Job interviews. Do you research potential candidates online? With many years as an agent and principal, and someone that has had the responsibility of employing staff, Real Estate Coach on Demand, Lisa B, shares her thoughts on this subject:
Hire real estate people the right way
I’m curious. When a candidate applies for a job, should an employer be allowed to consider the information that is made public about them online? Should the employee ensure that they make private everything they don’t want a potential employer to see? Or do they trust that an employer won’t care to look?
Because let’s face it, their pages may affect their chances of employment in a negative way, and in the same token it might help them to secure the role. So, what do you do as an employer when you receive a large influx of job applications, how do you sort through them and how do you really get to know their full story?
And, once you get through the list, how do you begin to eliminate them?
When someone applies for a job, they will include their experience and who they worked for. Then, when you Google the person’s name, it’s only then that you begin to get the full picture. In which case, it never ceases to amaze me what people are happy to have public on their social media pages.
For good or for bad, it’s always helpful to know if your prospective employee is active in industry events, or even has any activity in the real estate world.
Of course applicant’s status updates and connections invite you to get to know the person online that much easier, and can be instrumental in securing a role. So, as both an employee and employer, make sure you are aware of this.
Should public information just be that?
Should it be that employers can make decisions based on what they can see by researching the person? After all, it’s on the public record.
Because, in saying all of this, be careful with regards to the Privacy Act 1988. There could always be legal ramifications, with a declaration of discrimination being actioned purely because of an interpretation of someone’s status on social media pages.
This is the law. However do you think it’s right? What are your thoughts? Drop me a line I’d love to hear. Happy selling.
Lisa B