The problem with this is that you need to add "LEGALLY ALLOWED" to know, about a prospective candidate. Facebook will give you information, it will also give you information that as a hiring manager, you are not legally allowed to know (in justifying a hire/not hire).
It's a very fine line, and although I agree with you completely, if you have that knowledge, you'd best make sure that your decision to not hire, doesn't reference it a bit. That's a lawsuit waiting to happen.
And here is reason 5012 that I don't have a facebook account. :-)
>> Facebook will give you information... you are not legally allowed to know
Not exactly true. There is some information you are not legally allowed to *ask* a candidate.
But there is no such thing as information you are not legally allowed to *know*. If a candidate blurts out their age, sexual preference, and religion in the course of an interview *without you asking*, you now know it.
And as far as “acting upon it”, however known, of course you can. You may not want to jot down in your notes that you’re not hiring them because they’re Presbyterian, but you can sure as heck do it.
Asking for the Facebook password is probably a gray area — sure there may be info in there that you’re not legally able to “seek”, but an employer could always say they aren’t seeking *that* information, they’re seeking something else.
The thing that no one is getting is that by asking for FB access, you are crossing the discrimination line because if your FB says you are gay...Jewish/Muslim/etc...date of birth, etc...
Well, THOSE are things you can be accused of using as a basis to NOT hire someone. And you will find yourself in a boatload of court cases.
Employers are stupid for doing this.