Do HR managers have the right to investigate employees' social media accounts?

My humble opinion is that employees' personal social media accounts are part of their private lives and HR managers as a matter of principle should not have the right to investigate them unless an employee:

• occupies a key public facing role which he/she has published on their social media accounts and his/her actions compromises company interests and goodwill;
• uses their personal social media accounts to conduct official activities.

As the term says, it's social. HR managers are not intruding or breaking a candidates privacy by check if the candidate's behavior, attributes, and background is in line with their culture.   

NO because that their private account and they have full right to speak whatever they want.

 

Actually HR should built up a channel for the employees to speak or to suggest or even to lodge a complaint against their own direct manager which should be kept confidential by HR

Social media has been a platform for the companies to accept applications from the applicants. HR managers have the right to check the profile of their applicants at first hand, however, if it suits the HR manager's taste, then, after accepting the applicant's employment, as long as the employee is an asset to the company, there must be restriction to investigate the employee's social media account. One's personal social media account is a private account which the HR managers should respect. Unless, an informant inform the HR manager. Nevertheless, investigation of the HR managers should come on first hand when the employee is still applying.

Employees have the right to post whatever they want on the social media as long as it will not affect their professional life or the brand of the company or its values. We are all free and HR Manager are not allowed to spy our private life but employees should be careful about what they post online

Checking or not it's a different matter, actually, we have no right to judge a candidate by their social media account.

because that their private account and they have full right to speak whatever they want but also, it would depend on the circumstances so it's quite possible because also it's a SOCIAL ACCOUNT.

Yes, if it is related to a secret of work, incitement to strike, suspension of work or prejudice to the reputation of a person related to the work entrusted to him? Especially if a complaint has been filed by a staff member regarding this work

It will be quite difficult to answer this question with just a yes or no as social media can be someone's private life but it will also allow the organization to know about the employee even more

Not for sorely, but for the right matching, it is needed. 

No they don't as it is an invasion of privacy

Depending on the nature of the HR managers' investigation into the employees online activities, the HR manager may or may not be within their rights. For example, if the HR manager is looking to gather infomation about the employee for reasons pertaining to promotion, it is definitely acceptable as social media has now become the greatest source of information for recruiters when filling positions in their organisations. More often than not employees will also provide their social media handles on their CV's or resumes, so that the employer gets to know more about them and their achievements. However, when an investigation of an employees social media is done for the purpose of prying and there are no work-related reasons which can be named, it may be considered unacceptable.