The growth of the internet has brought about unprecedented connectivity across the world. Through online technologies such as social media applications, it is now possible for people to keep in touch in real time. However, these social media sites and social media networking in general have had a major impact on the employee selection process. Today, many employers are making use of social networking sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook to fill vacancies within their firms. These social networking sites provide free information on aspiring employees, which the employers have access to and can use to make the best choices on their selections. Despite the positivity of social networking sites as sources of information on job candidates, there are those opposed to their use in the job selection process. This essay will argue that the use of social media sites for screening of job candidates is not very fair, first due to the infringement on personal privacy, due to unreliability of such data, and because this data is not interview able data.
First, social media sites give unreliable information about an individual. Social media sites are becoming a part of the job hiring process. These sites are being used for purposes of screening job applicants and helping in selecting the best individuals for the posts available (Jeske & Shultz, 2016). The use of these social networking sites has brought about the question of how reliable these sources of information are considering that social media sites are largely used for social and not professional interactions (with the exception of professional sites such as LinkedIn). Despite their obvious inclination towards being meant for social interactions, social networking sites are still used by professionals to determine the suitability of job applicants, increasing the chances of employing the wrong personnel.
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For example, the use of social media sites such as Facebook to screen candidates puts the recruitment process at risk of employing an unsuitable candidate since many people also upload and share untruthfully online (Bohmova and Pavlicek, 2015). Conversely, the use of such sites may lead to losing a potential employee in cases where such people have shared what hirers may consider as inappropriate.
A second reason why using social media sites as an alternative source of information on job applicants is that it is not the best way forward is due to the legal ramifications of such actions. From a legal perspective, it is wrong to make use of personal information such as religion, gender, and marital status, which employers have no right to unless offered by the candidate. This personal information can easily cause bias among the recruiters considering it has been shown that information shared on these sites often creates perceptions of the individual (Sameen and Cornelius, 2013). Often, what is posted in these sites has little to no impact on individual qualification, which means that the things posted here are not necessarily a true reflection of the person, or his/her capabilities. Therefore this makes the use of social media sites in job interviews unacceptable.
The third and final reason why using social media is not the best way forward in the recruitment process is because the information used in these sites cannot be verified in an interview. Not only would this be inappropriate and highly uncomfortable for the job seeker, it would be very awkward for the interviewers as well since it would almost put them on the same pedestal as investigators. As earlier stated, most of the data fed into these social media platforms are meant for social purposes (Black & Johnson, 2012). Often, people upload only what they consider to be important within their social circles, which mean that there is a lot of unnecessary information, and in many instances, untrue information. Consequently, making use of such information gives bad credence to the interview process. Information that most employers look for that may get candidates rejected include inappropriate photographs on their profiles, alcohol or drug related postings, posts bad mouthing previous employers or colleagues and discriminatory comments such as on gender or race (Sameen and Cornelius, 2013). For individuals who find themselves locked out of a job opportunity due to any of these, the use of social networking sites as references may seem as inappropriate.
Despite the many disadvantages, it has some merits. Using social media sites to determine the suitability of candidates is highly advantageous to the employers. First, it enables employers to have a wide range of information on various candidates literary at their finger tips (Black & Johnson, 2012). Online resources enable the employer to easily countercheck some of the information indicated by the job applicants on their resume. The use of social networking sites also means a reduction in costs for the employer due to the availability of such data online (Madera, 2012). It also means a reduction in the recruitment time, and increased trust in the choices made since the recruiter makes use of both professional and social networks to figure out their applicants. Finally, through the use of these sites, employers are trying to get a more personal view of the candidate, a factor that determines overall suitability for the job on offer (Bohmova and Pavlicek, 2015).
In conclusion, using social media as a tool in the job application process is getting common. The use of these sites by hirers is going to continue as long as these sites offer information and insight on an applicant. There are merits and demerits to the use of this information on both sides. For employers, it means more information on candidates is locally available for free, but it also means that decisions made may be biased. For the applicants, those who have positive information on the social media sites have an easier time in interviews, but those with personal information and preferences that may be considered inflammatory, using social media sites may be harmful to their job prospects. Therefore, individuals should be considerate when sharing online, understanding that these sites can be viewed by anyone, and in the job market, may lead to increased transparency.
References
Black, S. L., & Johnson, A. F. (2012). Employers' use of social networking sites in the selection process. The Journal of Social Media in Society , 1 (1).
Bohmova, L., & Pavlicek, A. (2015). The influence of social networking sites on recruiting human resources in the Czech Republic. Organizacija , 48 (1), 23-31.
Jeske, D., & Shultz, K. S. (2016). Using social media content for screening in recruitment and selection: pros and cons. Work, employment and society , 30 (3), 535-546.
Madera, J. M. (2012). Using social networking websites as a selection tool: The role of selection process fairness and job pursuit intentions. International Journal of Hospitality Management , 31 (4), 1276-1282.
Sameen, S. & Cornelius, S. (2013). Social Networking Sites and Hiring: How Social Media Profiles Influence Hiring Decisions. Journal of Business Studies Quarterly, 7(1), 28-35.
