Social media as employment criteria

Greetings!🙌

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Sometime last year, the central bank of Nigeria announced that every citizen with a bank account should link their social media accounts such as Facebook, X, and Instagram to their bank account. Immediately, there was an uproar of complaints because many people couldn't see any reason for such a requirement. According to what was posted, they said they need the account linking to be able to track crime, especially fraudulent crime.

Social media, as the name implies, is for personal social interaction and shouldn't be taken too seriously. Many people use it solely for fun and socializing. Although social media has become a platform for earning money for many users, its primary purpose remains social and, dare I say, "unserious."

Moreover, social media accounts are easier to hack compared to bank accounts. Imagining linking such vulnerable accounts to one's bank account raises serious security concerns.

In response to the prompt:

"Should companies use social media profiles during the hiring process?"

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My answer is a resounding NO!

Undoubtedly, there are job roles, such as those involving digital work like graphics design or social media influencing, where evaluating a candidate's social media presence is relevant to assess their capabilities and experience. In such cases, the authenticity of a candidate's work can be easily verified without solely relying on cooked up like on one's CV.

However, making social media presence a compulsory requirement for all types of employment is unjustifiable. Many individuals have little to no interest in social media.

For instance, I have a friend who created a Facebook account years ago, with only one photo posted, and hasn't shared anything since. According to her, Facebook feels too invasive of one's personal life.
My dad has a Facebook that he doesn't know the login details and that's because he just created the account and not using it.
It's evident that not everyone is comfortable sharing their life on social media platforms.

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As for me, while I have accounts on various platforms like Facebook and X, I no longer share personal details on them. My Facebook account used to be active with personal updates, but I've refrained from posting for quite some time now because I was getting billed every now and then.

Furthermore, platforms like X, where monetary incentives drive engagement, are flooded with irrelevant posts and spammers. The absence of regulations against plagiarism and spamming means that people are not genuinely represented by what they post. Relying on social media presence for hiring decisions could unfairly disadvantage candidates who choose not to engage in such practices.

If using social media becomes a standard part of getting a job, people might change how they act online to make themselves look better. This would just make the problem of people pretending to be something they're not, like what we see on LinkedIn, even worse.

In conclusion, using social media profiles as a hiring criterion is not only unnecessary but also potentially discriminatory. It's essential to assess candidates based on their qualifications, skills, and experience, rather than their online presence, which may not accurately reflect their true capabilities.

Have you been to LinkedIn? Don't you see those sweet packaged lies on people's bio? That's exactly what people would change to if employment is to use social media as a criteria for employment.
Although this is done in CVs, it's really going to be odd bringing that lifestyle to social media that's meant for fun.

Or maybe, unless people are going to have their public pages and keep their personal account private.

Thanks for reading.

_{This is my entry to Hiveghana prompt of the week}