Band 8 essay sample | Should employees share personal information with the employer?

Employers sometimes ask people applying for jobs for personal information, such as their hobbies and interests, and whether they are married or single. Some people say that this information may be relevant and useful, others disagree. Discuss both the views and give your own opinion.

Sample response

There are several merits and demerits to sharing personal information with one’s employer. In this essay I am going to examine this question from both points of view.

There are people who argue that the benefits of sharing personal information with one’s employer considerably outweigh the disadvantages. That is because the employer will get to know the employee through the information they shared with them. Nowadays there are software programs that can predict the character and intelligence of an employee on the basis of their interests and hobbies. Using this information the employer can assess the amount of risk they take on by employing a particular person. Every organisation wants to hire employees who fit perfectly into their work culture. Personal information can be useful in several other ways as well.

I remember once I met with an accident while coming back from my office. An onlooker who saw my ID card called up my office and with the help of the personal information I shared with them, my office quickly informed my family.
On the other hand, some people believe that sharing personal information with the employer has no use. According to them giving personal information to the employer is a bit like giving access to your personal life. They believe that personal information is personal and should not be shared with anybody. They have their own reasons to believe so. Recently, a female employee of my organisation was stalked by a male employee who had access to her personal information. He wanted to take undue advantage of the situation.

As we can see, there is no definite answer to this question. I firmly believe that sharing personal information is not a bad idea; however, employers who request the information of their employees have a responsibility to ensure that the data is not misused or shared with a third party without the consent of the employee. In addition, personal information of the employee should be used only for their benefits.