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resultsassoc
Community Member

Observation: The Community is similar to other social media, with the same dangers for freelancers

Anybody heard of someone acing a job interview only to be turned down for a six-figure salary because of what was found on social media? "Mr. Smith, we would love to offer you the job, but that video on FB of you setting cats on fire convinced us to hire someone less likely to suffer a psychotic break."

 

I read job applicants' posts in the Community. Those who display attitudes of entitlement, resentment or superiority are rejected. Those who offer helpful advice are on the interview list. Maybe I'm an unusual client. What if I'm not?

16 REPLIES 16
petra_r
Community Member


Bill H wrote:


I read job applicants' posts in the Community. Those who display attitudes of entitlement, resentment or superiority are rejected. Those who offer helpful advice are on the interview list. Maybe I'm an unusual client. What if I'm not?


Easy.

Clients who would be deterred by my forum posts would not enjoy working with me anyway.

 

I choose clients largely by how likely they are to enjoy working with me long term, because I am after the large, long term, repeat relationships.

If they get indignant by a bit of directness or sacasm, I am better off without them.

I have actually been hired a few (handful of times?) by people who saw me in the forum first.

 

Anyone who stalks freelancers and rejects them for what they do in their spare time (as long as it does not involve burning kitties) - Good Riddance. For employment maybe, for freelancing, nope.

 

Considering how tiny the percentage of Upwork users who actively use the forum is, and that there is no easy way to find someone's posts, you would have too be lucky to find some random applicant's post.

 

jessicasimko
Community Member


Bill H wrote:

Anybody heard of someone acing a job interview only to be turned down for a six-figure salary because of what was found on social media? "Mr. Smith, we would love to offer you the job, but that video on FB of you setting cats on fire convinced us to hire someone less likely to suffer a psychotic break."

 

I read job applicants' posts in the Community. Those who display attitudes of entitlement, resentment or superiority are rejected. Those who offer helpful advice are on the interview list. Maybe I'm an unusual client. What if I'm not?


Many clients don't even know how to use the platform. They don't seem to have time to go through videos and articles to learn how to use it much less read through the forums. I would guess most don't even know this forum exists.

 

Clearly, you don't see a million+ freelancers posting on here - it's a typical small group of regulars (for the most part) so chances are HIGHLY likely you won't find any comments from prospective freelancers on the forum. Do you read every post in every thread in hopes of finding one? I am not sure your comment makes sense.

melaniekhenson
Community Member

I haven’t heard of an interviewer actually stating this as the reason but I’m sure it must happen. Many employers check prospective employees’ SM (just the usual suspects - FB, Twitter).

I don’t know about this forum specifically. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a project from a client who routinely posts here or run across a former/current client here.


Melanie H wrote:
 Many employers check prospective employees’ SM (just the usual suspects - FB, Twitter).

Employees - maybe

Clients looking to hire a freenancer - probably not / rarely


Petra R wrote:

Melanie H wrote:
 Many employers check prospective employees’ SM (just the usual suspects - FB, Twitter).

Employees - maybe

Clients looking to hire a freenancer - probably not / rarely


Well, Bill does. 😄 So there's your rare bird right there.

 

People are up in others' business on forums; I wouldn't be at all surprised if there are more like him. Why not?

 

OTOH, if the question is whether we should self-muzzle (thanks, Jennifer! 😛 Muzzle, LOL) because of the rarer Bills, I wouldn't. Then again, I know I'm not trolling or acting in a bizarre way or anything. And as I said, I don't think any of my clients have ever been to this forum, or at least I never thought "Oh! I know that name." 

 

So...rare? Sure...(and Bill did say he feels he's probably the rare client).

 

Does it happen? EVERYTHING happens on the internet, LOL! There's one of everybody out there. And probably (quietly), way more than one.

 

Now...if Bill refuses to hire me because he doesn't like my posts on this forum, that's his prerogative. So far, my livelihood isn't suffering; I'm good. I think the question is more "does anybody else do this?" than a warning...or at least I'm going to give ya the benefit of a doubt there, Bill. 😉


Melanie H wrote:
I haven’t heard of an interviewer actually stating this as the reason but I’m sure it must happen. Many employers check prospective employees’ SM (just the usual suspects - FB, Twitter).

I don’t know about this forum specifically. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a project from a client who routinely posts here or run across a former/current client here.

On two or three different occasions, I have hired editors whose posts I had seen on the forums.  

lysis10
Community Member

My reddit posts are far more incriminating. I'm muzzled here anyway.

Bill:
It's a great point.

It's the world we live in.

 

As we move into the future, I assume there will always be people who will make judgements based on what they can Google or otherwise look up about people. And there will be people who don't do that.

 

I'm sure when it comes to hiring (or choosing clients or dating or whatnot) there are people who act like I do when I decide which jobs to apply to or who to accept hire offers from: I don't Google clients or companies. I only look at what is on Upwork. So if a client has a questionable past, they get a clean slate with me, no different than if they went to a hospital and needed to be treated by a doctor.

 

That may not work for everybody, but that works for me.

kochubei_valeria
Community Member

Hi All,

 

A few posts have been removed from this thread for Community Guidelines

Regardless of whether your potential clients or freelancers read these boards, we encourage our Community members to be professional and respectful to one another when posting here. Please, be mindful of the Community Guidelines and avoid making personal attacks.

