Microsoft Finds Indiscreet Sharing Costs Jobs

Microsoft has released research showing how indiscreet publication of information online can prevent Internet users from getting jobs.

According to a December survey of 2,500 consumers, human resources managers and recruitment professionals, 70% of the HR respondents from the U.S. said they had rejected job applicants because of information found through an online search. Among U.S. consumers, only 7% believe online data has affected their efforts to get hired.

"We're really quite surprised by the findings," said Peter Cullen, chief privacy strategist at Microsoft, in a phone interview. Cullen said while its not unexpected for human resources professionals to conduct online searches about job applicants, the extent to which online research has become commonplace and has been formalized in corporate policy should prompt people to revisit their assumptions about privacy and online reputation.