ReputationDefender Blog recently came across this penetrating story in the San Diego Weekly Reader that deals with the real world effects of online activities in the digital age. ReputationDefender Blog has covered the recent phenomenon of employers conducting Online Background Checks when evaluating employees or potential hires (see this ReputationDefender blog post for more on this).
Michael Hemmingston discusses doocing (read the article) and employees who are terminated or disqualified for employment based on their “escribitionism.”
Solana Beach, summer 2002. A job interview. “So you like to post on the Internet a lot,” said the human resources person. “Yeah,” I said. “How do you know?”
“Did some online investigating.” The term “to google” was not yet widely used. “I came across your two blogs and some posts you made on news groups, and there was a listserv. And something about you posting under a pseudonym at UCSD.”
“Do you always do this?” I asked.
“We do now. A lot of companies are running Net checks during prescreen.”
“I see,” I said, wondering if anything embarrassing, scandalous, or plain stupid had been uncovered from my early years as a keyboard cowboy.
“Tell me, would you ever blog about your work environment, if you were to be hired here?”
“Not at all,” I replied.
“Even in code?”
“I’m sure I would have better things to blog about,” I said, waving my hand as though it were nothing. I quickly added, “You know, life, concerts, politics, the weather…”
“Have you ever blogged about previous jobs?”
“You tell me,” I said jokingly. “You read my blogs.”
My interviewer’s face was stone-cold straight.
I had, but that blog no longer existed. “No,” I responded. I knew the interview wasn’t going any further. I was told they would call me within 48 hours. The call never came.
The article continues with various stories of people losing out on jobs based on unprofessional online behavior, showing the importance of Online Reputation Management in the 21st Century.
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