Analysis of Social Media Practices Used in Hiring Practices and the Ethical Questions Raised
Date
2021-12
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MAPC, The University of Tampa
Abstract
Society relies heavily upon technology and social media to stay connected. The growth of the
Internet has enabled the popularity of using social media in the workplace for professional
purposes such as recruitment and hiring. There are some ethical and legal concerns when using
social media in such practices. This project examined the role of social media in recruitment of
employees. A survey was sent out to e-recruiters inquiring how recruiters and hiring managers
feel about the lack of regulation in using social media for recruitment practices. Society and
employers use social media for cybervetting and gathering supplemental information on
candidates. This is dangerous because of legal and maybe even unethical implications as it
invades a candidate’s personal space. This project sought to determine how recruiters are using
social media. The results demonstrate that majority of respondents refrain from using social
media as the sole factor in hiring or not hiring potential candidates. The results also showed there
is a difference between the way various age groups look to social media for hiring practices;
some seemed to think social media is a valid source to see if candidates are reliable whereas
others did not. This research will help recruiters make sure they are following proper protocol in
hiring.
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Capstone project
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Keywords
Hiring practices, Discrimination, Cybervetting, Social media, Recruiting