workforce productivity, but isn’t this taking data analytics a bit far?
Is privacy worth preserving?
Most people are so accustomed to sharing details about their daily lives on social media that they don’t think twice about it or consider who might see the posts and how it could impact their careers down the line. It must be remembered that many companies, especially big corporates see themselves as brands to be protected, and employees or potential job seekers that are seen to be doing something that could place the brand in a bad light, they could take exception to – even if it is meant as fun.
Many people will say they have a right to do what they want on their personal time. While this may be true, when pictures or words are shared on social media then the general view is that in sharing the information, you’re giving up your right to privacy because you chose to share it publicly. And if the information is readily available in the public domain, then companies can and do often take action.
In short if you want your personal life to remain private, then you need to be cautious about what you share. Additionally you need to inform friends that you don’t want them tagging you or posting pictures about you without your consent.
Always consider who might misread the post or if it could damage your reputation in any way, and if there’s any doubt, don’t post it. Just making comments on other posts can also be detrimental. Even if it is something you feel passionate about, word your comments carefully, avoiding slander, hate speech, or anything derogatory that could reflect badly on you. Remember as job seekers you may no longer be able to control your privacy, but you can control what you say and what you share.
Resource On Demand is Europe’s first specialist Salesforce Recruitment Company. We assist the world’s leading organisations to grow their technology teams. Supporting companies to fill roles that span across digital marketing, marketing automation, Human Capital Management, CRM system management and, Salesforce developer, Salesforce consultant and Salesforce admin jobs.
The team at Resource On Demand have access to an extensive database of key talent, registering over 8000 professionals each year. To find out how we can support you call us on +44 20 8123 7769 or rod@resourceondemand.com.