Free Career and Job Search Advice

[SHead1959]

I am very upset because I had went to snagajob.com and tried to apply for several jobs.They directed me to the company sites to fill out their application forms. In doing so it had mandentory blocks to which they wanted me to display my ss#, dirthdate(age), race and gender. If you don't fill in these fields; they won't process your application even though you display your resume which, should give them all the info they need in order to see if you qualify for the position available. In HR and Payroll classes, I was taught that this is against EEOC regulations and is mandated by Federal Laws. I would really like to apply for several of these positions but I definately don't won't to disclose my ss# online. I called the company but was told they use your ss# for background checks. This answer didn't make sense because background checks comes after an interview and a position is offered and you sign a conscent form with your W-4 and I-9 forms. Has any of you had this problem and how did you handle it?

Thanks so much,
Concerned Citizen

[Pauloz]

SHead1959

Checked out snagajob.com for you. There have been quite a few complaints about the site, and non-delivery on services or getting no results after multiple applications. There are also protestations, maybe too much, about it being legitimate.

http://www.google.com/search?q=snagajob%2Bscam&sourceid=navclient-ff&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1B2GGFB_enAU230

Some people say it's OK, and they got jobs, but others definitely don't think so. One person on Yahoo! Answers specifically said "I hope you didn't give out your SSN."

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090120205243AARAa2B

I agree with your reservations, on principle. That information has nothing to do with suitability for a job, as well as contravening EO laws.

The requirement for those details also seems to contradict their own information about phishing and Privacy Policy regarding posting personal ID info:

http://www.snagajob.com/job-resources/avoid-phishing-scams.aspx
http://www.snagajob.com/privacy/

On the McAfee rating there were two complaints about phishing scams, and providing this sort of information really is asking for it, particularly an SSN.

http://www.siteadvisor.de/sites/snagajob.com/summary/

I'd give snagajob a wide miss. In my opinion, based on the info security issues regarding content on the applications and the obvious risks, this is a flawed process, at best. They can't be so secure that they're immune to people accessing that info, particularly SSNs. It's naive to assume that their security is that good. People can't access ID information that isn't there, and that's the best defence on the net.

The background check theory doesn't stand up for a second, with or without consent. That's done after interviews, to start with. Either you were talking to an ignoramus, or someone was being very dismissive of your concerns.

The basic tenet of privacy laws for employment is that employers can ask for that info on a "need to know" basis, when it's required for the legitimate purposes of business or employment. Actually, at application stage, that info is pretty useless to anyone, and my concern is that it provides way too much ID for no good reason.

Legally, this is a nitpicking zone, and a big one, often exploited because of vague EO law or other nebulous situations and bad policy enforcement. They may be doing the wrong thing in principle, but depending on how they spin the laws, it's not "illegal" until someone in a position to say so actually says so. You'd literally be looking at a Federal case to achieve anything. You could perhaps complain to your state DLI, or Federal authority, see if you can get some clarification from them.

Given your obvious lack of enthusiasm, I suggest you cut out the middleman, and use the site to find jobs, then apply independently of snagajob.com. Some of the employers on this site have their own hiring systems, and you don't really need to apply through the site. I notice FedEx is advertising, for example, and they have their own system.

[gdudak]

Yeah definitely don't give out any personal info like ssn online. I am not sure how old you are, but if you are looking for student or part-time work, www.groovejob.com is pretty good. I can vouch for that website because it is run by the same company that runs this one. I work with some groovejob people and it is legit.