Are Employers Spying on You with Facebook - CareerEnlightenment.com

My Conclusionless ConclusionOkay, dont be disappointed that there arent clear answers but there are useful things to learn here:First, we know that despite HR regulation, the temptation of checking out a candidate on Facebook is too great to resist. Though its anecdotal evidence, its still evidence that you should assume that whatever you post publicly on Facebook will become part of your job application. So lock that s**t down. Go over your privacy settings with a fine-tooth comb.Second, if employers are asking recruiters not to friend job prospects, you know that they are doing just that or the employers wouldnt have to ask. Which means that when you are networking or at career fairs and the recruiter friends you, be extra careful. Once they are your friend, they can see everything youve got online. All that work you did locking down your privacy settings no longer means much.Consider creating a group called limited access, with no access to your wall, and putting the recruiters in that group. Then you dont have to offend anyone by ignoring their request, and you also dont have to worry about privacy because their access is restricted.Finally, companies are still ambiguously using Facebook to recruit. It seems their primary motivation is to simply reserve their name so that rogue employees dont make a mess of things. So even though there may be a Fanpage of your target company, dont expect it to be monitored by decision makers. Theyre probably reluctantly keeping that thing alive.If you have a Facebook story with your own job search, I would love to hear about it. Please share it below and Ill be sure to respond.