New data, reported on CNBC, indicates that, according to ex-Facebook recruiters, candidates are turning down job offers from the company. Figures relating to the U.S. show that with the new graduate acceptance rate falling from an 85 percent average for the 2017-2018 school year to 35-55 percent in December 2018.
Facebook has experienced an uneven period with the Cambridge Analytica data issue; leaked data on Amazon servers (where 540 million Facebook records were exposed); and its VPN, Onavo Protect, which allowed Facebook to monitor user activity across apps, providing Facebook with a big advantage in terms of spotting new trends across the larger mobile ecosystem. Each of these was classed as a data privacy issue and drew negative backlash from Facebook users and the media.
READ MORE: A look back at the year of the Facebook scandals
As to why people are wary about joining Facebook, a new survey from security protocol company, OpenVPN, provides further context on people’s waning interest in Facebook following these scandals: This survey found 20 percent of respondents said they had quit one or more social media sites as a direct result of these controversies, and 34 percent said they have definitely considered dropping Facebook.
In addition, almost 1 in 2 (48 percent) of respondents said the controversies have negatively affected their perception of the company, which aligns with the reported decline in those wanting to work there. To add to this, 1 out of every 3 respondents said they trust big tech companies less than before the recent data privacy scandals in the tech industry because the do not think the major players have properly addressed the problems. Looking forwards, ,more than 4 in 5 (84 percent) of people expect Facebook to face at least one more data privacy issue in the next twelve months. These figures indicate why some professionals might be warty about signing up to major technology firms like Facebook.
In response, Facebook spokesperson Anthony Harrison challenges the claims from recruiters stating that the social media company’s head count actually grew by 36 percent year-on-year from the first quarter of 2018 through to the first quarter of 2019. While Facebook has disputed the accuracy of the recruiters’ accounts, it declined a request from CNBC to highlight out any specific points that were incorrect.
