LinkedIn “Big Four”: Job Performance Validation in the ICT Sector.

Social networks websites, and specially the LinkedIn platform, have changed the landscape of recruitment and personnel selection to a unified organizational process. Thus, apart from using LinkedIn as a recruitment tool, professionals also use it to make evaluative inferences regarding the individual characteristics of the candidates (e.g., their personality). However, most of the research focused on LinkedIn has left aside the evidence about its validity for decision making in the work setting. In our study we analyze the criterion oriented validity of LinkedIn incumbents professional profiles (N = 615) in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector with some measures of job performance. The results show four major factors underlying LinkedIn profiles about professional experience, social capital, updating knowledge, and non-profesional information. These factors are significantly related to productivity, absenteeism, and the potential for professional development. These findings are discussed in light of their theoretical and practical implications.post-print322 K

O Linkedin como ferramenta de recrutamento : a perspetiva dos recrutadores no setor das tecnologias de informação e comunicação

Mestrado em Gestão de Recursos HumanosA introdução de novas tecnologias no recrutamento aumentou consideravelmente a eficiência e a eficácia no processo. As redes sociais, em particular, o LinkedIn, atuam, atualmente, como uma importante ferramenta de atração e seleção de candidatos no mercado das Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação (TIC) português. O principal objetivo deste estudo é investigar, compreender e avaliar o impacte e a influência do LinkedIn no processo de recrutamento e seleção atual, no setor das TIC. Participaram no estudo 72 recrutadores que atuam no setor das TIC tendo sido utilizada como metodologia uma metodologia quantitativa. Os resultados revelaram a pertinência na utilização dos métodos tecnológicos no processo de recrutamento atual. Os métodos mais utilizados pelos inquiridos são as "Redes Sociais" e os "Sites de Emprego". A análise de dados demonstrou que a rede social LinkedIn é uma ferramenta de recrutamento comumente utilizada entre os recrutadores do setor das TIC, pelas vantagens que lhe são reconhecidas. Concluiu-se que as técnicas de recrutamento online poderão ser complementares às técnicas de recrutamento tradicional, atuando como facilitadoras no processo de atração de candidatos e triagem dos mesmos.The introduction of new technologies in recruitment has considerably increased the efficiency and effectiveness of the process. Social networks, in particular LinkedIn, currently act as an important tool for attracting and selecting candidates in the Portuguese Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) market. The main objective of this study is to investigate, understand, and assess the impact and influence of LinkedIn on the current recruitment and selection process in the ICT sector. 72 recruiters working in the ICT sector participated in the study, using a quantitative approach as a methodology. The results revealed the relevance of the use of technological methods in the current recruitment process. The methods most used by respondents are "Social Networks" and "Employment Sites". The data analysis showed that the LinkedIn social network is a recruitment tool commonly used among recruiters in the ICT sector, due to the advantages that are recognized for it. It was concluded that online recruitment techniques can be complementary to traditional recruitment techniques, acting as facilitators in the process of attracting candidates and screening them.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Web 2.0 and micro-businesses: An exploratory investigation

This is the author's final version of the article. This article is (c) Emerald Group Publishing and permission has been granted for this version to appear here. Emerald does not grant permission for this article to be further copied/distributed or hosted elsewhere without the express permission from Emerald Group Publishing Limited.This article was chosen as a Highly Commended Award Winner at the Emerald Literati Network Awards for Excellence 2013.Purpose – The paper aims to report on an exploratory study into how small businesses use Web 2.0 information and communication technologies (ICT) to work collaboratively with other small businesses. The study had two aims: to investigate the benefits available from the use of Web 2.0 in small business collaborations, and to characterize the different types of such online collaborations. Design/methodology/approach – The research uses a qualitative case study methodology based on semi-structured interviews with the owner-managers of 12 UK-based small companies in the business services sector who are early adopters of Web 2.0 technologies. Findings – Benefits from the use of Web 2.0 are categorized as lifestyle benefits, internal operational efficiency, enhanced capability, external communications and enhanced service offerings. A 2×2 framework is developed to categorize small business collaborations using the dimensions of the basis for inter-organizational collaboration (control vs cooperation) and the level of Web 2.0 ICT use (simple vs sophisticated). Research limitations/implications – A small number of firms of similar size, sector and location were studied, which limits generalizability. Nonetheless, the results offer a pointer to the likely future use of Web 2.0 tools by other small businesses. Practical implications – The research provides evidence of the attraction and potential of Web 2.0 for collaborations between small businesses. Originality/value – The paper is one of the first to report on use of Web 2.0 ICT in collaborative working between small businesses. It will be of interest to those seeking a better understanding of the potential of Web 2.0 in the small business community.WestFocu

An experiment in blended career development: the University of Derby’s social media internship programme

