Tech Joy

No link for LinkedIn and Facebook

The topic of Social Networking sparked a lively discussion in class last week. It seems that many of us are still trying to figure out how to balance the power of being connected with concerns about privacy and unwritten rules of social ettiquette. While many of us enjoy the benefits that these sites offer in terms of staying in touch with those on the periphery of our lives, the fact that the Internet is no longer a place where one can be anonymous and free means that we have to be ever vigilant about how our thoughts and activities are chronicled for all to see. Now that employers are treating a Google search as just another step in the interview process for job candidates, and schools are researching applicants’ My Space and Facebook profiles for evidence of incriminating and inappropriate behavior, judgments about one’s the personna one projects online can easily overshadow one’s real world accomplishments and qualifications.

The Economist published an article this week titled “Facebook for Suits” in which it describes the success of the professional networking sites LinkedIn and Xing. With thousands of Wall Street and other professionals on the hunt for new jobs, and recruiters now beginning to use them as a powerful recruiting tool, activity on these sites is higher than ever. Unlike some social networking sites, LinkedIn and Xing are actually making money, and primed for future growth. The Economist concludes the article by saying that this could be threatened, however, if Facebook decides to, “grow up and decide to do serious business.”

As Facebook and MySpace struggle with how to monetize social networking, moving into the increasingly lucrative professional networking space may be tempting. While Facebook is well-positioned to become a one-stop shop for personal and professional networking, a move in this direction would need to be managed very carefully, and I’m not convinced that it could be pulled off successfully at all. Everyone has a different comfort level with mixing the work and private lives, and Facebook already threatens the boundaries many would draw. Many Facebook members struggle with what to do about friend requests from colleagues and managers. However, if one can deal with the uncomfortable position of declining these requests, Facebook makes it fairly easy to keep work and personal boundaries firmly drawn.

Opening up Facebook to prospective employers and recuiters would drastically change the way that many professionals use the site and would likely deter many of the people responsible for LinkedIn’s success. Even if Facebook allowed users to maintain separate personal and professional personnas, users may not trust Facebook to not blur the two. Facebook users decried its implementation of the Newsfeed feature when it was introduced. Now imagine what would have been the result if Facebook broadcasted the same type of information in a newsfeed to recuirters and employers. An error in judgment about how to handle its user’s personal information could ruin the site.

Employers would also have to be cautious about the information they learn about candidates through Facebook profiles to avoid discrimination suits. Information learned about a job candidate’s personal life, such as their marital status, sexual orientation, even hobbies could influence a hiring decision even at the most well-intentioned firms.