HR and Social Networking: Sounds like a personal problem…

A recent ERE article – Pandora’s Box: Appreciating the Challenges of Social Networking - is interesting to me. Here’s a little excerpt:

“For example, an employer may view more negatively photos of an African American male, beer in hand, hanging out at a bar than photos of a Caucasian male, also with beer in hand, hanging out at a rock ‘n roll bar. In such a situation, was it really the public evidence of drinking or intoxication that disqualified the individual? How many current employees would be disqualified from employment if never getting publicly intoxicated — or even drinking in public — was a job requirement?”

Obviously, this seems to be implying a recruiter’s potential unlawful discrimation. Obviously there would be no way to track back unless you can read the recruiter’s mind, which is where the issue comes into play.

Social networking sites have caused huge legal issues in HR – it seems like any recruiter who might reject a candidate for  “being too Christian” or having too many activities listed on their Facebook page is not the kind of recruiter you want working for you. So what is causing the problem? Is it really the social networks that are causing this, or is it the people behind it?

Do people outside of marketing care about social media?

There’s no doubt the benefits of social networking, blogging, etc. in the marketing realm. In my personal experience, I’ve been able to grow both personally and professionally through social media outlets. Because like everyone says, these days, you HAVE to be active online to keep up with your fellow PR, advertising, and marketing professionals.

But what about other industries? Very few of my friends who work in other industries see the significance of blogging or Twittering or anything related. When I’ve tried to explain the benefits and get them online, their interests fizzle.

“No one I KNOW is even on Twitter, and there’s nothing I need to blog about. It works for you because everyone in your industry does this kind of stuff, but it’s just not right for me.

This is a typical response I get from friends or family who give it a stab. Sure, most of my college friends are on Facebook or MySpace, but they typically use it to stay in touch with friends and post pictures. The number of people I know who actively participate in the online conversation by reading and hosting blogs, networking on LinkedIn, etc. – very, very few outside of the marketing industry.

I might just have cynical friends who are behind the technology wave, but I’m not sure. The fact that social networking has taken over email online makes me think I just have weird friends. How long will it take for everyone to join these networking sites, and if they do, will they see the benefit and use these sites to their advantage?