Some Employers Cross the Line During Recruitment

A recent debate was brought up when a New York statistician was asked by a job interviewer for his Facebook username and password. Although he withdrew his application on the grounds that he didn't want to work for a company that would ask such information, this was not an isolated incident. It is becoming more and more common for companies to ask potential employees for their private Facebook information.

While the use of social media is not new to the recruitment process, asking for Facebook passwords is taking it a step too far in many people's opinions.

"I have heard about recruiters and hiring managers performing searchers on social media channels when vetting out candidates, but directly asking for a password is akin to asking for the password to an employee's email account or other password-protected material," said Jake Wengroff, global director, social media strategy and research, Frost & Sullivan. "It is a clear invasion of privacy."

A recent poll conducted by CBC asked readers if they would hand over their Facebook login information to a potential employer. More than 82 percent of the respondents said "No, it's an invasion of my privacy."

I agree with the opinion that employees deserve a certain amount of privacy, and asking for a password to a person's personal life is crossing an obvious line. However, in this economy, many people cannot afford to stand up for their rights and give up the opportunity for a job. I think that in the near future, enough cases will be filed, and asking for a Facebook password as part of a job interview will be deemed illegal.