Archive
Do We Have the Rights to Talk about Work or our Boss on Social Media?
It is not new to hear people got fired because of their updates on social networking sites. In one extreme case, a man got fired even for his random thoughts posted on Facebook. So, is it legal for companies to fire employees because of their updates on social media sites?
Employees have the rights to discuss face-to-face on “protected concerted activity” as outlined by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). For example, employees can talk about their wages and work conditions with co-workers. According to The Lodging Magazine (2013), the answer to whether employees have the rights to talk about work or their boss on social media sites depends on whether the employee’s update is considered as protected concerted activity.
The article in The Lodging Magazine reported two cases with the published decisions from NLRB. One case involves in an employee’s sarcastic comments about the employer. This employee is not protected because NLRB believes that the comments were made “solely by the employee without any discussion with other employees.” In the other case, an employee responded to a co-worker’s criticisms of her job performance as well as the performance of other co-workers. This employee was fired, but NLRB ruled in favor of the terminated employee because the employee’s behavior is “a call to group action that related to their working conditions.”
Even though it is noted that the decision made by the NLRB may turn out to be invalid because the Supreme Court by the Administration is still pending on its decision on whether the NLRB “lacks a quorum and is unable to conduct business,” employers are advised to keep such decisions of NLRB in mind. In the end, the article lists six suggestions for employers’ considerations (direct quotes):
- Eliminate policies that require employees to maintain confidentiality over wages, bonuses, or commissions.
- Review social media policies for non-specific terms that need further definition or stricter language.
- Adjust overly broad language that prohibits employees from discussing company policies, schedules, safety, dress codes, work assignments, other staff, or management.
- Eliminate or change language that prohibits posting of company logos, company name, identification of employee with the company, etc.
- Where legitimate issues are involved, define information that the company considers confidential (private employee data, guest information, strategic marketing plans, financial particulars).
- Consider a disclaimer at the end of the social media policy that makes clear that the policy is not intended to restrict an employee’s Section Seven Rights under the NLRA.
My suggestion to individual users is to think before posting any negative comments about work or their boss. They may ask themselves: besides venting my feelings about work or my boss on social media sites, how does my update help solve the issue? Are there other places for me to vent my feelings? Are there other places I can seek solutions (e.g., the HR Office, the corporate HR Manager, the NLRB, etc.)?
I agree to the article that managers need to revisit their companies’ policy. Ideally, I believe that the best solution to “stop” employees from bad-mouthing the company or their supervisors is to nurture an organizational culture that value employee feedback. If employees know their employer listens to them and shows genuine interest to them, they tend to be more open to their managers about their feelings and thoughts. If their issues are solved, they will not need to vent their feelings on social media sites any more. What do you think?
References:
Ryan, Andria, & Lominack, Reybun. (2013, March). Word to the wise: the National Labor Relations Board is weighing in on social media communications and employee rights; Here’s what hoteliers need to know. The Lodging Magazine (The official magazine of The American Hotel + Lodging Association), p. 20-21.
Beyond a Profile Page: A Continuous Discussion of “Seeking Jobs on Social Media”
It is no longer a secret that companies use social media to recruit and select managerial candidates. As a result, if a job seeker wants to catch an employer’s attention, s/he must be visible online as an expert.
Last year, I published an article about social-media job-search tactics in HOSTEUR™, in which I shared some career advice with hospitality and tourism students. A year later, I was invited to write an article of the same topic for the HealthyYou Magazine, but this time my target audience is the students majoring in nutrition science and public health. I actually offered similar advice to both groups (even though with different wordings). The truth is it doesn’t matter in which area(s) a person wants to advance his/her career. The basic tactics of using social media in job search remain the same. Here are some examples,
- A job seeker must understand the characteristics and qualifications that his/her ideal employer is looking for in order to design/develop an appropriate personal brand that fits into this employer’s expectations as well as his/her own career goal.
- Having a presence on major social networking sites, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter is good, but not enough. A job seeker also needs to actively participate in online forums and discussion. The more useful information this person shares, the better. The more this person helps other in a specific area, the more likely this person will be known as an expertise in a particular domain.