~ Valeria
Upwork

This cuts both ways.  If I discovered a client burned kitties as a pastime, I would first close my contract faster than it takes to press the button, and then I would try to get their account suspended on FB and anywhere else including Upwork. 

feed_my_eyes
Community Member


Bill H wrote:

Anybody heard of someone acing a job interview only to be turned down for a six-figure salary because of what was found on social media? "Mr. Smith, we would love to offer you the job, but that video on FB of you setting cats on fire convinced us to hire someone less likely to suffer a psychotic break."

 

I read job applicants' posts in the Community. Those who display attitudes of entitlement, resentment or superiority are rejected. Those who offer helpful advice are on the interview list. Maybe I'm an unusual client. What if I'm not?


You might want to read this article https://hrdailyadvisor.blr.com/2018/09/12/can-you-fire-an-employee-over-social-media-posts/, specifically this paragraph: 

Here are some examples of when an employee’s social media posts should not result in firing, even if it may seem warranted otherwise:

  • When the post is protected in some way. The most prominent example that some employers overlook or get wrong: Employees should not be fired when their social media post could be considered “concerted activity” and could, therefore, be protected activity under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). Concerted activity includes discussing working environment among coworkers—even in a negative way in public. Employers can get into trouble when they’re too restrictive in their social media policies—overbroad restrictions or repercussions can go against an employee’s NLRA rights.


Christine A wrote:

Bill H wrote:

Anybody heard of someone acing a job interview only to be turned down for a six-figure salary because of what was found on social media? "Mr. Smith, we would love to offer you the job, but that video on FB of you setting cats on fire convinced us to hire someone less likely to suffer a psychotic break."

 

I read job applicants' posts in the Community. Those who display attitudes of entitlement, resentment or superiority are rejected. Those who offer helpful advice are on the interview list. Maybe I'm an unusual client. What if I'm not?


You might want to read this article https://hrdailyadvisor.blr.com/2018/09/12/can-you-fire-an-employee-over-social-media-posts/, specifically this paragraph: 

Here are some examples of when an employee’s social media posts should not result in firing, even if it may seem warranted otherwise:

  • When the post is protected in some way. The most prominent example that some employers overlook or get wrong: Employees should not be fired when their social media post could be considered “concerted activity” and could, therefore, be protected activity under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). Concerted activity includes discussing working environment among coworkers—even in a negative way in public. Employers can get into trouble when they’re too restrictive in their social media policies—overbroad restrictions or repercussions can go against an employee’s NLRA rights.

Well, that's the thing...no interviewer is going to come right out and say this, as in Bill's example in his original post.

 

But does it happen? Of course. If you're talking generally, with hiring/not hiring (anywhere) and social media discoveries.



Well, that's the thing...no interviewer is going to come right out and say this, as in Bill's example in his original post.

 

But does it happen? Of course. If you're talking generally, with hiring/not hiring (anywhere) and social media discoveries.


Oh, I'm sure that it does happen. But I used to do graphic design work for an HR consulting firm, and employers have been successfully sued for firing (or not hiring) people based on their social media posts. The firm that I worked for cautioned firmly against going through employees' (or potential employees') social media accounts. I believe that posts on this forum fall under the category of co-workers discussing their working environment. (It doesn't mean that people shouldn't be civil, though.)


Christine A wrote:


Well, that's the thing...no interviewer is going to come right out and say this, as in Bill's example in his original post.

 

But does it happen? Of course. If you're talking generally, with hiring/not hiring (anywhere) and social media discoveries.


Oh, I'm sure that it does happen. But I used to do graphic design work for an HR consulting firm, and employers have been successfully sued for firing (or not hiring) people based on their social media posts. The firm that I worked for cautioned firmly against going through employees' (or potential employees') social media accounts. I believe that posts on this forum fall under the category of co-workers discussing their working environment. (It doesn't mean that people shouldn't be civil, though.)


Laws governing employee-employer relationships don't apply to freelancers. We are independent business owners. 

tlsanders
Community Member

Bill/Petra, I agree with both of you. I'm not interested in winning any jobs by pretending to be something I'm not--that's just a recipe for a bad relationship.

 

But, the freelancers who come to the forums bragging about having stolen a client's website or harassing people for feedback and that sort of thing...that's not a matter of fit. It's hard to imagine anyone hiring those freelancers if they see their forum posts. 

 

Maybe pointing it out isn't such a good idea, though. Isn't it better for everyone if the bad freelancers and clients out themselves?

Tonya P is spot on. If I reject a freelancer application there was no interview and there was no employment consideration.

 

I generally hire people to have direct contact with my clients. My VA performs tasks for clients every day. He knows their business secrets, some of which are worth many millions of dollars. It's client-facing roles where I do a deeper dive. And I always pay them more than they requested.

 

If I hire someone to translate Governmentspeak to English, I don't care. Non-commodity service providers who have carte blanche with my customers get vetted. Setting cats on fire, with subsequent therapy, wouldn't bother me. Poor customer service attitude, or hostility toward clients in general, bothers me far more

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