Hired By Twitter, Fired For Facebook

In today’s job market and corporate world, your social media and digital footprint are a crucial part of your public persona. One new Twitter employee, Gregory Gopman, learned this the hard way. Hired to lead Twitter’s new virtual reality team, Gopman was fired within 48 hours. The reason? A two-year-old Facebook post where he criticized San Francisco’s homeless population in a harsh tirade.

TechCrunch, who brought the post to light, questioned Twitter's decision: “For a company with an abuse problem from trolls, hiring Gopman—someone who once called the homeless population a ‘burden and liability’—seemed like a massive misstep.” The situation begs the question: Did Twitter fail to vet Gopman properly, or should he have been more mindful of his public posts?

While Gopman apologized for the 2013 post, Twitter still faced backlash. This case serves as a reminder that companies must perform due diligence in social media screening, especially for roles in sensitive industries like social media. Candidates, too, should be cautious of their digital footprint, as anyone—regardless of seniority—can face social media scrutiny.