Employer use of social media in electronic screening of job applicants

¶ … Social Media in the Hiring Process

The phenomenon of social media has gained significant attention in the recent past to an extent that it has exploded into the mainstream. The development and increased use of social networking websites in the past few years can be attributed to the rapid technological advancements that have revolutionized modern communications. In the initial years of the emergence of these sites, social media was primarily used for informal communications and networking among people. However, the use of information on the Internet has extended beyond its intended use mainly because of the significant amount of personal information posted on these networking websites. As a result, social media is increasingly used by employers in the hiring process to tap into the personal information posted on the sites. Nonetheless, there are concerns on whether it is suitable or not to use social media information in the hiring process.

Use of Social Media in the Hiring Process

The phenomenon of social media has exploded in the recent past given the increased availability of personal information that can be used for various factors. Social media basically entails websites that enable people to post their personal information that can be used by various people for different reasons. In this case, social media refers to any information that is available regarding a person on the Internet through various websites including Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

According to Kluemper & Rosen (2009), social networking websites were developed to create online communities of individuals with common interests and activities or those interested in surveying the interests and activities of others (p.568). This is primarily because most of these websites provide different means for users to interact and connect to each other while visually displaying every person's network of friends. Given the influence of these websites in connecting people, their use has exploded into the mainstream.

The increased prevalence of social networking websites alongside the huge volume of information available to viewers or users has contributed to the use of social media in the hiring process by employers. Employers have started using these sites to help in the employee hiring process through tapping into the source of personal information or applicant data in order to enhance decisions regarding selection of new employees. Actually, social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook have become more popular, especially in the modern emerging workforce. Employers utilize social networking websites and search engines to conduct electronic screening of job applicants.

Information Available on Social Media and Applicability in the Hiring Process

When conducting electronic screening, employers usually scrutinize personal information regarding the applicant. Generally, the kind of information available from the various social media platforms is personal information and visual display of his/her network of friends. This information affects a hiring manager's or recruiter's decision regarding the candidate by providing indicators of probable work behavior and job performance. For instance, when using this information, a hiring manager or recruiter obtains information about probable work behavior such as drug use, sexual activities, negative work-related attitudes, and profanity (Karl & Peluchette, 2009, p.220). Therefore, the information gleaned from social media can act as a reliable and valid indicator of job performance since it provides indicators of work-related attitudes and behaviors. However, the information may not be reliable since it may not be representative of the candidate. The availability of follies in social media platforms implies that information from these websites cannot be relied upon as the only source of an applicant's personal information for appropriate hiring decisions.

Suitability of Using Social Media in the Hiring Process

Despite concerns regarding the reliability and validity of information on social media with regards to being indicators of job performance, it is appropriate to use social media information in employee selection process and decisions. The suitability of using social media information in informing hiring decisions is attributed to the huge amount of personal information available in these platforms that would be relatively difficult to obtain through other measures. In essence, social media offers valuable additional personal information and applicant's data that helps improve hiring decisions. However, the information should be utilized after an interview in order to avoid being bias in the selection process. If this information is utilized in the initial stages of the hiring process, it is likely to result in bias that affects the hiring process and/or decisions. The use of social media information after an interview focuses on obtaining additional information about the applicant in order to make suitable decisions.