E-reputation risks for an individual
The internet is a powerful medium. You may think that, as an individual, you are not concerned by e-reputation. At several levels, it can affect a person’s personal and professional life. They become exposed, and that can have effects in several parts of daily life. Most of the time, the individual is in control of their web reputation, but that is not a general rule. Some people are also victims of harassment, defamation, or slanderous information that undermines their integrity and their credibility.
The link between e-reputation and recruiting also matters. According to some reports, 70% of recruiters use the web to look for information about candidates. That can have a radical effect on how those curious HR directors see applicants, when they want to form a picture of the people applying. So you have to watch your Facebook e-reputation in particular, because that social network is heavily used and very revealing. You sometimes find information there in “self-service,” and unfortunately some people can use it against you.
On a personal level
Looking up information about a particular person is not rare, even between individuals. When you meet someone, you will be tempted to glance at their social-network profile. Facebook e-reputation is indeed very simple to check: you usually only have to type the person’s first and last name to get useful information. Photos, writing of every kind, shares: with public posts, you can learn a lot about someone. On a personal level, then, this can have effects. Google is also a mine of information about individuals, through websites and publications of every kind. Have you already tried searching for yourself on the web?
On a professional level
As we said in the opening, there is a close link between e-reputation and recruiting. Professional-network profiles are of course useful, because they are a kind of online resume, perfect for listing references. Recruiters will also look for personal elements to form an opinion of a candidate. Health e-reputation can also be damaging if it is not well controlled. Keep that information as confidential as you can, and do not reveal too much in public.