A survey carried out by CareerBuilder a few years ago found that 70% of hiring managers and human resources professionals said they had found information on social media that caused them not to hire the job applicants, but what qualifies as a valid reason? Les Rosen, founder and CEO of Employment Screening Resources, said that investigating a job candidate's social media accounts helps employers look inside the person's head to see who the applicant really is. "But," he added, "if you use social media profiles incorrectly, a world of privacy and discrimination problems could arise."

What did Rosen mean? Is it ethical for recruiters and hiring managers to peruse a candidate's social media profile during the hiring process as part of pre-employment background screening, or are recruiters taking candidate research too far and invading people's privacy? Should employers go to background screening firms to conduct social media checks and assemble a report on the applicant's online identity? What does the law say? What are the legal risks, considering the information online might not even be true?