Impact of Social Media in HR Recruitment Process: A Literature Review

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IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN HR RECRUITMENT
PROCESS
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Table of Contents
1) Introduction.................................................................................................................................2
2) Literature map.............................................................................................................................3
3) Research theory, methods and questions.....................................................................................5
4) Detailed critique of 2 article........................................................................................................8
Article 1: LINKEDIN for Recruitment: An Examination of Recruiters Use of "Apply" and
"Easy Apply" Features.................................................................................................................8
a) How are the research methodologies applied?........................................................................8
b) How were the methods deployed to provide a worthwhile contribution to the theory and
research?......................................................................................................................................8
c) What gaps the method may leave that could lend the area of further analysis?......................9
Article 2: Analyzing the Effect of Social Media on Recruitment.............................................10
a) How are the research methodologies applied?......................................................................10
b) How were the methods deployed to provide a worthwhile contribution to the theory and
research?....................................................................................................................................10
c) What gaps the method may leave that could lend the area of further analysis?....................11
5) Conclusion and further scope....................................................................................................12
Bibliography..................................................................................................................................14
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1) Introduction
Social media is the combination of mobile application and websites that allow people to interact,
and share information in real-time. Individuals across all regions can transfer information
through social media application. Recently, organisations use it to facilitate HR recruitment
process. Social media recruitment is beneficial for a firm and candidates. It is regarded as one of
the useful ways to hire talented personnel. It has replaced traditional headhunting methods.
Conventional recruitment procedures are unable to target candidates quickly. With advent of
competition in each industry, it is challenging to hire employees with industry-specific skills.
Organisations find comfortable to post skills and qualifications desired by them, as online
presence of job seekers shall enable them to get quick reply. They accept it as a cost-effective
hiring process, as it does not require cost associated with consulting fees given to print media
and recruitment agencies.
Talent shortage is the reason behind choosing social media to hire people. Approximately, 72.8%
of employers are struggling to identify best and suitable candidates, who can manage business
smoothly and productively. More than 59% of job seekers use social media to search for firms as
per their talent. Therefore, the opportunity of getting right candidates through such platform is
higher for a business firm. As per a survey performed by CareerXroads, around 42% of best
companies including PepsiCo, GE and others plan to consider social media completely for
recruitment process. LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook are the best online recruitment tools. Most
of the talented and deserving candidates are able to connect with reputed form due to provision
of social media hiring. The study shall identify relevant literature on this topic to combine
research questions, research methods and applied theories.
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2) Literature map
The following literature map shows key ideas about different aspects that demonstrates the
impact of social media on recruitment process.
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Figure 1: Literature map
(Source: Created by the learner)
Kutlu et al., (2018) have demonstrated that “Easy Apply” feature is being used by most of the
organisations to facilitate LinkedIn job recruitment due to its ease of use. They have provided a
foundation to understand the application of LinkedIn by both job seekers and HR recruiters.
They examined the purpose of two features including ‘Apply’ and ‘Easy Apply’ during job
posting.
Ezam et al., (2018) have provided key concepts on HR personnel perception in the success of
social recruitment. They have found some beneficial aspects that may create awareness among
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HR professionals and important sites used for recruitment. The study is based on employer
perception to make recruitment effective in association with social networking sites such as
Facebook, Indeed.com, Rozee.pk and others.
Sinha and Thaly (2013) have attempted to determine the dynamic trends associated with
effective hiring sources along with their influence on reputed global business firms. They have
identified some social media recruitment channels including Facebook, LinkedIn and others. It is
found that leading firms use innovative and modern recruitment channels due to beneficial
factors such as cost, quality, time, availability and others.
Lal and Aggarwal (2013) have tested the effectiveness and popularity of social media sites in
recruitment process. They have examined trustworthiness and reliability of these sites in
effective hiring. The study has identified precise strategies to make best application of social
media. It revealed that LinkedIn is a popular database among job seekers due to features such as
specialised email alerts and job highlighter facility.
Kaur and Dubey (2014) presented a conceptual framework on how candidates perceive company
website for recruitment communication and its influence on organisational attractiveness. They
have applied Source credibility, person environment fit and information realism framework to
obtain employee reviews on independent websites.
Nugroho and Trinugroho (2018) have presented an experimental study to explore effect of
applicants’ Facebook contents on recruitment decisions taken by HR recruiters. The study found
qualified candidates have professional contents in social media pages as compared to unqualified
ones. Job applicants should rely upon academic records to crack jobs. The study recommended
job applicants to prepare professional contents on social media to get relevant jobs.
