I love to here tweets about what fun thing someone did that day or what sports game they are watching. To me these insights provide depth to a person and adds substance for tweets with a wide rage of people.

To be (me) or not to be (me) that is the question – only you can decide!

While one answer to the situation could be having separate accounts, I wonder if that really accomplishes the goal. I’ve found an advantage to social media is that people get to see me as a complete person…not just a work persona.

For example, I’ve found people who had a perception that the Human Resources Director was all business. Once people were able to see me in a more casual setting and realized I’m not perfect and had a sense of humor, it did help to build stronger working relationships.

I can’t help but think a happy medium exists where you can maintain your professional brand while still showing people that you’re human. But if you have to ask yourself, “Should I post this?” Then the answer is probably no. Not because it’s offensive. But because you’re not completely comfortable showing that side of yourself yet.

For me, I’m just glad that no one asked me to explain the joke. LOL!

So if I go to a pub and they tap a new brew, I’m probably going to tweet it. If my favorite basketball team wins or if something political comes up that I don’t like, I am going to post it. And I am probably not going to do it right 100% of the time. Most of the places I’ve worked at aren’t perfect either and understand this.

People who approach a blog or twitter as a resume are basically unreadable though.

I would like to add another scenario however, that “working Jim” might find himself coming across in his work SM world. Let’s say Jim hears the pirate joke given, and tells it to his colleague, who is also on say, Twitter, and then goes and posts a shorthand version with a “via @Jim” tag. Now Jim is directly connected to a moderately NSFW joke in his professional SM network. I think Joel’s point above about common sense and keeping it simple is right on, but the question of personal vs professional lives in SM as much about what you do yourself, as what your network and friends so in relation to you. Its this second or third person posting of information, tagging of quotes or photos, and a myriad of other references or story telling that can get one into trouble, and that one needs to not only be aware of their own posts, pictures, etc. but also those of their network and friends as they pertain to him. I think the SM era is best defined as “Oh what a tangled [world wide] web we weave”…

Let’s work this out backward, first.

If you want to have a personal social media experience, then create a personal social media name, etc…and use that to comment on off color jokes.

If you use a social media persona for and from your professional position, then keep that work related or at the very least, above the “personal” arena.

Let’s clarify something here: EVERYTHING about who you are, who you were, your “personas” and your public hobbies and activities are fair game for employers, WITH THE FOLLOWING CAVEAT, that the information cannot be utilized to negatively impact any of the protected classes (big etc.. here) in the pre employment process; or the employee/employer relationship for the above reasons.

It’s the same thing as “stupid questions to ask during a job interview”…not illegal, but stupid, in that the use or appearance of use to wrongfully discriminate (as explained above) is against the law. If I don’t know you are married with 12 kids, I can’t use (or appear to use) that information to deny you employment because you will negatively impact my group benefits. But if you show up to your interview with your wife and 12 kids left in the reception area, I now am aware of that information, but precluded from having it become a factor in my hiring decision.

If you place something out there on SM sites/activities (such as your picture which obviously shows your age), it doesn’t mean you are waiving (which you can’t) your protection under the law from unlawful discrimination.

Makes our job as HR professionals real fun, huh?!

Ok, now say you are already employed like Jim.

If Jim goes to the local tavern four nights every week and drinks himself into a stuper, telling off color jokes and acting poorly; can Jim be fired or disciplined at work for this behavior?

If Jim calls his friends to come to his office after hours for drinks and off color jokes, can he be disciplined for what he says then?

Social Media has upped the ante, and yes, probably opened a few cans of worms for Human Resources. Yet, let’s not forget that most of these scenarios existed prior to Social Media. We are just now seeing more of them.

If you are a manager of people, the question should be whether you can be a leader to your Team after this very public behavior at which your identity is obvious.

Use common sense….just like before, except now you have even more potential situations to practice.