Concerns are being voiced that using popular social networking websites could have strong ramifications upon future career prospects, with many employers going out of their way to run background checks on prospective employees using these channels.
The worry is that flippant comments, dubious photos and the like can impact upon the professional perception of an individual, making them less attractive to an employer.
According to experts at employee screening company BackgroundChecking.com social networking sites are being used as an increasingly common means of screening, potentially putting future career prospects in jeopardy.
Managing director Steve Bailey highlights the long and short-term dangers of being checked in this way.
"Users of these networking sites don’t seem to be giving sufficient consideration to the fact that [their profiles] are in the public domain and can be easily accessed at the touch of a button, throwing their career prospects into turmoil," he told Online Recruitment.
The Times reports that thousands of workers across the UK have been banned from using Facebook and other such social networking sites due to their impact on productivity.
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