What shadow do you leave online?
Image source: Dall-e
I enjoyed the show "The Flash" on the CW Network. I also enjoyed the elongated man character on the show played by Hartley Sawyer. He was a major cast member one episode and then disappeared the next.
Why?
Old social media posts came to light and he was fired immediately. If you are curious you can read an article about it Here
So the question comes to mind should people be fired over pasts posts or should people be held accountable for their actions after they get hired? If past actions are going to threaten your career should they be hidden or brought to light up front. It's a sticky situation.
A sticky situation
Unfortunately for Mr. Sawyer he is now blacklisted from Hollywood. At least he seems to have dropped off the face of the earth. To go from a major production to nothing. It shows that people should be very very cautious about what they put on their social media. One careless post and you could be done. How awful is that?
But that raises the question "Should you be up front with your employers before getting employed"? On the one hand if you are the type of person who speaks their mind and things that are contrary to the hiring departments wishes you may find yourself not getting the job. However, if you hide your social media you may find yourself fired at a later time. What is a person to do? Scrub their social media before getting hired?
Well, if you ask me I'd just be up front from the beginning. I'd offer my social media to a potential employer at the very beginning. If you want to see who I am and if I'm a good fit for your company well, read my Hive posts and you will know what type of person I am right away. If I'm a fit then great. My social media helped me get the job. If I'm not a fit? Well, better to know sooner than later so I don't end in a job where I don't fit.
However, that still leaves the younger generation in trouble.
People change over time
If you look at my son's social media profiles now VS just 5 years ago you aren't looking at the same person. Indeed, when my sons look at their old posts sometimes they cringe at who they used to be. Teenagers VS Adults....very different people.
However, what will an employer see if they look back? Silly antics of a teenager? Or will they look a little further at the progress that someone has made over the years? Tough to tell. Either way I'd hate for my son's to be judged on who they were vs who they are.
Being Proactive
Luckily my sons have grown up in an age where they know that their social media matters. Perhaps they aren't thinking about what it would mean to have an employer look at their social media. However, they certainly know that potential girlfriends WILL be looking at their social media. In that way they make their private profile private and they put their best foot forward on their public profile.
That gives me hope for the upcoming generation. Potential employers will see the public persona of their new employees if they go hunting. Their private profile? Well, it stays private. I think that's kind of the way it always has been. People in times gone by would have a reputation in the town in which they lived. However, people would know the public image of the people in their town. The private image? Well, it was just that private.
So... for those people smart enough to know that their social media counts and keep what should be hidden...is hidden there shouldn't be issues with employers, dates or others seeing what shouldn't be there. For people who don't know that appearances matter and just leave everything public? Well, perhaps losing out on a job or date could be a wake up call to separate private and public.
Sure that is a little harsh..
.... but people tend to learn from their mistakes. At least the bright ones do.
So, when the Hive learners asked should people make their social media tags available to potential employees? Absolutely. Social media is just as telling, if not more, than a resume or biodata sheet. In today's world who you are online is just as important as who you are in person.
Or maybe that's just my opinion,
I'd love to hear other ones and thank you for taking the time to read.