SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCE ON RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PROCESSES. (Research Paper Sample)

Social Media influence on Recruitment and Selection Processes Name Institution of Affiliation Date We currently live in a world of increasing global connectivity that is in great part attributable to the immense merits of dynamic and interactive internet technology. That communication and even commerce are viable through this platform have transformed the way things are done and in so doing forever changed the perception and approach of most companies in how they handle various management functions. Key among these functions is staffing. Placement of the right people for the right job, demands implementation of an effective Human Resource (HR) policy that selects, recruits, develops as well as appraises its personnel in ways that aid an organization to achieve its strategic objectives. It is, therefore, disconcerting that policies with such an express aim can intentionally, or in some cases, unintentionally exclude protected groups from employment opportunities. Social media represents such a platform that has gained increasing use and satisfaction in the recruitment process among most practitioners. However, its use may provide grounds for bias during the selection process. This has the unintended and consequent effect of excluding great talent beneficial to an organization or landing the organization in legal quagmires that affect its bottom line as well as image and brand. Depending on how information sourced from social media forums (such as twitter, facebook, and LinkedIn) is applied by recruiting companies; for example, using secured data such as sexual orientation and religion to disqualify an applicant, can lead to obstruction of laws where insensitivity to protected groups and due diligence towards inclusivity is lacking. Examples of such laws include but are not limited to Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act as well as the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. (Kluemper, Mitra & Wang, 2016). This article by Donald Herbert Kluemper, Arjun Mitra and Siting Wang from the University of Illinois at Chicago was published in researchgate.net - a peer-reviewed journal in June 2016 and aims to provide insights on how practitioners, as well as scholars in this sector, can successfully apply social media in human resource management whilst effectively navigating the hurdles such a great tool seems to pose. By reviewing existent and disparate evidence-based literature on the subject, they have distilled the content into a contextual framework that encompasses, underlying theoretical concepts of such works as well as a synopsis of key investigative findings. This is in addition to recommendations for further research intended to fill informational gaps and enhance knowledge and application of social media in staff recruitment and selection. From the text, the interactive nature of web 2.0 applications is characterized by user-created content and stands out as a key aspect that has seen increased use of social network websites as a screening or selection tool in human resource management. Given that individual profiles created in such forums contain protected information that can be accessed and navigated by users within a community or a network that one joins, greatly underpins the emerging importance of social media impact in HRM as a research area. (Kluemper, Mitra & Wang, 2016). In addition, key concepts articulated in the article include a review of how social media impacts external stakeholders and the consequent effects this has on an organization’s image and brand as well as its ability to attract quality talent. Secondly, and pertinent to this study area, is a synopsis of social media impact on the selection and recruitment processes. A wide range of topics such as but not limited to privacy, discrimination, validity and impression management are explored. Avenues for enhancing organizational efficiency through social media with specific targets for productivity, social capital, and organizational culture are also addressed. Finally, the last component explores the negative effects of social media in an organization that encourage work deviance and discusses remedial actions to correct them. In conclusion, the article asserts that the application of social media in human resource management is a relatively inexplored research area whose shifting and dynamic nature demands more attention in the sector. Most importantly, it emphasizes its duality as an organizational asset or liability depending on how effectively it is managed. A combination of this duality in a research area that is still in its infancy provides a plethora of inferences and hypothesis that need further research to create a broad knowledge base for application. Most of the existing research on the area addresses the selection process but more still needs to be done to provide deeper insights. It is important to establish that where discrimination claims are as a result of intentional actions or policies it is referred to as disparate treatment and disparate impact when seemingly neutral employment policies lead to unintended discrimination or exclusion of a protected group. This may occur in selection processes targeting recruitment, staff development or even performance appraisals. Disparate treatment and adverse impact are prohibited by Title VII and attract just attention from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) as well. Suffice to say, both are detrimental to the performance of any organization and their effective management presents a key human resource function that should be perpetual for as long as the industrial organization exists. (Kluemper, Mitra & Wang, 2016). Disparate treatment and adverse impact have a great effect on the recruitment process. This is further exacerbated by the complexity and demands of a social network platform that seems to take a firm hold of current staffing functions. Where organizations discriminate against job applicants, they face the risk of expensive lawsuits where payment of high damage claims may inadvertently affect their bottom line and ultimate survival. If they survive, they are usually mired by bad publicity which again impacts negatively on their brand image thereby affecting their longer-term capacity to thrive and grow. Additionally, opportunity costs for discriminating organizations are also high. For example, older Spanish dominant Hispanics may not be tech-savvy or more importantly, they have limited access to social network websites. This may lead to their exclusion from job opportunities in organizations where social media is an integral screening tool. On this basis and considering the desired attributes of a job, the benefit of vast experience and knowledge characteristic with senior employees is lost on the organization. Discrimination against other unique human inferences such as sex, religion and physical disability may also result in loss of quality talent by the recruiting organization, whether the act is intentional or otherwise. This is the case when the screening criterion is disadvantageous to a select group of people. (Fisher, Truxillo, Finkelstein, & Wallace, 2017). However, enforcement of laws that promote equality has translated to an improved landscape with a majority of the organizations adhering to set guidelines and policies thereby enhancing the quality of the selection processes in most areas. For instance, the number of organizations facing disparate treatment claims has gone down in the past couple of years. A ripple effect of this is seen in the generation and implementation of comprehensive and clearer communication and policy documents within industrial enterprises which enhances organizational functioning. (Kluemper, Mitra & Wang, 2016). Additionally, social media adoption as a screening tool leaves a grey area where employer and applicant interests may collide. Instances where a violation of privacy laws on the part of the employer when they access social network information of applicants may inculcate biases or prejudices which cannot be forgotten or isolated from the overall recruitment process. This includes information such as the gender, religion or physical disability which may not be reflected on resumes. On the other hand, this kind of treatment can be deemed ...