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JBusPsychol
(2011) 26:219-225
10869-0
11-9221-x
DOI 10.1007/s
The
Writing
Networking
on
Sites
the
Wall:
(Facebook)
in Hiring
The
Use
of Social
Decisions
4 May2011
online:
Published
Science+Business
Springer
Media,LLC 2011
an increasein
Abstract The popularmediahas reported
sites(SNSs) suchas Facebook
theuse ofsocialnetworking
by hiringmanagersand human resourceprofessionals
about job
to findmore detailedinformation
attempting
the
Within
literature,
cursory
peer-reviewed
applicants.
thatothers'judgments
empiricalevidenceexistsindicating
of an individualbased on
or attributes
of characteristics
obtained from SNSs may be accurate.
information
this
predictormethodprovidesa potentially
Although
on predictor
of applicantinformation
source
promising
withpotentiallimit is also fraught
of interest,
constructs
itationsand legal challenges.The level of publiclyavailis highlyunstandardized
able dataobtainablebyemployers
as someapplicantswillchoosenotto use
acrossapplicants,
SNSs at all whilethosechoosingto use SNSs customize
thedegreeto whichinformation
theyshareis madepublic
to thoseoutsideof theirnetwork.It is also unclearhow
decision makers are currentlyutilizingthe available
Potentialdiscrimination
information.
may resultthrough
employer'saccess to publiclyavailable pictures,videos,
that
or othersharedinformation
information,
biographical
to
ofapplicantmembership
oftenallowseasyidentification
class. For thepracticeto progressin a positive
a protected
evidenceforthe validityand job-relevanceof
direction,
obtainedfromSNSs needs to be established.
information
also need to
and practitioners
researchers
Organizational
promoteawareness and attemptto create safeguards
E. D. Vaughn
V. R. Brown
Auburn
AL,
Auburn,
ofPsychology,
University,
Department
USA
V. R. Brown
(3)
1400N.
Roosevelt
ofPsychology,
University,
Department
USA
IL
60173,
Roosevelt
Blvd,Schaumburg,
e-mail:
victoriarbrown@gmail.com
negativeoutcomesrelatedtomisuseof
againstthepotential
SNSs by employers.
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JBusPsychol
(2011) 26:219-225
220
(b) todiscussvalidationandlegalissuesrelated
employers,
to using this predictormethod,and (c) to discuss the
and directions
for
fororganizations
practicalimplications
futureresearchassociatedwith using SNSs for hiring/
decisions.
screening
Definingand DescribingSocial NetworkingSites
Social networking
sites allow usersto createweb-based
can interact.
SNSs "allow indiprofileswhereindividuals
viduals to (1) constructa public or semi-publicprofile
withina boundedsystem,
a listof otherusers
(2) articulate
withwhomtheysharea connection,and (3) view and
traverse
theirlistof connections
and thosemadeby others
within
thesystem"(BoydandEllison2007,p. 3). A typical
profilemay contain images, videos, and biographical
information
aboutthe individual.Theremay be a forum
whereotheruserscan writepublic or privatemessages.
Many sitesallow usersto post real-timeupdatesof their
or actions.The profileownerhas controlover
thoughts
mostof theinformation
and can adjustthepripresented,
to managehow muchof thatinformation
is
vacysettings
madepublic.Generally,
thefriends,
andcolleagues
family,
withina user's"network"aregivenmoreaccess to profile
information
thanthegeneralpublic.
In recentyears,thepopularity
ofSNSs has increased
rapFounded
in
Facebook
is nowthelargest
2004,
idly.
February
SNS intheworld(Holahan2008).Usagestatistics
on
reported
thewebsiteatthetimeofthiswriting
indicatethatFacebook
supportsover 500 millionactiveusers(definedas users
thepast30 days;Facebook,Inc.,
viewingthewebsitewithin
As thelinebetweenpublicandprivatelife
2011,February).
becomesmoreblurred,
arebeginning
to examine
employers
availableinformation
on the internet
fromSNSs such as
Facebookthatmaynotbe accessiblefrom
a rsum
reviewing
orconducting
an interview.
This screeningprocedureaffordsseveral benefitsto
Social networking
sites providea readily
organizations.
available public forumto research candidates while
minimalcost,allowingeven smallbusinessesto
incurring
in
on SNSs may
engage such practices.The information
further
evidence
relatedto the veracityof inforprovide
mationpresented
on an applicant'srsum(e.g.,education
and workexperience).In addition,potentialemployers
thatwouldallow
mayhave access to detailedinformation
themto drawconclusionsor make inferences
about the
thatmightnot be as
applicant'scharacteror personality
obtainedthrough
traditional
means.
easilyor economically
Such information
increase
or
decrease
the
likelihood
may
thata candidateis consideredforfurther
review.
