Be prudent while sharing your views, posting official content and while interacting with other network users – known as well as strangers. A seemingly casual remark on Facebook or a tweet can harm your reputation. Social media can well backfire, if you’re not judicious while utilizing it in terms of handling your interactions and information flow. In essence, it can prove to be a double edged sword.

Apply discretion in what you post online

There are reasons why you should be wary of what you put up on the Web:

• We now all live in a highly complex digital world. Internet will record literally everything. The Web world forgets absolutely nothing.
• Every status update, photo and blog entry – by and about us – gets stored and traced.
• There are sites and tools that collect certain ‘embarrassing’ revelations culled from Facebook and other harmless online chatter. The postings may get slightly awkward, at times, for a user, in the future.

People now are assessed, to an extent, on basis of their trust quotient as reliable employees, good parents etc – every aspect of which can be checked out online, so keep the following aspects in mind:

• Carry due diligence before posting your views. Apply thought in what you put up on social media.
• If you’re careless and end up putting up offending content, you will face is consequences. You will only alienate the online community. Especially, what you post in your official capacity on the web greatly matters.

Social media and dynamic HR policies

Aspiring job seekers and professionals must be extra cautious in what they post on the Web. More and more corporate entities are turning to social networking channels to carry due diligence before they hire people, and perhaps even fire them.

There are now meticulous policies in place for the purpose of monitoring what their consumers and even employees are conversing on digital media outlets. Many HR experts and recruiters are invariably asked to do online research about prospective job aspirants. They check popular social networking sites, photo & video sharing platforms, personal blogs and even online gaming sites – to scrutinize applicants. Recruiters may reject certain candidates on basis of negative information they come across online.

The companies look for peculiar red flags when conducting background checks, such as membership in controversial communities/ groups, giving false qualifications, badmouthing your previous employers, excessive Twittering, continuous social media activity (while on the clock), Posting distasteful images and offensive discussion board remarks.

On basis of the findings, employees may hire or fire people. This represents a new facet of social media driven HR policies. In fact, many employers now have framed a comprehensive policy for interacting on social networks to sternly deal with employees who discuss the client details online.