social media background checks
US approves social media background checks for visa applicants
according to Reuters. The new questions, part of an effort to tighten vetting of would-be visitors to the United States, was approved on May 23 by the Office of Management and Budget. The State Department said earlier the tighter vetting would apply to visa applicants “who have been determined to warrant additional scrutiny in connection…
Read MoreODNI issues guidance for social media background checks
Directive 5 – released last week – agencies may “collect, use and retain” an applicant’s “publicly available social media information” during the background investigation process, as long as it relates to determining whether or not an applicant should have access to classified information or a sensitive position. Bill Evanina, director of the National Counterintelligence and Security…
Read MoreSocial media not always taken into consideration during immigration background checks
After the San Bernardino, Calif., shootings by husband and wife Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik, it was discovered that Malik had posted to her Facebook page several years prior that she supported violent jihad activities, and that she wanted to participate in them. Those posts were not reviewed when she entered the U.S. with…
Read MoreSocial media background checks prevalent, but come with pitfalls
Gone are the days when employers had to wait for background check results to arrive in order to dig up any dirt on a job applicant; while savvy employers still conduct all kinds of background checks on their potential employees, you’d be hard-pressed to find an employer that doesn’t review an applicant’s social media profiles,…
Read MoreEmployers and social media: avoid these 4 background-screening blunders
When employers are looking to hire, there are many things they must be aware of: avoiding discrimination, following the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and not breaking ban-the-box laws, to name a few. Throw a few Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn accounts into the mix, and suddenly making hiring decisions becomes a lot more treacherous. Be smart…
Read MoreLinkedIn ‘Reference Search’ lawsuit shows pitfalls for employers and social media
It’s no surprise when employers and social media mix during the hiring process, as employers often want to get an accurate idea of a prospective employee beyond the glossy resume and carefully culled reference list. LinkedIn provides a service, “Reference Search,” to help those employers that are premium account holders, by providing lists of individuals…
Read MoreCareerBuilder releases list of unbelievable excuses for taking sick leave
With the help of a Harris poll, CareerBuilder.com has released this year’s list of “The Most Unbelievable Excuses for Calling in Sick.” The job-search site has been compiling the best and craziest excuses from U.S. workers for the past decade. Would you tell your boss that you couldn’t make it to the office because you…
Read MoreCalif. police require social media passwords for employment screening, despite law
Some police agencies in California have been requiring prospective employees to hand over their social media passwords during background screening, or risk losing out on a job. California passed a law two years ago preventing employers from asking applicants for social media passwords, but there is a loophole: the wording of the law makes it…
Read MoreEmployers and social media: Tennessee law prevents password exchange
Job applicants have long been concerned with how potential employers and social media posts may intersect. Many worry that things they posted years ago might be used against them during the job search, especially if an employer requests access to social media accounts. However, Tennessee has passed a new law that limits what an employer…
Read MoreEmployers and social media: EEOC considers discrimination laws
Last month, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission held a meeting to discuss how social media impacts the anti-discrimination laws that the EEOC upholds. The EEOC discussed many things about the changing role of employers and social media, but its biggest concern was the way private social media posts have begun to play an increased role…
Read More