Cyber-vetting is a current trend in the advent of advanced technology. It is an approach that utilizes the information gathered from the internet to determine the viability of a candidate for an employment opportunity (Dalgord, 2012). In this case, the interviewee assesses the online profile and behavior of the applicant to determine suitability with the job in real life. Employers legitimize the use of cyber-vetting for purposes of reputation and risk management, transparency, and efficiency (Keranis, 2016). This rationale makes this practice essential for any organization during the hiring process.
As an interviewer, I will consider the hidden dangers associated with Cyber-vetting. Therefore, it is critical to ascertain if the approach incorporated in the organization policies. According to Donlon-Cotton, the employers should be clear on the application of this technique as supplementary for candidate assessment. However, the fundamental premise against the use of Cyber-vetting is a possible infringement of the candidate's right to privacy. It is illegal to obtain and use a person's background information without his or her consent.
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Cyber-vetting should be applied cautiously to protect the candidate's right to privacy. As an interviewer, I will use professionalism in the application of cyber-vetting. First, I will provide the candidate with shed light on any negative information. It will assist in eliminating doubts for a fair assessment. Secondly, I will not use discriminatory details to decide to hire. In this case, I will avoid information related to ethnicity, race, color, religion, or political affiliation. No candidate will be disqualified or victimized on discriminatory criteria. Also, I will use a uniform cyber-vetting criteria for all applicants. It will ensure no favoritism for specific candidates.
A Yale graduate, Aleksey Vayner, escalated the perception about online identity. He developed a video Curriculum Vitae, which he used for job application at UBS investment bank (Vincent, 2007). The popular CV video was named 'Impossible is Nothing.' In this video, Vayner implicated himself as a professional athlete and a CEO. He captured himself ski-jumping, weight-lifting as well as chopping karate bricks. Besides, he developed a soundtrack with his managerial philosophy ‘always push yourself outside your comfort zone’ and ‘failure isn’t an option’ (Vincent, 2007. Within a few days, the CV video leaked to YouTube. The video went viral to many YouTube viewers and was shared with other online platforms. As a result, Vayner gained a higher online profile than he perceived. The unfortunate part is that he did not secure the job.
I disagree with the practice of cyber-vetting as an assessment tool in the hiring process. In my opinion, personal profiles on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook can be misleading. Notably, there is no scrutiny or verification of the background information provided on social media. Therefore, reliance on this information can lead a company to hire the wrong person. Also, dishonest interviewers may use the information from social media for discrimination purposes. For instance, one may be unfairly disqualified due to his or her political affiliation. Notably, cyber-vetting does not uphold the applicant’s right to privacy.
In my opinion, the most effective and genuine means for assessing candidates is an analysis of past experiences, expertise, and criminal records. Therefore, the candidates submit original authentic academic credentials, the curriculum vitae, and clearance and certificates. Unlike cyber-vetting, it is easier to develop evaluation criteria using the job description and job specifications. As a result, there is a selection of competent employees for the organization. I, therefore, recommend that cyber-vetting should only be supplementary but not the primary evaluation tool. Additionally, the interviewers to use this practice should be subjected to an integrity test to avoid discriminatory use of online information.
References
Dalgord, C. (2012). Cybervetting: The Hiring Process in the Digital Age. Information Policy for Everyday Decisions. Wayne State University.
Keranis, F. (2016). Cyber vetting and Online Personnel Selection in the Greek Marketing Sector: Exploring Employer’s Use of Online Information and Its Effects on the Current Social Contract of Employment.
Vincent, M. (2007). How cyber-vetting catches job liars. The Spectator. Retrieved from https://www.spectator.co.uk/2007/05/how-cybervetting-catches-job-liars/
