Personal Social Networking: Affects on Companies Hiring Decisions

The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate the effects personal social networking sites had on candidate’s opportunities for obtaining employment and how and to what extent hiring managers used this information in the hiring process. Hiring managers across four industries: Retail, Banking, Healthcare and Hospitality were surveyed to learn how they are using social media sites to “screen” potential mid-level (and above) managers for their organizations. Additionally, the researchers wanted to determine what social media content was most influential in developing negative perception of the candidate. The results of the study showed contrasting results to prior studies which typically included samples of professional recruiters. The study found moderate social media usage to screen candidates, and little success finding candidates through such medias, however four basic areas were of significance to hiring managers and if found on social media could significantly jeopardize candidate’s potential in obtaining the job. These areas included: poor communication skills, substance abuse content, bad mouthing former company/boss/colleagues, posting provocative / inappropriate photos. As with many inventions, one typically leads to many others creating an even greater effect on a society. Over the last 20 years the Internet has been such an invention which revolutionized how we obtain, share, and exchange information. The Internet has affected many facets of our daily routine from how we shop, obtain our news, and communicate to name a few. The ability to share information with a larger audience can have both potentially positive and negative results. Social media can offer many examples of that. While many would agree that being able to share pictures, thoughts and important life events with family members or friends may be enjoyable and have a positive impact on social interaction, overall privacy of an individual may suffer as a result, leading to potentially negative consequences