News

August 31, 2012

Employees unwilling to give employers their Facebook passwords

A resounding 91% of respondents in a new survey have indicated that they would not be prepared to give potential employers their Facebook passwords. The research, conducted by market research firm Usurv, on behalf of Barker Ross, shows that most people consider their Facebook pages to be private.

However, some employers do ask for access to Facebook pages, a practice that has become increasingly common in the United States — and which has prompted legislation there to prevent employers asking for people's passwords.

In the survey, 91% of those asked, "would you give your Facebook password to a potential employer?" said "no". Men were more willing than women to agree to access — with 87.5% of men saying no, compared to 94.5% of women.

Tim Sutcliffe, director of Barker Ross, said: "One of the ways that employers can get information about candidates is via social media, but I am not surprised people want to keep their Facebook pages private. You wouldn't expect to give an employer the keys to your house so they can look through your photo albums.

"If people can do a job and are well-qualified, they shouldn't be professionally assessed by employers looking at their holiday photos. Business-focused social media, such as LinkedIn, allows people to present their business experience and qualifications and as recruiters that's what we need to know."

The survey also indicated that the more educated the candidate, the more likely they were to reveal their password, with 92% of A-level standard people saying no, with only 79% of people with higher degrees saying no.