Expert questions the legality of using Facebook to hire

Managers are being warned about the legality of using Facebook as a recruitment tool.

An expert has said there could be legal repercussions as the platform is "informal and for an informal audience."

Shafiq Lokhanwala, chief executive officer of Nuview Systems, warned about the increasingly blurred line between professional and personal spheres.

He cited the example of where a candidate's offer of employment was removed when the would-be employer found comments written on a social networking site by the candidate that the job was merely a stepping stone in their career development and that he wasn't really that interested.

If the company rescinded the offer based on a comment made on a social networking site by the candidate's friend, and not by them, or if it is the wrong person, there could be legal ramifications, according to the expert.

Mr Lokhandwala suggests that such platforms should only be used to confirm social fit once a candidate has been hired, but not in the actual hiring decision itself, adding that there is too much information on social networks to make the recruitment process efficient.

It comes as an expert last week said that people should have two Facebook accounts, one personal and one professional.

Brandi Milton, coordinator of corporative education at the Florida A&M University Career Centre, said: "Be conscious of other people's comments."