Screening applicants using social media platforms is commonplace when recruiting new staff. But this could be seen as a breach of privacy and create a negative impression of the company for potential employees, according to research from North Carolina State University.
The study assessed the reaction of applicants to prospective employers’ reviewing their social media profiles. Applicants felt that this kind of screening was an invasion of privacy. Unsurprisingly, the study found that people are very sensitive to their privacy being compromised, regardless of whether they are offered the job or not.
The research found that the attractiveness of an organisation was diminished by social network “spying” on job candidates, especially if the applicant pool at large knows or suspects (via internet message boards or forums) that the organisation engages in this kind of conduct. Companies should avoid the possibility of a disgruntled applicant affecting others’ perceptions of their organisation.
Read more at North Carolina State University