- It is nice to connect with the industry experts, professionals, co-workers, clients, and people who share the same interests, but these connections may not mean much if we never interact with them. A trustful relationship is built over time through continuous interactions.
- Being negative and critical is fine because it shows a person’s professional knowledge (at least it indicates that this person is capable of identifying an issue), but it can be better if this person is able to offer constructive feedback, suggestions, and alternative solutions to help solve the issue.
- In order to leverage the power of social media, professionals and students must be willing to share their knowledge and some personal information online. A person can have the most brilliant idea in the world, but such wonderful idea might never be discovered or searchable by a potential employer if this person keeps everything private.
What do you think? Will those tactics work in other disciplines besides hospitality and tourism, nutrition science, and public health? What other useful suggestions will you make to those job seekers who plan to use social media in job search?
Relevant discussions:
Tactics of Seeking Jobs on Social Media
Privacy vs. Efficacy: Which One Would You Choose? (Using Facebook in Job Search)
One Has No Choice But to Manage His/Her Online Image
Background Check on Social Media: Now Is a Serious Business
Using Facebook for Background Check
Social Media and Job Search I
Social Media and Job Search II
Social Media and Job Search III
Personal Brand and Social Media
Managing Your Online Reputation
Ways to Clean Up a Person’s Negative Online Reputation
References:
Kwok, Linchi (2012). Beyond a profile page: Using social media to build a personal brand and impress potential employers. HealthyYou Magazine, 12(1), 14 – 15. (Available in print but not online yet).
Your Potential Beats Actual Achievements: Really?
The Wall Street Journal reported a study conducted by scholars at Stanford and Harvard, suggesting that employers are willing to pay more for candidates with high potential and promise than those with actual, proven performance. Is that for real? If so, how can job candidates demonstrate their potential during the interviewing process?
In this study, researchers asked 77 participants to evaluate two hypothetical applicants for a managerial position based on the candidates’ performance on two tests, one measuring a candidate’s leadership potential and the other measuring the actual leadership achievement. It turned out that these 77 participants were more excited with the candidate who did very well in leadership potential but moderate in actual achievement, as compared to the candidate who did very well in actual achievement but moderate in leadership potential. Interesting, but really?
I do not think potential alone can make the cut in job search especially in today’s economy. I tend to agree with Peter Cappelli, a Wharton School professor, on the fact that today’s employers are expecting new hires to immediately do the job. In fact, many employers only consider those candidates who have already had a similar job in hand. In this case, it seems that employers pay more attention to candidates’ actual achievement and work experience rather than assessing their potential.
I remember when I was interviewing for jobs as a doctoral student in 2008 and 2009. One university had great interest in my application. After the phone interview, the search committee believed that I had great potential and wanted to invite me for campus interview. I received a call later, requesting me for a copy of my actual publication(s). Even though I had several papers under review at that time, I was told that they must document at least one actual publication of mine before they could invite me for the campus interview.
Luckily, there were other schools extending an offer to me based on my potential instead of my actual publication record. I very much appreciate those schools, especially my current employer Syracuse University. Over the years, I believe I have shown SU that I can publish in high impact journals in the field.
Now that I compare my personal experience with the study about a job candidate’s potential and actual performance, I recommend job seekers to document their potential in addition to their actual achievement on their resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile. For example, a job candidate can show that s/he is acquiring new skills through projects, training and development programs, and degree in-progress.
How can job candidates “document” and demonstrate their potential in job search? Any suggestions?
Relevant discussion:
References:
Silverman, Rachel Emma. (2012, July 25). Your potential beats actual achievements. The Wall Street Journal, B6.
The picture was downloaded from www.cartoonwork.com.
Self-Promoter vs. Self-Deprecator: Which One Has Better Luck at Work?
This month’s HR Magazine reported two interesting studies about self-promoter and self-deprecator. They are:
- Leaders who rated their skills significantly higher than the ratings given by their bosses are six times more likely to derail than those who have a more realistic view of their work performance, according to a study with 39,000 global leaders.
