Reference Check by Employer on Myspace / Facebook / Blogger?
It is normal for an orgainisation to perform reference check on her potential employee. In Malaysia, most reference checks are done in traditional way, by calling the applicant’s former employers, testimonial by the former employers, police check, etc.
Has any employer thought about doing reference check via the applicant’s personal webpages, such as Myspace, Facebook, or blog? In fact, I feel that it is not a bad idea. The challenge of today’s recruiter is the ability to get the candidates who are not only job fit, but organisation fit. The personal webpages of the candidates somehow able to tell the social group and the characteristic of the candidates. If the candidates are writing a work-related blog, it could tell the job knowledge of the candidates.
However, this must be done carefully to avoid any discrimination and invasion of policy. Perhaps in this IT savvy century, employers could add an optional column in their Job Application Form for the candidates to indicate their personal webpages, if the candidates are prepared to share. This would assist the recruiter in their decision making, and might benefit the candidates!
