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Friend or Foe? The Promise and Pitfalls of Using Social Networking Sites for HR Decisions

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Abstract

The Internet has changed many Human Resource (HR) practices, and techniques such as online job postings and testing have become quite common in HR. However, the use of social networking websites such as Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, and Twitter for recruiting, hiring, or terminating individuals is relatively new, but their use for these purposes is clearly growing while research on these practices is lacking. Many questions about using these sites for HR practice have yet to be addressed, including questions about the validity and usefulness of information obtained on these sites, applicant perceptions of employers’ use of these sites, and the legality of using these sites, among others. The current study describes issues associated with using social networking websites for recruiting, staffing/selection, and discipline/termination, and provides recommendations for future research studies in this area.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Management, School of Business Administration, University of Mississippi, University, MS, 38677-1848, USA

    H. Kristl Davison & Mark N. Bing

  2. Valtera Corporation, 1701 Golf Rd., Suite 2-1100, Rolling Meadows, IL, 60008, USA

    Catherine Maraist

Authors
  1. H. Kristl Davison
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  2. Catherine Maraist
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  3. Mark N. Bing
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Correspondence to H. Kristl Davison.

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Davison, H.K., Maraist, C. & Bing, M.N. Friend or Foe? The Promise and Pitfalls of Using Social Networking Sites for HR Decisions. J Bus Psychol 26, 153–159 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-011-9215-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-011-9215-8

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