Google’s new applicant tracking system (ATS), Google Hire is now being tested by select companies invited by the search engine giant.
Candidates will use their existing Google accounts to sign in and apply for jobs posted through this new system.
It was widely reported yesterday that this would open up your entire search history and online behaviour to scrutiny by potential employers. That is because your Google account also contains your web browsing history, bookmarks, GooglePlus and YouTube accounts along with your Google searches.
Apparently, given the instant reaction on Twitter, many folks would have looked up stuff online or visited pages they’d prefer not to discuss in job interviews. However, Google quickly denied the rumours that users’ searches and behaviour would be revealed to employers.
A spokesperson for Google, cited on RT.com, offered assurances to a nervous public: “Google does not share private information such as search or viewing history. Only the information that applicants input into Google Hire will be shared – for example, first name, last name, email address, resume, cover letter, etc.”
So, you can stop deleting now. It’s going to be okay.
Facebook also recently started allowing Canadian and US companies to post jobs and receive applications through its platform. However, that hasn’t received the same level of panic, likely because most job seekers have learned by now to clean up their profiles when looking for work. (Put a shirt on, put down the bong in pictures.)