- While the self-deprecators are less likely to derail than self-promoters, they are also less likely to advance than those who are in touch with their actual work performance, according to Louis Quast, associate chair of the Organizational Leadership, Policy and Development Department at University of Minnesota. Self-deprecators are often overlooked even though they could be really good performers.
- Another study of 14,000 U.S.-based managers reveals that those seen by their immediate supervisors as lacking in self-awareness and tact were most likely to derail.
I am not sure whether being a self-promoter or a self-deprecator is also a cultural issue. I grew up in Canton, China. When I was a student, I was taught to remain humble all the time. Even when I achieved the highest score in class, for example, I learned to say: “I was doing just fine” or “I was doing OK; I could have done better.” If I did not get the highest score (it happened very often if you are interested) but was still among the top 10%, I learned to say: “I did not do well at all, and I must do a lot better in the next exam.” After I lived in the U.S. for a while, I have learned to be less humble and more honest with my true performance, but because I am so used to the idea of “being humble,” I still feel there are times when my potential has been overlooked.
I appreciate the idea of being honest as suggested by this HR Magazine report. It becomes obvious that neither self-promoter nor self-deprecator would get better luck at work. The key is to fully understand our ability and potential and be open to what we are capable of.
Do you believe your cultural background plays a role in making you more or less a self-promoter or a self-deprecator? How so? Furthermore, should employers consider such influence when assessing employees’ performance? In what way?
References:
HR Magazine. (2012, July). Self-promoters more likely to derail. p. 18.
The cartoon was downloaded from http://baloo-baloosnon-politicalcartoonblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/humility-cartoon.html
Mobile Etiquette
The 2012 Intel Mobile Etiquette Survey is out. It seems that people are doing worse over time, however. According to this Wall Street Journal video, 81% of adults think manners are bad, comparing to 75% of last year. Here are some bad examples on the top pet peeves list:
- 77% – texting or typing while driving
- 64% – talking too loud in public
- 55% – having the volume too loud in public
- 59% – sharing too much negative information
- 55% – sharing inappropriate or explicit photos
- 53% – sharing the information that is deemed to be private
Texting while driving is prohibited by law in most places. Recently, there are also communities that began issuing fines to those who are texting while walking. It is possible that more communities will ban texting for pedestrians soon.
This survey also reminds companies and people not to share too much personal or negative updates in social media. Too much “irrelevant” information will irritate the audience and friends. When somebody “unfriends” a person, there must be a reason, right?
Social media is not about the person (or the company) who owns the accounts; it is more about the audience. When sharing information, we need to ask ourselves: “What’s in it for the audience?”
Even when people share useful information with their friends, it is also very important to respect others’ privacy. For example, several of my friends are looking for a house now. When I found some useful information (e.g. a highly recommended mobile app for house hunt), I did not post that information in my friends’ timeline or mention their name on Twitter. Who knows if my friends are ready to let the whole world know that they are looking for a house now? Instead, I sent them an e-mail about the app.
What are the most annoying mobile manners you have seen? Please share with us and let everyone avoid those bad manners.
Some relevant discussions:
Professionalism Can Reflect on the Tiny Little Things a Person Does
I was in three special events last Thursday (03/29) and Friday (03/30). Thursday morning, I invited a senior human resource (HR) manager working in one of the biggest soft drink companies to speak in my HR class. In the evening, I presented in the Etiquette Dinner hosted by the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) at Syracuse University. I then attended the 2012 Hospitality Senior Gala Event as a guest on Friday. These three events are different in many ways, but they all remind me the importance of professionalism. When it comes to professionalism, every tiny little detail matters.
Guest Speaker Section in the HR Class
The guest speaker has been working in the HR field for over 10 years. As the HR Business Partner in 2011, she took an active role in merging two big companies into one giant enterprise in the soft drink and beverage industry. Merger means more work for HR. For example, all job descriptions and employee performance must be reviewed, the organizational structure must be redesigned, layoffs (if there is any) must be carefully executed to comply with the employment law and legislation, communications about the merging process must remain transparent to all stakeholders, and strategies must be developed to redefine and nurture a new organizational culture.
