Illegal file-sharers could find it harder to get hired

Washington D.C, 15th September 2006

Illegal file-sharers could find life harder on the job market in the United States, according to a new report from the Business Software Alliance (BSA).

Nearly nine in ten managers (86%) consider the illegal downloading, file-sharing and uploading attitudes and behaviours of job candidates when making hiring decisions according to a nationwide survey conducted for the organisation.

More than one in three managers (34%) said they would "probably" or "definitely" reject a job candidate who had improperly obtained or shared files in the past. Nearly as many (29%) managers would "probably" or "definitely" reject the candidate if they found they had lax attitudes towards file-sharing in the workplace.

The vetting of illegal file-sharers does not end once the interview process is over. More than seven in ten managers (72%) say that if an employee were caught improperly obtaining or sharing files at work they would face significant consequences. Nearly one in five managers (18%) said the employee would face automatic dismissal.

BSA used the findings of this research to issue a warning to college students across the US that they may not get or keep the job they want if they engage in illegal and unethical file-sharing behaviour. The research was conducted for the BSA by BusinessWeek Research Services who interviewed 1,477 people across the U.S.A.