Not watching what you say and do on social media can cost you dearly
Last week, Business Insider CTO Pax Dickinson joined the continuously swelling ranks of those who have lost their jobs because of careless social media use.
Dickinson was (quite understandably) canned the day after being called out by ValleyWag for sharing tweets like this:
at least if we end up getting into a nuclear standoff with Russia over gay rights we’ll know this universe is just a satirical simulation
— Pax Dickinson (@paxdickinson) July 31, 2013
And this:
Who has more dedication, ambition, and drive? Kobe only raped one girl, Lebron raped an entire city. +1 for Lebron.
— Pax Dickinson (@paxdickinson) July 13, 2010
Smart organizations today know that the actions of their employees reflect on them, even more so for employees in positions of power, and thus basic crisis management tenets dictate that they cut ties with those who repeatedly demonstrate bad behavior and are unwilling to repent.
Bottom line is, if you want to work for a respectable organization, don’t make an ass of yourself online. The Internet – heck, the world we live in today – is rife with intolerance, and yet it’s something which most won’t tolerate anymore. Even if you have prejudices you just can’t keep out of your mind, keep them out of your mouth, in-person and virtually, because otherwise they’ll reveal you for who you really are. Yes, you have First Amendment rights to make an ass of yourself, but there’s a phrase well known around the Jonathan and Erik Bernstein households: “You can do whatever you want to do, as long as you’re willing to live with the consequences.”
The BCM Blogging Team
https://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com