Mochi et al., (2017) have explored different strategies adopted by companies to post jobs in
LinkedIn and Facebook. They have investigated impacts of perceived attractiveness and usability
on applicants’ attention and intention to apply for a specific position. The study recommended
that companies should improve the usability of social media pages to gain job seeker’s attention.
Hysa et al., (2015) have showed the possible usage of social media in hiring process and
identified impacts of social media on HRM. They discussed benefits and risks of social media in
recruitment. The increasing positive influence of internet and modern technology on recruitment
is undeniable. However, growth of social media sites is a biggest challenge for employers and
job seekers.
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Emanuela (2018) has identified challenges and benefits that business firms face during
recruitment process through social media. Firms should use benefits of social media in context to
cost and time reduction. The study recommended firms adopting social media to focus on
security and ethical issues.
Aqeel and Siddiqui (2019) have pointed the application and acceptance of social media by
human resource professionals in hiring procedures and selecting deserved candidates. They
found positive effects of social media on HR recruiters’ intention use technologies.
Koch et al., (2018) have investigated influences of social media sites on hiring procedures in
South Africa. South African recruiters prefer using LinkedIn to recruit candidates. The use of
Facebook, Twitter and other recruitment approaches is low in this country as compared to other
regions. Recruiters find that social media is not the only solution for issues found in recruitment
process.
Sengupta et al., (2015) have identified issues in adopting new talent acquisition systems. They
found talent acquisition process is a major transformation process using AI and automation
technologies. Transitioning from conventional recruitment approach to online talent recruitment
process is never easy and it requires careful planning from business firms.
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3) Research theory, methods and questions
Author Research question Research methodology
Kutlu et al.,
2018
1. When do recruiters will use ‘Easy
Apply’ while posting their job?
2. What types of job does HR
manager use either feature?
3. What are drawbacks that
employees faced while using
Easy Apply features?
Qualitative: Technology
Acceptance model, integrative
model of IT business
Ezam et al.,
2018
1. How to decrease job matching
inaccuracy from enterprise?
2. In what way social networking
site is beneficial for HR
recruiters?
Quantitative: HR personal are
considered to execute primary data
analysis based on ten social
networking sites.
Sinha and
Thaly, 2013
What are challenges that HR personal
faced in recruitment and selection
procedure?
Qualitative: Interview has been
conducted in the study. HR
personals of IT companies are
considered in India.
Lal and
Aggarwal,
2013
1. How to improve reliability and
security factor of social media
sites?
2. What are major issues that recent
enterprises are facing due to
social networking sites?
Quantitative: In primary data
analysis, 100 respondents are
considered from software
companies
Kaur and
Dubey, 2014
1. What are procedures that
enterprises are considered to
improve participation of
employees in ‘war of talent’?
Qualitative: source credibility,
person environment fit model, web
based recruitment theory are
considered
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2. How modern enterprises are
using different media to increase
their communicating information
with all employees?
Nugroho and
Trinugroho,
2018
1. How social media assessments
are different from conventional
procedure?
Quantitative: participants are
small business owner and modern
employees
Mochi et al.,
2017
1. What is importance of SNW
(Social Networking Websites)
recruitment strategies?
2. Is features of SNW attracts
potential candidates to an
enterprise?
Quantitative: students and young
job seekers are considered to
execute primary analysis
Hysa et al.,
2015
How communication technologies act as
an effective platform for marketing
communication?
Quantitative: 152 respondents are
considered among them, 20%
respondents are not employed and
rest are employed
Emanuela,
2018
What are advantages’ of social recruiting
in modern enterprises?
Qualitative: New generation
approach, business model is
highlighted in the study
Aqeel and
Siddiqui, 2019
1. How and why HR team use social
media for their selection
procedure?
2. What are advantages of social
media recruitment strategy in
organisational operation?
3. Do you think service industries
use social media platform to
attract potential applicants for
job?
Quantitative: 80 enrolment
specialist are taken into account
and close ended questions are
asked to them
Koch et al., What are strategies recruiters follows to Qualitative: 13 open ended
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2018 select potential candidate for their post?
questions are asked to recruiters
based on social media recruitment
strategy.