In the 2009 CareerBuilder
survey,35% of employers
reportednot hiring an applicant due to detrimental
information
foundon a SNS (Grasz 2009). Reasons for
out
screening rangedfromapplicantspostingprovocative
or information,
or inappropriate
photographs
displaying
information
associskills,conveying
poorcommunication
atedwithalcoholor illegaldruguse,revealinginformation
thatfalsifiesqualifications
listedin a rsum,and posting
contentdisparaging
previousworkassociates.The survey
also revealedthatapplicants'profilesmayenhancetheir
chances of being hiredor selectedforconsideration
by
evidenceoftheirlistedqualifications,
providing
supportive
a profileindicativeof beinga good fitwiththe
portraying
and
and positivecommuemployer, displayingcreativity
nicationskills.In fact,professional
SNSs suchas Linkedln
are tailoredto provideusers
(http://www.LinkedIn.com)
to market
themselves
forcareeropportunities
opportunities
fromprevious
(e.g., a usercan receiverecommendations
and colleagueswhichwillthenbe displayedon
employers
the user's profile).Despite the promisingpotentialthat
SNSs mayhaveforemployers,
unfettered
use of
reviewing
this screeningmethodpresentsseverallegal and ethical
considerations
thatmustbe addressed.
Risks AssociatedwithMisuse of SNSs by Employers
Several opportunities
foremployermisusemustbe consideredby organizations
whencreatingpoliciesregarding
SNSs in thescreening/hiring
searching
process.Employers
who choose to use SNSs as an informal
methodof prehave manyissuesto condictingapplicantemployability
sider.CurrentriskswithinformalSNS searchesinclude
ofinvasionofapplicant
lackofclearly
perceptions
privacy,
identifiable
theoreticalconstructs
used in the screening
process,and theabsenceof datato supportthattheinformationused in screeningis job relevant.Anothercontroversialissue surrounding
theuse of SNSs is thevariability
intypeandamountofinformation
publiclyavailableacross
an applicantpool. This inevitablerealityprevents
a comstandardized
collection
of
information
pletely
predictor
acrossall applicants.In additionto theseconcerns,applicants' sharedinformation
mightbe distortedby social
desirabilityor high levels of self-monitoring.
Finally,
mustconsidertheroleofcontextin considering
employers
of applicants.
employability
Information
on theinternet
is publiclysearchable,
andin
itselfdoes notconstitute
an invasionof applicantprivacy.
It is each applicant'sresponsibility
to maintaintheirown
and
monitor
information
thatis publicly
privacysettings
viewable.However,employersmustensurethatthepolicies enacted by human resourceprofessionalsdo not
invokea breachin applicantprivacy.In Juneof 2009, the
cityof Bozeman,Montanarequiredall applicantsto provide usernamesand passwordsfor"any and all, current
Springer
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JBusPsychol
(2011) 26:219-225
221
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222
JBusPsychol
(2011) 26:219-225
use of unstructured
interviews
(see Guion1998),theuse of users reportthat the users have presentedthemselves
informaldecision makingmethodsnot supportedwith accuratelyon theirprofiles.This highrateof agreement
of usersto tailortheirimpresvalidityevidencein the hiringprocessmay increasethe maybe due to theinability
likelihoodof legal repercussions.
sionsto suita specificaudience,forcing
themto comproEvidenceforthecontentvalidityof information
gath- mise by presentingthe most stable aspects of their
ered using SNSs as a methodof screeningapplicants personality(Kramerand Winter2008). This findingis
shouldfirst
be established.
The authorsmakean important consistentwith previousresearchassertingthat people
in explicitlyrecognizingthatsearchingSNSs
distinction
to largeraudiences
presentthemselvesmore truthfully
what
Arthur
and
Villado
refer
to
as
a
provides
(2008)
(Schlenker1980). However,as is trueof rsums,biodata
ascertain inventories,
predictormethodby whichemployersindirectly
measures,and otherinformation
self-report
information
relatedto predictorconstructs.
