Using social media content for screening in recruitment and selection: pros and cons

The article considers the arguments that have been made in defence of social media screening as well as issues that arise and may effectively erode the reliability and utility of such data for employers. First, the authors consider existing legal frameworks and guidelines that exist in the UK and the USA, as well as the subsequent ethical concerns that arise when employers access and use social networking content for employment purposes. Second, several arguments in favour of the use of social networking content are made, each of which is considered from several angles, including concerns about impression management, bias and discrimination, data protection and security. Ultimately, the current state of knowledge does not provide a definite answer as to whether information from social networks is helpful in recruitment and selection

Online Organizational Citizenship Behavior: An Exploration of New Avenues for Prosocial Behavior in the Digital Age

Internet use has changed modern workplaces and introduced new options for employee behavior, including organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). While prior research suggests the internet is a unique social environment, and not a simple extension of a traditional in-person workplace, OCB has not been studied in this context. This thesis aimed to identify and document the nature of online OCB and identify how it differs in form and function from traditional in-person OCB. This thesis used a mixed methods approach, with self-report data from 201 participants. Results indicate workers engage in OCB online at a lower rate than in person. Some traditional OCBs do not translate to online settings, but online settings do introduce new possibilities for OCB. Additionally, the nature of the relationships between OCB and other workplace constructs, such as cyberloafing, turnover intentions, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, differ depending on if the OCB occurred in person or online. Directions for future research on online forms of OCB are discussed

Strategies for Human Resources Professionals Using Social Networking Websites for Hiring Decisions

The use of social networking websites by employers without adequate strategies can lead to misuse of job applicant\u27s information or discriminatory hiring practices. The purpose of this multiple case study was to identify strategies that some human resource professionals in the southeastern United States implemented to maximize the use of social networking websites in the hiring process. Signaling theory was used as the conceptual framework for this study. Semistructured face-to-face interviews were conducted with 8 purposefully selected human resource professionals who used social networking websites for at least 3 years to screen and select job applicants. Documentation of participating organizations was also reviewed to assess the guidance employees received for using social networking websites to inform hiring decisions. Two other sources of data included field notes and observations of participants during interviews. Interview transcripts and supporting documents were coded using a priori and emergent codes focused on identifying themes among strategies hiring managers used. A few of the themes that emerged from the thematic analysis of the interview data were professional social media, personal social media, and legal concerns. The results of this study may contribute to positive social change by providing human resource professionals and hiring managers with more knowledge for optimizing the use of social networking websites for cybervetting and hiring job candidates