If you start snooping on people's social network profiles, how are you going to ensure you don't get sued for age, marital status, sexual orientation, religious, or other forms of discrimination?

Originally Posted by: Nonstopdrivel 

If you start snooping on people's social network profiles, how are you going to ensure you don't get sued for age, marital status, sexual orientation, religious, or other forms of discrimination?

Originally Posted by: Nonstopdrivel 

I wasn't talking about after they are employed. By that time, most people know how old they are (more or less), whether they're married, etc. I am talking about during the hiring process. Most HR departments are almost fanatically careful that protected information doesn't come out that might give someone grounds for a discrimination charge. If you are viewing applicants' profiles, you are privy to all sorts of information that is normally not considered during hiring. In this case, you aren't going to have a job performance or discipline file to fall back on if you get hauled into court.

Originally Posted by: Nonstopdrivel 

30 Interview Questions You Can't Ask and 30 Sneaky, Legal Alternatives to Get the Same Info 
In every job interview, the goal is to obtain important information while building a friendly rapport with the candidate. But some questions are just a little too friendly. Protect yourself and your company from legal trouble and embarassment by avoiding the wrong questions while still getting to the root of the concern behind the question. Read on for 30 ways to turn litigious questions into harmless, legal alternatives.

Why do companies want to only hire employees with unquestionable ethics, when many of the companies operate without any?

I would not let HR inspect my car, my wallet, the lint in my pocket or the locked box under my bed.
Asking me to give up my personal passwords and reveal my personal life is ethically questionable to me, because it's simply invasive, and offers no greater good.

And here is the real kicker folks..In an interview...without paying me, if they're already going to work me into a corner, what will happen once I work there?

You need to vet the companies/owners as thoroughly as they vet you.
Would you really want to work for a company or owner that is pretty much a version George Orwell's "Big Brother"
Trust me, any company or owner that wants to exert that much control over your life is not worth working for....you will regret it.

Be careful out there, many HR people are sneaky bastards...

Originally Posted by: vikesrule 

Just because it can be accessed illicitly does not mean that people should have the right to demand access to it.

Originally Posted by: Nonstopdrivel 

Excellent point. I probably should have said "compel" instead of "demand."

Originally Posted by: Nonstopdrivel