What You Know Can Hurt You: EmployeeScreenIQ Releases White Paper on Dangers of Recruiting Via Facebook

CLEVELAND / March 4, 2010 — When it comes to social networking, knowing too much can be a dangerous thing for recruiting professionals and potential employers.

That’s the premise of a new white paper from EmployeeScreenIQ that examines the risks of judging job candidates by their profiles on Facebook and similar sites. Titled “Recruiting with Social Networking Sites: What You DO Know can Hurt You,” it’s available for immediate download from the background screening company.

The new paper covers the following topics:

• The dangers of over-reliance on social networking to find candidates
• Horror stories such as Stacey, the Drunken Pirate
• Legal and ethical issues and the appearance of discrimination
• Legally-defensible alternative programs

“Sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook offer exciting new ways to find job candidates and build relationships. However, employers who rely too much on social networks face legal and ethical dangers,” said Nick Fishman, co-author of the paper and chief marketing officer for EmployeeScreenIQ.

By only sourcing candidates through social networks, the process may deny minorities and other protected groups an equal chance of being hired, according to the paper. However, a greater danger awaits recruiters who use social networks to assess an individual’s character and “weed out” those with undesirable traits.

“If a recruiter is searching around someone’s Facebook page, they may find information that can open them to charges of discrimination,” said Jason Morris, co-author and president of EmployeeScreenIQ. “Having good intentions is not enough—even the appearance of discrimination can spark a lawsuit.”

The complimentary paper is available by visiting: http://www.employeescreen.com/social_networking.asp

About EmployeeScreenIQ:
EmployeeScreenIQ is a Cleveland, Ohio-based employment screening company offering a variety of employment screening services to mid- and large-cap organizations throughout the world, including those in North and South America, Europe and East Asia. For more information visit www.EmployeeScreen.com

Media Contacts:

Nick Fishman, EmployeeScreenIQ
(847) 564-5410
nfishman(a)employeescreen.com

Elrond Lawrence, Fisher Vista/HRmarketer.com
(831) 632-2183
elawrence(a)fishervista.com

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This press release was distributed through PR Web by Human Resources Marketer (HR Marketer: www.HRmarketer.com) on behalf of the company listed above.