The implica- providedduringthe hiringprocess,profileownersmay
tionof thisdistinction
is thatorganizations
mustconsider choose to presentinformation
in a socially desirable
what constructsare representedby the information manner.While studiesprovideencouraging
evidencethat
obtainedthrough
SNSs andwhether
thatinformation
isjobonline profilescan containaccuratereflections
of their
relevant
to establishvalidity.
matter
within
should
in
mind
the potentialto
users, managers
Subject
experts
keep
an organization
shouldcandidlydiscussthecurrent
use of manageimpressions
by users.
SNSs as a hiringmethod,
considerations
of what
Once information
on a SNS is tiedtojob-relevant
conincluding
information
is gatheredand underwhat circumstances. structs,a rubricfor assessing profilescould facilitate
thatcould be
unbiasedcollectionof information
across individuals,
as
Examplesof overtly
job relatedinformation
includepostedimagescreated well as documenting
theinformation
collectedin case of
gathered
byhiringpersonnel
futurelitigation.
Whilelack of standardization
bya graphicdesignapplicantor photographs
postedbyan
maymake
to
fill
a
In
such
the
creation
of such a rubricdifficult,
a criticalincident
applicantlooking
photographer
position.
cases, contentvalidationmightbe relativelystraightfor- approach may be useful in developingexemplarsfor
ward.Hiringmanagers
couldsupport
thelegaldefensibility managersto referto as indicators
of positiveand negative
relatedto the constructs
by directlylinkingthe information
of interest.
gatheredto tasksor profileinformation
listedina carefully
documented
competencies
information
has
job analysis. Once a formalizedrubricforgathering
However,Grasz(2009) surveyresultsindicatethatmuchof been created,organizations
could benefitfromevaluating
theinformation
thathiringmanagersreportusingmaynot thesystematic
use of SNSs as a screening
methodthrough
be explicitlyjob related.In these instances,it may be
concurrent
and predictivevaliditystudies.Providedthat
indicativeof a higher-order
construct
thatis job relevant, organizationscould demonstrate
incremental
validity,it
such as cognitiveability,personality,
forpractitioners
and researchers
to
professionalism, wouldstillbe prudent
written
communication
skills,orperson-organization
fit,to excogitatethe legal risks associated with conducting
namea few.A current
and detailedjob analysisproviding searches.
construct-task
linkagescould be used to supportthatthe
information
gatheredfroma SNS reflectsa knowledge,
neededto perform
skill,ability,or othercharacteristic
job
Legal Implications
tasks.
It is reasonableto questiontheaccuracyof information The information
availablethrough
SNSs introduces
a series
of higher of uniquelegal issues and challenges.Social networking
providedfromexaminingSNSs as a reflection
orderconstructs,
but initialresearchis promising.Back
sites easily allow the potentialfor individualbiases to
et al. (2010) indicatedthatassociationscan be found affect hiring and screeningdecisions. Previous field
betweenactualpersonality
and ratingsof personality
thattherateof applicantcallpro- researchhas demonstrated
videdby viewersof users'SNS profiles.
Back et al. found back differs
whensubmitted
rsumsprovideprototypical
thatratingsof all of theBig 5 dimensionsof personality Caucasian names versus
AfricanAmerican
prototypical
correlatedwithaggregatedindepen- names,withrsumslistedunderCaucasiannamesbeing
exceptNeuroticism
dentratingsof personality
50% more likelyto receivea callbackforan interview
by viewersof userprofiles(r's
rangedfrom.27 to .41 withExtraversionand Openness (Bertrandand Mullainathan2004). In effortsto predict
beingmoststrongly
related).Furthermore,
ratings
provided organizationalbehavior,behavioralscientistshave long
viewersof SNS userswerenotincremen- recognizedthe significanceof situationalstrengthin
by independent
tallyinfluenced
self- varying
by the users' idealizedpersonality
thecapacityofexpression
ofindividual
differences
image,indicatingthatSNS profilescan reveal accurate (Mischel 1968). Much like the hiringmanagerthatmay
of applicants'personality.
representations
Moreover,Gos- shufflethrougha stackof rsumsin a privatelocation,
linget al. (2008) foundthatclose acquaintancesof SNS
conductingonline searches of applicantsprovidesthe
Springer
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JBusPsychol
(2011) 26:219-225
223
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224
JBusPsychol
(2011) 26:219-225
A. (2008).Theimportance
ofdistinguishing
W.,& Villado,
information
wouldnotbe legallydefendableforscreening Arthur,
between
and
methods
when
in
constructs
comparing
predictors
out applicants.In addition,HR departmentsshould
selection
research
andpractice.
Journal
of
Applied
personnel
encourageemployeesmakinghiringdecisionsto document
93, 435-442.
Psychology,
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and used in thescreening
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