According to a survey commissioned by Express Employment Professionals and conducted by The Harris Poll in December of 2022, employers are keeping a close eye on the social media presence of their employees and they won’t hesitate to take action if they see something that alarms them.
The survey, which involved 1,002 U.S. hiring decision-makers and was released in January of this year, found firing offenses range from anything from posting content that could be damaging to an organization’s reputation to violating the company’s social media policies and more.
Overall, 88% of hiring managers said they would fire an employee over an egregious social media post, with only 12% saying they would never do so.
Clearly, what you post on social media sites like Facebook or X matters. What can you do to ensure you aren’t crossing a line that could cost you your job? Here are five tips that can help you stay in the social media safe zone at work —
Keep it clean and respectful: Ranting and raving about anyone or anything on social media will raise red flags for your employer. Better to keep your posts on an even keel and avoid the dramatics.
Leave politics and religion out of it: Sure, it’s a free country and we have free speech, but addressing controversial topics surrounding politics and religion can lead you into uncharted territory that could get you in trouble at work. Most employers these days are working hard to keep bias out of their organizations and they won’t appreciate it in their workers.
Never post anything bad about your organization (present or former): This is a no-brainer, but it does happen when employees become dissatisfied with their jobs and want to let the world know what’s wrong. Take your issues directly to your boss instead to see if you can get the resolution you are looking for. If you can’t and end up changing jobs, just let it go, because trashing any employer online looks bad to other employers, including your new one.
Think twice before posting anything else company-related too: As an employee of your hospital or other organization, you will likely hear lots of rumors about things in the works. Keep them all to yourself until they are officially announced by the organization. You don’t want to end up revealing confidential information that was not intended for the general public.
Use social media to your professional advantage: While you do want to be careful about posting anything related to your specific organization (good or bad), posting or sharing interesting news and information related to respiratory care in general can show your employer you are an engaged professional who is interested in the profession and in having a civil discussion about things that matter.
Social media has a lot of good aspects but when it comes to work, it is best to keep it at arm’s length. The last thing you want is for a quickly dashed off comment on your favorite platform to derail your career.
Email newsroom@aarc.org with questions or comments, we’d love to hear from you.
Debbie Bunch is an AARC contributor who writes feature articles, news stories, and other content for Newsroom, the AARC website, and associated emailed newsletters. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, traveling, photography, and spending time with her children and grandchildren. Connect with Debbie by email or on AARConnect or LinkedIn.
