Community Bankers of Iowa Monthly Banker Update May 2014 | Page 19

Should Your Business Perform Social Media Background Checks?
Written by Phil James, Director of Marketing - Merit Resources

When assessing potential employees for your company,
you definitely want to know as much about the candidates
as possible. Performing social media background checks
is becoming more popular, even necessary in most cases
to gain a full scope of potential employees. But should your
business engage in them? What are the risks involved when
an employer chooses to perform social media background
checks?
Legal Issues
Employers who choose to screen social media websites may
find information on potential employees that can influence their
hiring decisions. These companies, however, may be opening
themselves up to a wide array of discrimination lawsuits if
they are not careful. If employers are using information that
is not relevant to the job to influence their decisions, they can
be taken to court. Federal laws protect people from being
discriminated against based upon their race, color, national
origin, religion, gender, marital status, political affiliation,
pregnancy, disability, and more including sexual orientation
depending upon which state the discrimination takes place.
Accessing social media profiles can give you information that
is illegal to ask job applicants, and if your company is accused
of making a hiring decision based upon that information, you
have to identify why the applicant was not chosen for the job. )