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  • Social networks in personnel selection: Profile features analyzed and issues faced by hiring professionals
    Publication . Melão, Nuno; Reis, J.
    Employers are increasingly using Social Networking Sites (SNS) to support hiring decisions, and yet the knowledge of their practice patterns remains limited. This paper aims to (a) examine which and to what extent selectors analyze applicant’s profile features to support hiring decisions, and (b) explore the issues selectors perceive as being important while using SNS in personnel selection. It employs a two-phase methodology: a questionnaire-based survey, and a semi-structured interview study. Selectors report to examine more often job-related features, though they also admitted to analyze protected personal details and non-job related features. From the statistical analysis of the profile features being analyzed, three different patterns emerged, suggesting that selectors (a) exclude applicants during pre-selection and after a face-to-face interview, and (b) collect additional information about applicants to know them more deeply. Practitioners highlighted, among others, privacy, impression management, standardization, and possible bias issues. Conclusions and implications of these findings are discussed.
  • Using Social Networks in Personnel Selection: A Survey of Human Resource Professionals
    Publication . Melão, Nuno; Reis, J.
    Although the analysis of social media to aid decision making in Human Resource (HR) selection is becoming commonplace, there is little empirical research on this phenomenon. This study reports on the use of Social Networking Sites (SNS) by HR professionals to assist applicant selection. It employs a survey methodology based on a cross-sectional questionnaire which was administered to a sample of 10 000 professionals in Portugal. The response rate was 10.5% and the results show that 41% of the respondents use SNS in employee selection. The most used SNS are LinkedIn (89%) and Facebook (58%), and the evaluation of applicant profiles usually takes place before the first interview. Around three quarters of participants indicate to assess applicants by forming a general impression of their adjustment to the organization. The most regularly inferred constructs from profiles are work experience, education and training, written communication skills, maturity and professionalism. Respondents infer more often the outcome person-organization adjustment. The conclusion is that for many Portuguese organizations SNS seem to be a useful complementary tool to the most conventional personnel selection techniques.