Author(s)
danah boyd, Diane Coutu, Michael Fertik and
John Palfrey
Source
Harvard Business Review, June 1, 2007
Summary
This paper asks if firms should hire a job candidate when online searches turn up controversial information about her.
Policy Relevance
Firms need to adapt to the Internet by being willing to hire strong candidates with a checkered online past, because firms that do not take risks will fall behind.
Main Points
- Searching the Internet for information about job candidates is legal.
- Some information spread over the Internet might be false, so if a search reveals something controversial, it is a good idea to ask the candidate if it is true.
- Hiring standards need to adapt to the reality that people are not perfect.
- In time, many young people will learn that it is not a good idea to post naked pictures of themselves online.