Sengupta et al.,
2015
1. What are recruitment strategy
recruiters follow to convert their
recruitment procedure into profit
centre?
2. How does Inmicap develop
managerial skills and
capabilities?
3. What are the advantages of new
recruitment and selection
procedure in the enterprise?
Qualitative: Appreciating change
of recruitment approach by using
modern technology,
Table 1: Research questions and methods
(Source: Created by the learner)
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4) Detailed critique of 2 article
Article 1: LINKEDIN for Recruitment: An Examination of Recruiters Use of "Apply" and
"Easy Apply" Features
Kutlu et al. (2018) wrote this article and it has focused on the recruitment process of HR using
LinkedIn. The main motto of this article is to analyse the features such as ‘easy apply’ and
‘apply’. It is also noticed that the recruiters like to use the ‘easy apply’ process as it is convenient
to them. It is also observed that around 500 million people prefer to use LinkedIn for getting
employees or for being employed in a venture.
a) How are the research methodologies applied?
In this article, the authors have followed the qualitative method in order to conduct the
exploratory study. In this context, 5 recruiters such as KPMG Turkey, PwC Spain, Aktif Bank,
ING Bank and Turkiye Spain have been chosen using supervisor’s and friend’s network for
conducting the study. Among them, two members of organisations gave the interview. In order
to get effective result related to recruitment process, Kutlu et al. (2018) stated that social media
such as LinkedIn is an effective tool as everyone is able to get its access. As the study is
conducted to analyse the features of ‘apply’ and ‘easy apply’, it is found out that recruiters prefer
to use ‘easy apply’ process. In order to get this conclusion, telephonic and face-to-face interview
have been conducted. In this data collection process, researcher is able to understand not only the
speech of interviewee, but also it reflects the body language and attitude to the questions. This
also helpful to get effective outcome related to the research.
b) How were the methods deployed to provide a worthwhile contribution to the theory and
research?
In this research, Kutlu et al. (2018) commented that in qualitative method, participants are able
to express their view clearly. It is happened as in this research, open-ended questions are asked to
the participants, where no options are there. In addition to this, as the participants of this research
regularly use LinkedIn for recruitment purpose, their view is valuable. Throughout this research,
it is found out that recruiters follow the ‘easy apply’ method as job seekers find it easy. It
denotes that participants prefer use modern technology and it supports the model of technology
acceptance. Using this process, researcher is also able to understand the advantages and
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disadvantages of the features. It helps to understand that which feature is the preferable for
recruiters and jobseekers.
On the other hand, Sinha and Thaly (2013) contradict that if interviewees do not give proper
information, the findings of the research can be completely work. Therefore, it will not able to
fulfil the aim of the research. In order to solve this contradiction, Kutlu et al. (2018) mentioned
that Data protection Act 1998 can be followed in order to maintain the protection of data.
Therefore, it ensures that information related to research is appropriate. Moreover, it is observed
that recruiters stated that ‘easy apply’ is not a time consuming method as appliers can easily use
it. Therefore, using qualitative method, it is understood that in case of low cost recruitment
process, this is effective software. Using this process, organisations are able to recruit efficient
members in the venture. It is also examined that in ‘easy apply’ process, filtering and getting
appropriate applicants using keywords is not able to give desired result.
Therefore, though ‘easy apply’ feature in LinkedIn is not a time consuming, recruiters need to
search for appropriate candidates for the job role. In addition to this, various journals are
reviewed related to recruitment process through LinkedIn and ways for positing job in LinkedIn
is also mentioned. Thus, this method helps to understand the usage of LinkedIn for recruitment
and around 70% respondents prefer to use this application for gathering information about
applicants. Hence, it can be stated that qualitative method is effective to get proper result related
to research.
c) What gaps the method may leave that could lend the area of further analysis?
The research is conducted by using a small sample size. It is the main limitation of this research.
In this method, only secondary interview is conducted, which is the gap of the method. As only 5
companies are taken, the view of others is not incorporated in this research, which can be taken
as the gap of the study for further analysis. In time of conducting the research in wider aspect,
this outcome will not be enough. However, the research is conducted for both points of view-
recruiters and applicants. Specification is not mentioned in an accurate manner.
In time of analysing opportunity of research, it helps to understand the features of LinkedIn so
that recruiters can post their job application in an effective manner. As impact of social media in
recruitment is analysed, it give clear idea on LinkedIn, which is job offering or seeking related
application.
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