Web 2.0 recruiting - Myspace style!

I was 'interviewed' by the Sunday Times last week as part of an article they are doing about Myspace, Facebook et al and their role in online recruitment.

Their main thrust was about how employers will move their job advertising to these kind of sites rather than the job boards.  But it's not the 'where to put jobs' type idea that I'm thinking about but more about how the overall concept works.

Most people have a CV or Resume that may include a list of hobbies or interests.  I think it is fair to say that most employers recognise there is the work person and the private person, and as long as the work person does their job, then the private remains, private.  Unless of course you are a politician, or drug dealer (and a few others!) but otherwise they are kept separate and that's it.  In fact, most employers know very little about the private life of their employees.  But what if the employers started taking references that went beyond previous work experience?  People clearly would not like it.  OK, so they may do psychometric assessments but they are work related.  But little is really known about the private life.

So what about the likes of Myspace?  Employers could have done Internet searches a long time ago but in reality, they would have found very little, but with Myspace etc, it becomes a lot easier to find out a lot of information about your current or potential employees.  So will you now need to declare your Myspace profile, your Ebay profile, Friendsreunited profile, your Blog?  And even if you don't, most of it is not too difficult to find.  But what will an employer take from this or, what could be misconstrued from this.  What if you have been selling the odd few bits from your previous employer - could be theft, could have been gifts!  What if you have some slightly extreme views on your Blog that would never be heard at work but on your Blog, well, they are there to be seen.  And what if you refuse to 'friend' your potential employer - what does that say?  Maybe employers are already employing third parties to gather data on employees across some of these online channels.  Retailers/manufacturers no doubt already their stock on Ebay, particularly items of high shrinkage, but I wonder how many create online profiles to track references and character profiles.

Don't get me wrong, I think Myspace et al are all great users sites, but putting too much information on your profile may need to be kept hidden from more than just the less salubrious types, the 'genuine' people you meet may also have other motives!