NACE - Requiring Logins/Passwords Violates NACE Principles

store

The National Association of Colleges and Employers connects campus recruiting and career services professionals, and provides best practices, trends, research, professional development, and conferences.

connections

research

knowledge center

events

Ask a Question?

Requiring Logins/Passwords Violates NACE Principles

Spotlight for Career Services Professionals, April 11, 2012
Spotlight for Recruiting Professionals, April 11, 2012

Recent reports indicate that some employers are asking job candidates for their social media passwords during interviews to access candidates’ accounts and view their profiles.

NACE’s position is that this practice violates ethical standards. Employers should not require or request that job candidates provide password/login information to their personal social network accounts as a condition of employment or as a condition of consideration for employment.

NACE’s “Principles for Professional Practice” provides for a recruitment process that is consistent with EEO and privacy laws and a process in which students are free from undue pressure.

NACE advises college career services professionals to counsel their students that employers do not have a right to require them to provide their logins and passwords during the employment recruiting process.

Please direct complaints about employers requiring logins/passwords from student job seekers to the NACE Principles for Professional Practice Committee at nrehrig@naceweb.org.

Reviews

By Matthew Berndt
You pose a great question, Richard, but it is one that NACE has not yet developed a statement to address. That said, NACE has recognized that the impact of social media on recruiting and career services is top of mind for a lot of members. At the upcoming conference in Las Vegas, we will be conducting a session on Thurs, June 14th at 3:15 titled “Responding to the Impact of Virtual Engagement on Career Services and Recruiting.” It will be a guided conversation using situations as the basis to help drive conversation and debate regarding the impact of social networking and other forms of virtual engagement on career services and recruiting. A cross-functional team will solicit input from members and make recommendation for how we can best respond. I hope you can make the conference session. You are always free to contact me directly as well: Matt Berndt, 2011-12 Chair, NACE Principles Committee, mattberndt@austin.utexas.edu

By Christian Ferris_2
That's a good question, Richard, but I think the answer there lies in making sure our students understand how to utilize the privacy tools that Facebook gives you. Just as you can make certain content private from the world, you can also make content private from friends. I allow students to 'friend' me on Facebook because I can keep them separated from personal information on my page. An additional issue: I have never had a student tell me an employer asked for their password but about 5 years ago we did have an employer offer a student a job and then sit them down at a computer and tell them to log in so that the employer could do social media checks on their fellow students whom they were friends with. There are all kinds of possible ways someone can violate your privacy!

By Mimi Collins
A few years ago, the Principles for Professional Practice Committee issued an advisory opinion that includes this: See "Building a Social Media Policy: Personal Links Adivsory Opinion" at http://www.naceweb.org/legal/social_media_policy_advisory/

By Richard Davino
I'm very glad NACE has formed a position on this practice. Separate (but related) to providing passwords and access, what is the NACE position on candidates being asked to allow HR personnel to "Friend" them? Not a password but certainly provides access.

To comment, please sign in.