Let me state what I have said earlier-Just because I understand their behavior does'nt mean I condone it.
In fact,I think Companies with Zero PR skills are probably the ones who went about asking for these details publicly.
All they had to do was hire someone ,who can get this information of Social Networks confidentially.It does'nt cost much today(and you don't see the Negative PR consequences such a total PR disaster can cause).
What you are talking about(putting bugs on workstations to spy on employees);will happen at a later stage(this phenomenon of handing Facebook passwords the employer is before you have employees working for you).
But you also should'nt forget that Unemployment & Underemployment especially amongst the 18-35 age bracket in America is today at All-time Highs(Over 45%)-The Numbers in most of Europe are even higher;These are the kinds of people who will be most susceptible to this kind of pressure from employers.They are desperate for a Job,any kind of job.
But I will restate another fact which I had also said earlier-If there is something about yourself that you don't want others(especially prospective employers) to know;don't put it online.
There is no Privacy for your Data in the Online Space.
Ashish, if companies start to micro-manage the people's activities like this then i am sure that they will not find enough employable people. Its not like they are recruiting people for highly confidentail missions. I am sure those companies who are so much worried about their employees (prospective or current) do spy on their employees by installing software bugs on their workstations so that they could keep an eye on the activities.
I really do not understand why companies of such reputation would like to know about the facebook login details of an individual. I hopw soon the federal authorities will take care to stop such obligations from the companies.
Congress is getting in on the story too. Now they want the FBI to investigate companies asking for applicants' Facebook information. This may end the practice.
Exactly. I strictly believe that you cannot put the blame on FB for this. What they are doing is a business by allowing 3rd party companies to create and post apps on FB. That is how they generate evenue. So its up for the users to be cautious about their privacy.
This is a great notion but frankly speaking it depends on your Bargaining Position vis a vis an employer[How Desperate are you for the Job].
Most Americans today have barely any savings to speak of(nearly every person you meet on the street is basically living from paycheck to paycheck and if they lose their jobs they could very well lose their Cars and even their homes).
In this sceanario,People are very desperate to get a new job as soon as possible and some unscrupulous employers are taking advantage of this by placing unreasonable demands such as this one.
But if you look at it on another level-Does asking for access to Facebook differ so much from the Standard Security Clearance and Background Checks which most Companies conduct today?
After all,is'nt Facebook just another facet of your personality/Background???
There are a lot of Pros and Cons to this debate that need to thought about and understood in greater detail.
One of The Biggest issue I feel is whether companies should allow Employees to access Facebook during Company Hours and whether they should be allowed to represent their company(You know on FB where you put where do you work in your Profile).
Most Companies have seen how much damage can happen to their reputation because of the leaking of confidential data on Social Networks like Facebook.
Also,people don't realize that when you conduct yourselves online you become a representative of the company you work for[Its surprising but its true-Especially if you fill out all your Personal Information In Facebook including the company you work for].
You mess up online,you damage your company's name.That is why they are more careful today-They are more interested in patterns(more than anything else);if they see you have a past history of doing silly/stupid things online then that pattern will tend to repeat itself even with your new employer.
We should not forget that there is no such thing as Private/Personal in the Online Space.
If it was not clear already it became crystal Clear with the Announcement of the NSA Data center in UTAH.
Every single thing you do online will be stored by the Government offically.If you don't want somebody to know something about you then Don't put it online.
I agree with most of the commentators that such as action is very inappropriate. This is strictly private business. Is there any logical reason why companies are asking for Facebook password only? If this trend continue then they can also ask for other account passwords too!
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Thailand Stages a Comeback Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Euro-Crisis: What It Means for High-Tech Firms Join EBN Editor in Chief Bolaji Ojo and Contributing Editor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday, July 12, at 10:00 a.m. EDT for a Live Chat on high-tech and Europe's economic difficulties.
Microsoft Surface: Potential Winners & Losers What are the implications for the electronics industry supply chain of Microsoft Corp.'s decision to launch its own tablet PC? Join industry veteran and EE Times' systems and OEM expert Rick Merritt on Tuesday, July 3, at 12:00 pm EDT for a Live Chat on this subject.
Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Peter Drucker famously said "Trying to predict the future is like trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window." Yet in the razor's-edge world of electronics—with a lean supply chain and just-in-time demands—the need to know the future is vital.
While no one really can accurately predict the future, we can take guidance from another Drucker saying which is the best way to predict the future is to create it.
You've heard the saying "the No. 1 supply chain risk is your people." That hasn't always been the case. But today's complex global supply chain requires a new type of multitalented employee. It's one who understands, finance, marketing, economics, is savvy with technology, graceful with relationships and can think analytically.
Where are these people? Are universities properly preparing the next generation supply chain professionals? How do train your existing workforce for these new, demanding positions?
Brian Fuller, editor-in-chief of EBN, will lead a 60-minute Avnet Velocity panel discussion that will ask and answer these and other questions swirling around today's supply-chain talent challenges.
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