Dont let your social media posts become an #epicfail
Social media has improved recruiting for staffing agencies like AtWork and made it easier for temporary or temp-to-hire employees to keep up with coworkers and customers.
But social media, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are full of potential pitfalls. You worked hard to get your temporary or temp-to-hire job. Don’t sink your shot at a permanent job through a staffing agency with ill-advised or impolitic tweets or posts.
Here are five social media fails that ultimately cost people their jobs (or prevented them from getting one in the first place). These are fairly mild examples – there are more shocking tweets and posts out there.
1. A senior communications director (you’d think she’d know better) was boarding a flight to South Africa when she made a racist and insensitive comment about a fatal disease. Her tweet trended widely—unbeknownst to her during the flight—and she was fired.
2. A voice actor for an insurance company was canned when he tweeted a joke about “the beach coming to them” after the disastrous earthquake and tsunami hit Japan in 2011.
3. A young graduate offered a job with a tech firm saw her offer rescinded when she mentioned the company’s name in a tweet that read in part: “Now I have to weigh the utility of a fatty paycheck against the daily commute to San Jose and hating the work.”
4. A restaurant employee tweeted a photo—it went viral, of course— of him urinating on nachos. He said he never served the food, but the damage was done. He was shown the door quickly.
5. While it’s not clear whether anyone lost a job as a consequence, this story highlights the need to tread carefully on social media even at the company level: A national clothing company tweeted a photo along with Independence Day greetings to its customers. Innocent enough, right? Nope. The photo, intended to show fireworks, was actually a photo of the space shuttle Challenger exploding.
Social media abounds with opportunities to network and bolster a brand. Don’t let your tweets or posts lead to a collective “Srsly? Smh.” It could cost your #job.
Here’s one surefire, safe place to navigate online: Contact AtWork for more information on temp-to-hire or temp jobs.
