ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

IN RECRUITMENT
SUBMITTED TO
SUBMITTED BY

THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON RECRUITMENT

SOURCE VEDDER PRICE ARTICLE BY
LAURA SACK, SADINA MONTANI, JOSEPH MULHERIN
AND
NIGEL WRIGHT RECRUITMENT REPORT, 2011

SITES REFERRED
WWW.SCRIBD.COM
WWW.GOOGLESCHOLAR.COM
WWW.HRCONNEXIONS.CO.UK

SOCIAL MEDIA FOR A TODAY IS NOT JUST ABOUT SWAPPING PARTY PICTURES,
MUSIC FILES OR DISCUSSING TRIVIAL DETAILS OF A NIGHT OUT.SOCIAL MEDIA
IS COMPREHENSIVELY INCREASING ITS SPACE OR CAN SAY HIGHLIGHTING
ITSELF I N THE PROFESSIONAL ARENA.SOCIAL MEDIA HAS BECOME A MODE
WHERE ONE CAN WORK AND PLAY SIMALTANEOUSLY.

SOCIAL MEDIA AS THE NAME STRIKES WE ALL HAVE IMAGES FLASHING OF

FACEBOOK, TWITTER, ORKUT, LINKEDIN AT THE BACK OF OUR
CEREBELLUM.THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON THE SOCIETY IS DYNAMIC
AND HARDCORE.SOCIAL MEDIA ENCAPSULATED ITSELF IN REGULAR ROUTINE
OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL WETHER HE/SHE MAY BE FROM A MEDIOCRE FAMILY OR
A CORPORATE HONCHO, SOCIAL MEDIA HAS LOOPED IN EVERY ONE AND ALL.
AS AN INCREASING TREND ,SOCIAL MEDIA GOT EXTENSIVELY TEETHERED
THAT IT HAS NOW INVADED CORPORATE FIRMS.CEOS ,COOS AROUND THE
GLOBE ARE MAKING THEMSELVES DEPENDENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA AS TIME AND
RESOURCES ARE LIMITED AND TASKS IN HAND ARE UNLIMITED .SO JUST TO
MAKE A GOOD USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA AS IT HANDLES MORE THJAN 55
PERCENT OF DATABSE OF JOB SEEKERS .THE GROWTH OF SOCIAL MEDIA IS
AMAZINGLY PHENOMENAL.COMPANIES NEED TO TAP THIS UNEXPLORED
ARENA TO GET IN JOB SEEKERS HENCE IT BECOMES PRIORITY FOR ANY HR
HEAD TO FIND ITS PROSPECTIVE COMPETITIVE EMPLOYEES VIA SOCIAL
MEDIA.
SOCIAL MEDIA IS NO MORE A MEARE TOOL TO SUPERVISE THE EMPLOYEES
DEEDS
IT
IS
MUCH
MORE
NOW.RIGHT
FROM
FRAMING
POLICIES,ADVERTISING,FOCUSING
ON
COMPETITORS,GRABBING
NEW
CUSTOMERS,PENETRATING AND ENTICING BULK MARKETTI NG AND ALSO
RECRUITING AND STAFFI NG,MOTIVATING,CONFLICT DILLUSION AND LIST
GOES ON .
SOCIAL MEDIA AS A WHOLE,IS BECOMING A MEDIUM FOR WORK AS WELL AS
PLAY .
THE WORLD IS NOT STATIC ITS DYNAMIC.SO AS TO KEEP ABREAST WITH THE
ONGOING AND CURRENT SCENARIO COMPANIES ARE MORE INCLINED
TOWARDS HIRING PEOPLE FROM SOCIAL MEDIA AS MANAGERS HAVE THE
TOOL IN HAND TO JUDGE AND SCAN WIDE RANGE OF TALENT ACROSS SOCIAL
NETWORKING WEBSITES.
DUE TO USE OF SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES FOR RECRUITMENT, REVENUE
OF MONSTER.COM REDUCED BY 31%
-NIGEL WRIGHT,2011

