LinkedIn Professional Networking Corporation

The evolution of social media has led to a dramatic change in the way people communicate professionally. In 2002, a professional networking corporation launched a business and employment website that has replaced the way individuals apply for jobs. The website named “LinkedIn” has made it easier for employers to find their employees.

According to the Economist, “it is an online contact book” where one no longer finds the need to walk into a workplace with their resumes in hand when they can search for jobs from the comfort of their own homes. “LinkedIn connects individuals seeking or starting work, or simply wanting more from their careers”.

Those seeking employment simply create a LinkedIn profile, listing valid information about themselves such as skills, qualifications, job history etc. This results in an online resume that can be viewed by other professionals and allows them to get in contact with you. According to one of its founders Allen Blue, it is a “network of people”; traditionally, employees seek employers.

However, LinkedIn gives the employer the option to find the employee they are looking to recruit, making LinkedIn an online social network where employers and employees are able to connect with one another. In addition, LinkedIn has made it easier for companies to recruit persons with the required skills or assets by enabling the option to “actively search for Candidates around LinkedIn members by using keywords.”

This means that employers can simply input the traits of interest and LinkedIn will provide a list of potential candidates that meet the employer’s requirements. LinkedIn has created a massive change in the market for their labour-how they find jobs and how employers find them.While developments in social media have made it easier for individuals to find employment or recruit employees, it has also made it easier for employers to check up on the applicant that is about to undergo the hiring process.

According to an article “56% of employers check applicants Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter etc.” While this process may be invasive to some, it allows the employer to make a good judgement before hiring someone who may not be the best fit for the job. An individual’s behaviour may contradict the mission or purpose of the organization.

For example, if the owner of a rehab centre is looking to recruit new employees, a person who posts content of alcoholic beverages in multiple pictures of their Facebook profile is not someone that would fit the job position or title accurately. Though the individual may meet the employer’s requirements and expectations, they have failed to make an appropriate judgment on the types of content they release to the public eye.

When employers check an individual’s social media networks, it is not for the purpose of invading one’s privacy, but to prevent them from making a decision they may regret in the future.In addition to posts on social media, employers impose limits on employees towards what they can and cannot post out into the public.

This relates to socially unacceptable behaviour that can lead to affirmative action taken against the individual for not abiding with the company’s rules, leading to termination. An aggressive comment towards another individual or group that may indicate violence or considered offensive would be in contradiction with the company’s terms or regulations.

The employee would then receive disciplinary action due to negative impact imposed on the company. Furthermore, socially unacceptable behaviour on social media includes political or religious views or stereotypes. For example, topics that your parents don’t allow you to discuss at the dinner table, your employer does not want it discussed on social media.

Certain words can get a lot of recognition on social media especially if used in an incorrect manner.(hatecrimes) This can cause disorder and damage relationships in the work place as well as the general public.