It is possible to describe the capability of an individual to use the online environment to pursue their career as their digital career literacy. It is comprised of a range of different skills including the ability to: search; evaluate resources; communicate; network with other people; develop your reputation; and utilise an ever growing range of tools and environments as part of your career building. In another article in this edition of the NICEC journal Hooley (2012) has defined digital career literacy as encompassing changing, collecting, critiquing, connecting, communicating, creating and curating. This requires both the translation of offline skills and the development of new online ones. This article sets out the experience of running the social media internship programme (SMIP), an intervention to develop students’ digital career literacy at the University of Derby.University of Derby Teaching Informed by Research programm

Careering through the Web: the potential of Web 2.0 and 3.0 technologies for career development and career support services

This paper examines the environment that the web provides for career exploration. Career practitioners have long seen value in engaging in technology and the opportunities offered by the internet, and this interest continues. However, this paper suggests that the online environment for career exploration is far broader than that provided by public-sector careers services. In addition to these services, there is a wide range of other players including private-sector career consultants, employers, recruitment companies and learning providers who are all contributing to a potentially rich career exploration environment.UKCE

Get yourself connected: conceptualising the role of digital technologies in Norwegian career guidance

This report outlines the role of digital technologies in the provision of career guidance. It was commissioned by the c ommittee on career guidance which is advising the Norwegian Government following a review of the countries skills system by the OECD. In this report we argue that career guidance and online career guidance in particular can support the development of Norwa y’s skills system to help meet the economic challenges that it faces.The expert committee advising Norway’s Career Guidance Initiativ

The use of linkedIn for recruitment: an exploratory and descriptive study of telecommunications companies listed on linkedIn (South Africa)

Master of Social Science in Sociology. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2017.The internet has brought benefits and challenges to society. E-recruitment is among the benefits. This present study explores the recruitment trends of Telecommunications companies which are online as well as the benefits and challenges of using LinkedIn when recruiting potential employees. In order to explain the findings, the study uses Giddens’ theory of Late modernity, with his focus on the institutional dimensions of modernity and expert systems. A quantitative methodology was used in this study. Fifty-four (54) Telecommunications companies completed an electronic survey. Findings from this study reveal that companies are moving away from traditional methods of recruitment to electronic methods, particularly Professional Social Network Sites (PSNSs) or Social Network Sites (SNSs) (P/SNSs). LinkedIn is a Professional Social Network Site (PSNS) used the most for screening, advertising and recruiting. Representatives from Telecommunications companies tend to use LinkedIn via their laptops in order to access the site. Moreover, they realize the benefits involved with using LinkedIn such as the ability to view potential candidates’ profiles, contact candidates and have access to a large talent pool. The research findings for this study indicate that LinkedIn is used by 93% of employers for work purposes. Thirty percent of representatives always use LinkedIn when recruiting job candidates, while 54% advertise job vacancies on LinkedIn and 31% have used LinkedIn to source new hires in the past twelve months. Thirteen challenges were identified: all with responses below 7%. These include incomplete profiles, an overload of job applications, employers’ complaints about limited responses and the expenses involved in LinkedIn usage. All indications are that there are no major problems: however, in order to ensure that such problems will not intensify in the future, it would be advisable to attend to them in their “budding stage.” This study did not collect data on inequality and poverty: however, these have been identified as challenges which may possibly prevent many South Africans from using the internet and LinkedIn and hence not being able to realize its potential benefits. The present study is exploratory and descriptive in nature and is the first study, to my knowledge, to reveal the benefits of LinkedIn by South African Telecommunications companies

Big four LinkedIn dimensions: signals of soft skills?

The use of LinkedIn as a tool in the recruitment and selection process has become routine in human resource management. However, a major drawback of such an approach is the lack of systematic and rigorous inferences on the psychological characteristics of the candidates. Calls have been made by scholars for further research on the psychometric guarantee of LinkedIn as a tool in the selection process. This study adopts signalling theory as a framework for exploring how LinkedIn profile information signals a candidate’s soft skills. Using a sample of 169 ITC professionals, through a cross-sectional design, soft skills were measured by means of a self-report questionnaire and LinkedIn profiles were assessed using rubrics for measuring the LinkedIn Big Four. Our findings demonstrate that LinkedIn Big Four Breadth of Professional Experience and Social Capital are valid signals of leadership, communication, problem solving, entrepreneurial and commercial thinking, planning and organization, and teamwork. We discuss the practical and theoretical implications of our result

Building online employability: a guide for academic departments

This guide will help academic departments to support students to think about their careers and to use the online environment wisely. Used badly the array of social media and online technologies can seriously disadvantage a students’ career development, but if used well they can support students to find out about and transition into their future career.This work was funded by the University of Derby’s Research for Teaching and Learning programme