Background Checks, New Media-Style

Last week, I looked into the new electronic ways that private corporations are sorting through job applicants.

A New York Times piece highlights a new study posted by CareerBuilder.com about a practice which is on the verge of becoming standard: screening applicants' Facebook and MySpace pages, in the search of red flags. Nearly half of all employers are now scanning social media sites for red flags: not only inappropriate photos and drug use, but also dishonesty or revealing secrets about former employers.

Of course, some government agencies were conducting extensive background checks long before there was a Facebook. But I wonder if this sort of screening has become more common-place in the government, as managers look to hire in a more Web-savvy way.