While there are already so many things going on in the office, HR managers will also experience more traffic of employees who need assistance, many of whom feel uncertain about their future and want to talk to the HR managers. Being a professional HR, one must comfort the employees who worry about the merger and find time to get the “extra” work done, which entails a lot of attention to details. The most difficult thing, sometimes, is that the HR managers themselves may also feel uncertain about their future, but they must let professionalism drive them. A true professional should deliver and perform 100% until the last minute when they hold the position.
The Etiquette Dinner Hosted by OMA
It was my great pleasure of meeting with a group of student leaders in the Etiquette Dinner. Besides the proper manners for formal dining, I emphasized the three golden rules of dinner etiquette. They include:
- We are not there to eat when going out for a business dinner. The focus is never on the meal. Rather, it is about building a relationship, networking, and selling — either selling a product or service if we are negotiating a contract or selling ourselves if the dinner is part of the interviewing process.
- We must follow the host. We should order the items with a price tag that is less than or similar to what the host orders. More importantly, if a host breaks the proper rules for formal dining, we can either continue to follow the dinner etiquette we know without making a big deal of it or do what the host does. The bottom line for dinner etiquette is to make everyone around the table feel comfortable. For more examples of what I mean by “follow the host,” please visit my previous discussion on dinner etiquette.
- We must be discreet. Everyone deserves others’ attention. The dinner is not about “me” as a guest, and we should not talk loud.
Dinner etiquette covers many tiny little details regarding table manners. We need to know the details because professionalism reflects on our behaviors.
The 2012 Hospitality Senior Gala Event
I felt very proud of our graduating seniors who planned and ran the gala event on Friday. The turnout was great. Everyone had a wonderful experience, and the feedback was phenomenal. But once again, every detail counts in an event. As a hospitality professional, we know that “99 + 1 = 0” — we could have done 99 exceptional things for a guest, but the guest may still end up feeling very upset because of one tiny little thing that went wrong in his/her experience with us. Accordingly, many hospitality professionals pay attention to every detail and always strive for perfection.
So, how do you interpret professionalism? What criteria do you use in evaluating a person’s professionalism?
* The pictures were taken in the 2012 Hospitality Senior Gala Event. To check out more pictures about this event, please visit the photo album on my Facebook Page and “Like” my page.
Will Résumés Become Passé?
According to my 2010 discussion, some companies, including Caesars Entertainment, have utilized social gaming to assess candidates’ professional skills. Candidates can win prizes if they are good. The best prize? It is probably getting the attention from potential employers.
The Wall Street Journal provided more examples. IGN Entertainment uses a similar approach of social gaming by posting a series of challenges online for candidates. In addition, candidates must submit a video to show their love of gaming and the companies’ products.
Union Square Ventures, the New York venture-capital firm which invests in many technology companies like Foursquare and Twitter, requires candidate to provide the links of their online presence. The company is expecting to see a Twitter account, a Tumblr blog, and a short video demonstrating the candidate’s interest in the job. “We are most interested in what people are like, what they are like to work with, how they think,” said by Christina Cacioppo, a Union Square associate who blogs about the company’s hiring process.
Because people use social media in almost every minute of their lives, candidates “expose” rich and descriptive information about their likes/dislikes. Companies can then better judge a candidate’s “fit” with the organizational culture and the position based on the “extra” information that they could not find from a résumé otherwise.
There are certainly legal considerations of using social media in recruiting and selecting candidates. Meanwhile, many candidates may not feel comfortable of sharing their “personal information” with other. To my knowledge, however, EEOC has not stopped companies from using social media in that regard. Even if EEOC does, there is a solution for employers — to hire a third party agent to screen candidates’ social media profiles without collecting any “sensitive information.
Today, there are still many companies using résumés in recruitment and selection. Companies that are forward-thinking might have looked into the tools available and see if social media can provide a better solution for attracting and selecting top talents. For job seekers, it might not be a bad idea to let potential employers know their “authentic” personalities and true passion because supposedly, they are also looking for the right fit for their career.
Do you think companies should assess candidates’ fit and qualifications by looking at candidates’ social media profiles? What considerations should be taken if social media is used? If you are looking for an internship or job now, what will you do to better prepare yourself when more companies are looking at candidates’ social media profiles?
Relevant discussions:
Privacy vs. Efficacy: Which One Would You Choose? (Using Facebook in Job Search)
One Has No Choice But to Manage His/Her Online Image
Background Check on Social Media: Now Is a Serious Business
Using Facebook for Background Check
Social Media and Job Search I
Social Media and Job Search II
Personal Brand and Social Media
Managing Your Online Reputation
Ways to Clean Up a Person’s Negative Online Reputation
References:
Silverman, Rachel Emma. (2012, January 24). No more résumés, Say some firms. The Wall Street Journal. pp. B6. Also available online.
The picture was downloaded from the Small Business Development Center at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania.
Professional Dress in the Workplace
Highlighting the Deliverable and Quantifiable Results: A Piece of Career Advice from a White Lodging Manager
Today, Jason Bretz, the General Manager of Hilton Garden Inn Saratoga Spring (White Lodging), spoke in my Hospitality Human Resource Management class and conducted some job interviews on campus. He received his bachelor’s degree in Marketing, but he started his career in the lodging industry upon graduation. I was glad to hear his career advice in class today.
According to Jason, relevant work experience is definitely important, but he is also looking for candidates who can deliver quantifiable results. For example, if a student tells him that s/he worked at the Front Desk, Housekeeping, or any position in a hotel, he knows what kind of work the position is involved. As a result, a resume that simply lists a person’s job responsibilities does not help this candidate stand out from the crowd. It becomes critical that a job candidate can describe how much impact s/he has made at work. More specifically, it will be helpful to see a statement like “increased sales/revenue by 10%,” “reduced costs by 20%,” “increased GSS (Guest Satisfaction Surveys) Score from 90 percentile to 95 percentile,” and etc. Employees may not have the access to the statistics, but they may can their managers before putting the information on their resumes.
When you are writing the cover letter and resume, do you pay attention to the deliverable and quantifiable results? If you were in class today, what are your takeaways?
Relevant discussion:
Career Advice Suggested by a Restaurant Recruiter
Thoughts and Advices from Three Hospitality Professionals (Jason Bretz’ previous campus visit in the spring).
References:
The picture shows a White Lodging property — the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Indianapolis, which was downloaded from the hotel’s web page.
Will You Turn down a Job Offer because of the Company’s Strict Social Media Policy?
It is no doubt that more employers are using socialmedia in recruiting and screening job candidates. As a job candidate, however, will you turn down an offer if the company does not allow you to use social media at work?
This CNN News video reports some very interesting statistics. According to a survey of 300 job recruiters:
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91% employers use social media in screening job candidates; 9% do not.
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When screening job candidates on social media, 76% use Facebook, 53% use Twitter, and 48% use LinkedIn.
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69% had rejected a candidate based on the “negative information” they found online about the candidate; 26% never rejected anyone; 5% do not use social media in screening at all.
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The top “negative information” includes lying about a candidate’s qualifications and the inappropriate contents posted on social media sites.
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68% had hired someone because of the “positive information” they found about the candidate on social media sites.
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“Positive information” is helpful in portraying a candidate’s positive personality, true qualifications/credentials, and creativities.
Another interesting study by Cisco with 3,000 participants who are between 18 and 30 years old reveals that: (a) 2/3 of job candidates will ask about employers’ social media policy in job interviews and (b) 56% will actually turn down a job offer if the company bans social media.
These studies support my advocates of managing people’s persona on social media as well as the needs for companies to develop a goodsocial media policy.
So, how important does social media mean to you during the time when you are looking for a job and later when you are making a decision among multiple offers?
For more discussions of using social media in job search, please check out the following discussion:
More Employers Are Using Social Media in Screening Job Candidates
Privacy vs. Efficacy: Which One Would You Choose? (Using Facebook in Job Search)
One Has No Choice But to Manage His/Her Online Image
Background Check on Social Media: Now Is a Serious Business
Using Facebook for Background Check
Personal Brand and Social Media