THERE WAS AN 82% INCREASE IN THE TIME SPENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA SITES
FROM DECEMBER 2008 DECEMBER 2010
-NIELSON COMPANY, 2011

MORE THAN HALF OF UK JOB SEEKERS USE SOCIAL MEDIA SITES INTHEIR
JOB SEARCH, INCLUDING FACEBOOK (18%) AND LINKED IN (31%)
SIMPLYHIRED.COM.2010
SOCIAL MEDIA CAN PROVE TO BE EFFECTIVE AND FAST MODE TO RECRUIT
PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYEES BUT EVERY COIN HAS IT S TWO SIDES. THOUGH
EFFECTIVE IT HAS ITS CONS TO.. WHICH WE SHALL DISCUSSED IN OUR TERM
PAPER AND UNDER THE TOPIC THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON
RECRUITMENT
THE ISSUES PERTAINING TO RECRUITMENT CAN BE LISTED AS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

NO SYNCRONISATION BETWEEN DIVERSITY AND TALENT

TRANSPARENCY ISSUES
DISCRIMINATION HIRING
CONFIDENTIALITY
EMPLOYER BRANDING AT STAKE
BUSHFIRE EFFECT
LEGAL ASPECTS

LACK OF SYNCRONISATION BETWEEN DIVERSITY AND TALENT

OFTEN IT IS NOTICED THAT THE REALITY IS FAR AWAY THAN WHAT IS
DEPICTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA WEPSITES.PEOPLE TEND TO INFLATE THEIR
PERSONAL DATA BY ADDING EYE CATCHY STUFF JUST TO LURE OTHERS.THE
NUMBER OF FAKE IDENTITIES ARE ON A HIGH.IT BECOMES ALLTOGETHER
DIIFICULT RATHER IMPOSSIBLE TO TRACK SUCH FAKE IDENTITIES AND
ULTIMATELY THIS WOULD DENT AND WASTE ORGANIZATION VALUABLE TIME.

TRANPARENCY AND DISCRIMINATION ISSUES

RECRUITMENT BY SOCIAL MEDIA ALSO FACES A DRAWBACK OF
TRANSPARENCY ISSUES.RE CRUITMENT AND SELECTION MIGHT BE BIASED AS
THERE IS NO EVIDENCE TO CROSS CHECK THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE RECRUITER AND THE RECRUITEE.THERE IS NO

WRITTEN APPLICATION FOR JOB SEEKING HENCE RECRUITMENT VIA SOCIAL
MEDIA ADVOCATES BIASNESS. HIRING BY SOCIAL MEDIA ALSO FACES
PROBLEMS OF DISCRIMINATION.A GUY PREFFERD OVER A MORE ELIGIBLE
GIRL OR A GIRL PREFFERED OVER A MORE ELIGIBLE GUY,THERE IS NO
CONCRETE BACKGROUND TO FAME AND STOP THIS HENCE IT ACTS AS A
NEGITIVE CATALYST IN AN ORGANIZATION.

CONFIDENTIALITY
FOURTH MAJOR ISSUE THAT CREEPS UP IN RECRUITING VIA SOCIAL MEDIA
SOURCES IS THAT OF CONFIDENTIALITY.PEOPLE OFTEN ARGUES THAT SOCIAL
MEDIA SOURCE OF RECRUITMENT ALWAYS LACKS PRIVACY AND
CONFIDENTIALITY WHICH SO VERY IMPORTANT IN THE PROCESS OF
SELECTION THE RIGHT CANDIDATE TO ACCOMPLISH COMPANYS
GOALS.LEAKAGE
OF
THE
INFORMATION
SUCH
AS
JOB
PROGILE,DESIGNATION,SALARY,AREA
OF
FIELD
WHICH
REQUIRES
CONFIDENTIALITY INCREASES AS ONE USES SOCIAL MEDIA IN RECRUITMENT
AS COMPETITORS CAN ACQUIRE THE INFORMATION AND CAUSE SERIOUS
DAMAGE TO THE ORGANIZATION AS A WHOLE.

