When you’re out on the job hunt, it’s not uncommon for prospective employers and hiring managers to whip open their web browsers and Google you for a lil’ social juice. All kinds of things can come up, your LinkedIn account, your MySpace page, and heck, even pictures of your private parts!

Searching and finding people on the web is so easy to do these days, and it’s one of the quickest ways to do a pulse check on who and what you are (and whether you’re a desirable employee).

Kris Dunn at The HR Capitalist notes in his recent article just how easy this is and definitely top of mind for many HR peeps these days.

Tips for Managing Your Online Social Experience

A question I get all the time is, well should I use my real name when I register with all these social products? Well that depends on what type of social sites you want to participate and the social equity you’re looking to build.

Are you serious person or do you enjoy the lighter-side of life?

I am a workplace professional who uses social media to enhance my personal brand:

• Use your real name; take credit for who and what you are.
• Establish credibility by participating in meaningful conversations about work and your field.
• Always keep your conversations and responses tact and diplomatic.
• Keep your connections professional; remember, you are the company you keep.

I’m a workplace professional who indulges in social technology at a personal level:

• You will be searched at some point in time, so keep that back of mind, especially if you like to have dirty, public conversations; I would recommend using an alias.
• We all have weird and crazy friends, it’s normal. But you might want to think twice before accepting EVERY single friend invite from your off-duty social circle (especially those recreational drug users).
• Don’t participate in publicly-displayed dialogue that you wouldn’t want a prospective employer or hiring manager to see.

I provide these tips not because I necessarily believe there is a right or wrong way to do this or that it is even required, but potential job hunters need to be aware that most major corporations are still fairly new to social technology, and rather unresolved in how to handle and manage this newfound information.

Message to Hiring Managers

Employers should value individuality and respect that life outside of work is exactly that, outside of work.

Here’s a little gem of a quote I pulled from Lou Michels recent article at Suits in the Workplace, “[Obviously]…conduct welcome in an off-duty, non-work setting among the presence of family or friends might be grossly inappropriate and uncomfortable when observed in the workplace.”

Lou is right, and I think employers need to keep some perspective when passing judgement and making evaluations.

The off-duty, lighter-side indulges help take-the-edge-off mounting workplace stress, so I think it’s important for employers to understand that yes, we know some of the behavior you see in social communities would not be appropriate for work, but that doesn’t mean we behave like that at work.

It might be better to snoop my work performance rather than my social life.