My company is probably one of the few that will never block social media websites, primarily because we provide social media monitoring, analysis, and engagement tools for Fortune 500 companies.

Being a Human Resources Manager, these are are also important sites when conducting employee reference and background checks. I also use LinkedIn extensively not only for recruiting but also for professional social networking. LinkedIn has established itself as the premier professional social networking site. I don’t find much professional use for YouTube, Myspace, or Facebook although I have seen an increasing number of companies creating MySpace profiles especially if they are targeting a young adult / teen demographic.

There is increasing discussion around the legality of using social media websites when conducting background checks. You need to be very careful about disqualifying candidates because of what they posted on these types of sites. More on this topic to follow.