Before we can simply say that “personal data” are off-limits to employers due to cultural or societal norms, we should consider how rapidly the environment is changing. For example, Saudi Arabia has a very conservative social structure. If any country would resist having social media or personal data utilized or accessed for critical decisions, Saudi Arabia would be a reasonable candidate. But, according to a report in Gulf News, one of the largest English-language newspapers in the Middle East, a woman in Saudi Arabia canceled her engagement before making a final promise, based on what she observed in her fiancé’s Tweets and Instagram and Facebook accounts. If a decision as important as marriage can utilize social media to provide insight into a decision, can workplace decisions be far behind? (The reactions to the young woman’s decision were unsurprisingly polarized, with half praising her for ensuring she knew enough about her future husband and the other half criticizing her for prying into her fiancé’s personal details before they were married.)
The baby boomers watched the development of broadcast TV and radio and participate at the periphery of the social media environment. Gen Xers have spent much time online and shaped the foundation of social media as a force, while not entirely embracing it as a culture. The Millennials began their lives in the digital age, with fewer and fewer touchpoints outside social media. My five-year-old daughter, Anastasia, has never known a time without a handheld device, Facebook, Skype and social or shared games. As an HR director, I meet hundreds of people each year. Previously, it was an anomaly to see a Twitter handle or similar link on a business card; now it is remarkable when I don’t encounter “Connect with me on LinkedIn or Google+.” My handheld even has a near-field-communication (NFC) business card, which includes my “professional” social media accounts but no demarcation for others (that is, unified Twitter or blog that mixes personal and work-related posts).
Today’s workplace has many more linkages beyond the direct “This is my co-worker” relationship than ever before. I have met colleagues whom I have previously “known” through social media for years. At the first meeting, the previous social media contacts served as an easy icebreaker and rapport builder; at each subsequent meeting, those contacts became an extension of our collaboration. More and more overlap of our social media circles will continue to bring personal issues such as politics, religion and family conflicts into the workplace. How organizations will deal with this exposure must evolve from a standard practice of “Don’t ask, don’t tell” or outright bans or restrictions. The result must be an approach of engaging the workforce and fostering a culture that allows individuals to determine the mix of personal and private information. The privacy line is no longer a bright line in the sand; rather, it is the sand itself and has to be considered even when it has been scattered by the wind of social media.
This article is sponsored by HRCI
About Greg Komarow
Greg Komarow is an expert in global human resources and metrics who has earned the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR®), Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR®) and Human Resource Management Professional (HRMPSM). He has held senior HR roles with the Emaar PJSC; Health Authority Abu Dhabi; Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi; Johns Hopkins Medicine International; Owens & Minor, Inc.; and Bank of America. An American citizen, Komarow has served two terms on the board of directors of his local chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM); helped set the passing point on the GPHR exam; served for five years on the GPHR exam-writing panel; and was one of 10 HR Professionals selected to participate in a Global Practice Analysis for Senior Global HR Professionals. Komarow has also taught the SHRM Learning System in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi.