Andrew White: Yes
In March, in a poll of 500 employers by UK recruitment agency Poolia, two thirds admitted to regularly carrying out internet searches, including checking social networking sites including Facebook, MySpace and YouTube. An even larger poll, of 2000 workers and 600 employers, by the social networking site Viadeo suggested that one organisation in five carries out such checks - and that a quarter of those that did had rejected applicants as a result. Who's to say that those ‘hilarious' Ibiza holiday snaps won't find their way into the hands of an unimpressed potential employer? And do you really want to be struck off the candidate list before you've even got to the interview stage, on the pretext that the boss doesn't like what he's seen of you on a website that was supposed to be the private domain of trusted friends?
There's also a good reason why firms are increasingly looking to ban Facebook in the office - quite simply, there are enough distractions in the workplace without obsessing over what might make a good profile photo. A recent US study found that the average 18 to 34 year-old spends 45 minutes of each work day conducting personal business on the internet. For many addicts, however, 45 minutes just isn't enough - and their work is bound to suffer as a result. After all, why schedule a meeting or pick up the phone, when it's more interesting to sit there ‘poking' an old acquaintance you haven't bothered to keep in touch with for the last 30 years?
Face facts. Thanks to Facebook, your boss probably already knows a lot more about you than you'd like - which means you'd best get back to work before his or her patience runs out...