EMPLOYER BRANDING AT STAKE

IT TAKES AGES FOR AN EMPLOYER TO CREATE AND NURTURE HIS BRAND AND
IT TAKES FRACTION OF A SECTION TO DEMOLISH THE BRAND.SOCIAL
NETWORKING SITES ARE TO BE USED JUDICIOUSLY IN SELECTING THE RIGHT
PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYEE.IF THE HR TEAM RECRUITS SOME ONE WHO
SHOULD NOT BE ON THE BOARD WHICH IS MORE LIKELY AS THERE IS NO
PRIOR TESTS AND INTERVIEWS CAN CAUSE DESTRUCTION OF THE
EMPLOYERS MUCH HARD EARNED REPUTATION AND BRAND.

BUSH FIRE EFFECT

SOCIAL MEDIA FACES ANOTHER CHALLENGE KNOWN AS BUSHFIRE
EFFECT.GOOD AND POSITIVE NEWS IS SIEVED AND ACCEPTED WHEREAS BAD
AND NEGITIVE NEWS SPREADS LIKE A BUSHFIRE.PEOPLE TEND TO ACCEPT
NEGITIVE NEWS AND ABSTAIN FROM ACCEPTING POSITIVE NEWS.IT WOULD BE
HARD FOR AN ORGANIZATION TO COMMUNICATE ITS GOOD RESULTS AND

DEEDS TO THE MASSES WHEREAS ANY WRONG DEED WOULD SPREAD LIKE A
BUSHFIRE. IT BECOMES DIFFICULT TO COMMUNICATE WITH SUCH A LARGE
BASE AND ALSO AS ENVIORNMENT IS DYNAMIC COMPANIES OUGHT TO
REMAIN ON THEIR TOES AND AS A RESULT IT IS DIFFICULT TO KEEP THE
PROSPECTIVE JOB SEEKERS UPDATED ON THE REQUIREMENTS AND OTHER
MARKETTING STRATEGIES AND POLICIES.

LEGAL ASPECTS
MOST IMPORTANTLY EMPLOYERS SHOULD BE CAREFULL IN NOT USING
CRITERIAS/INFORMATION THEY WOULD NORMALLY NOT CONSIDER DURING A
RECRUITMENT PROCESS.SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITES INCLUDE S INFORMATION
PERTAINING
TO
RELEGION,SEXUAL
ORIENTATION,CREED,RACE,ETHNICITY,FINANCIAL
STATUS,POLITICAL
AFFILIATION,NATIONAL
ORIGIN,MARITIAL
STATUS,GENETICAL
INFORMATION.MANY OF THESE CHARACTERISTICS ARE PROTECTED BY
CONSTITUTIONAL,STATE OR LOCAL LAWS.THE MERE MENTION OF SUCH
CHARACTERISTIC DURING THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS COULD BE SUUFICE
TO ENTANGLE THE RECRUITER INTO COSTLY LITIGATION.

ONE OUGHT TO BE CAREFULL, JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE WAS RECRUITED VIA

SOCIAL NETWORKING MODE THAT DOES NOT MEAN THEY ARE PORTRAYING
THEIR TRUE AND FAIR PICTURE ALONG WITH THEIR SKILLS AND
BACKGROUNDS.HR PROFESSIONALS SHOULD USE SOCIAL MEDIA AS A
SOURCE OF INITIAL SCREENING TOOL AND NOT AS FINAL SELECTION BASIS.
MARK SPOGNARDI ,A PARTNER AT ARNSTEIN & LEHR SAYS "PRUDENT HR
PROFESSIONALS ARE USING SOCIAL MEDIA AS AN INITIALSCREENING TOOL,
BUT STILL CONDUCTING FACE-TO-FACE INTERVIEWS AND TRADITIONAL
BACKGROUNDCHECKS," HE FURTHER ADDS "SOCIAL MEDIA ARE SUCH NEW
PHENOMENA THAT WE DON'TREALLY KNOW BREADTH OF LEGAL PITFALLS,"