Using social media screening in the recruitment and selection process is seen by

many as an unethical practice that violates the privacy of the applicant. Pennington
et al. (2007: 4) defined business ethics as “referring to the moral evaluation of the
goals, polices, practices and decisions taken within business organisations as they
impact on human well-being, fairness, justice, humanity and decency.” The
recruitment process is steadily moving away from established and tradition methods
such as local paper advertising, internal hiring and temp agencies (Venu Kishu,
2016) to modern methods including social media screening leaving managers with
challenges they wouldn’t have previously encountered.

Companies and managers looking to recruit through social media see a range of
advantages that they wouldn’t usually see when recruiting for staff. Firstly, costs
become lower because social most social networking websites are accessible
without costs (Jacobs, 2009). SHRM (2008) found that 51% of companies use social
networking websites for screening applications to save time and save effort.
However, there are many disadvantages to social media screening, the information
may not be accurate, and it is seen as an invasion of privacy. It also damages the
reputation of the company as a study by Madera (2012) showed that an organisation
that use social media to recruit are perceived as less fair than a company do not use
social media as a recruitment tool. All the different arguments, positive and negative
raise the question, should social media screening be permitted in the recruitment
and selection process?

An issue that effects many areas of using social media in the recruitment and
selection process are legal issues. Managers need to be careful when viewing
applicant’s social media because there are lots of risks including violating data
protection laws or other legislation (Robert Walters, 2018). By screening an
applicant’s social media before an interview, interviewers can view information that
answers questions they aren’t allowed to ask applicants in an interview. For
example, information on social media may provide the candidates protected
characteristics including gender reassessment, race, religion, political view and
marital statues (The University Of Sheffield, 2013). To help protect employees The
Equality Act 2010 is in place, according to GOV (2013) “The Equality Act 2010
legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society.”
This law makes it very risky for managers to browse applicant’s social media without
finding information they don’t have to know. The CIPD are a non-profit organisation
helping people having a better working life (CIPD, 2018). In the UK, the Chartered
Institute of Personnel and Development has additionally given guidelines on the
degree to which they consider the screening of social media profiles ethical (CIPD,
2013). Despite the guidelines being offered managers don’t have to follow the CIPD
rules so they may see their rules are being too restrictive in the recruitment process
and ignore them.

According to GOV (2018) “The Data Protection Act controls how your personal

information is used by organisations, businesses or the government.” This law is in
place to make sure that the information found out about applicants is used in a way
that is adequate, the information is relevant and is used fairly. It is seen as unethical

1
for a manager to look for information about an employee’s life style choice such as
religious view of marital status when these have no impact on the employee’s work
(Ünal et al., 2012). This is a view that ties in nicely with The Data Protection Act
however it does leave managers with challenges. There is lots of information
available online on how to create a positive online image of yourself (Haefner, 2009;
Levin Epstein, 2011), meaning individuals can easily create a polished version of
themselves online to impress employers (Kluemper and Rosen, 2009). This creates
issues for managers as they may find an applicant who isn’t suitable for the position
but because of the persona they have created on social media they look suitable for
the role. In contrast the correct applicant may not put as much information about
themselves online or engage online frequently enough to show their true character
(Thomas et al., 2014).

One ethical issue raised is which website are appropriate for employers to use to
gain access about applicants. LinkedIn is a social networking website used by
professionals looking to find career opportunities and connect with other
professionals (Daniel Nations, 2017). It is a website that people present themselves
in a professional manor giving away information that their potential employer would
need to know such as previous work experience, contact details, education and
qualifications. However, social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and
Instagram are much more personal and don’t contain information that the employers
don’t need to know such as marital status, race, religion, disabilities, children and
political view (Thomas SL, 2014). With it becoming increasing harder for people to
gain employment in their desired field many applications feel that refusing to share
access to their social media will deny them the job opportunity. This is a decision that
is seen as very immoral as it means individuals must share private information just to
have the opportunity to work, which blurs the line between personal and work life
(Thomas SL, 2014).

Finding out personal information can leave the applicant feeling violated which poses
many challenges for managing the individual, one of those issues being conflict.
According to Chris Honeyman (2013), workplace conflict is “any type of conflict
which takes place within a workplace or among workers and/or managers, potentially
including conflict between employees out of work hours.” Conflict can cause trouble
as unlike function conflict which allows for more constructive criticism and learning,
dysfunctional conflict leads to more disagreements (Jennifer Lombardo, 2018).
Difunctional conflict leads to less interaction between individuals and managers as
they feel they can’t put their trust in their managers. This will have a knock-on effect
causing more problems such as higher employee turnover, decreased productivity
and less communication. These problems caused by conflict will lead to a decrease
in turnover, so it is important that the problem is properly dealt with.

With social media screen posing managers with many issues, managers need to be
able to respond to these issues properly. One of the ways managers respond to the
issue of social media screening is by making sure all staff are properly trained and
understand business ethics. According to Investopedia (2018) “business ethics is the
study of proper business policies and practices regarding potentially controversial
issues”. By responding to different challenges ethical business are less likely to

2
offend applicants, violate any laws that are in place and can conduct business
honestly and with integrity (Investopedia, 2018).

Another way which managers are responding to the challenge of social media
screening is advising people to be careful what they put on social media. Social
media website all offer privacy policies that allow uses to protect their profiles to their
preference. If applicants don’t want certain information to be seen it is completely in
their power to keep this information private. This means that any information an
employer can find online can be found by anybody, so if applicant is concerned
about this information being used against them they should update the privacy
setting on their social media profiles.

In my opinion I don’t believe that looking thorough applicant personal social media
accounts such as Facebook and Instagram are a good way of recruiting. I believe
this because job seekers expect to be considered for a position based on
established recruitment process. Statics show that 70% of employers feel that
viewing personal social media is looking too far into the applicant’s personal life and
is not a helpful recruitment tool, as well as this 84.5% of applicants regard websites
such as Facebook as personal, not professional (Robert Walters, 2018). These
statics shows that both employers and employees feel that looking at personal social
media website is unnecessary when recruiting. From these finding I suggest that if
companies aren’t using websites like LinkedIn that are made for professionals
looking to recruitment social media recruitment shouldn’t be used at all. I would
recommend that managers use more traditional methods to handle the recruitment
process so that they know what to look for. In the future once, social media
recruitment is a more established practice then more companies can do it effectively.

Another challenge caused by social media screening is diversity in applicants. With

social media recruitment being a new method of recruitment there are generational,
racial and gender differences in the acceptance of social media recruitment. “There
may be demographic differences in terms of who has a webpage or profile and who
does not. Certain socioeconomically disadvantaged racial or ethnic groups may be
less likely to have access to computers and Internet and thus may be less likely to
access social networking websites. There are also likely to be age differences in
access to this technology as well (Davison et al, 2012).”

A report by Nigel Wright Recruitment (2011) highlights figures collected by the

company Quantcast. The figures collected by Quantcast show 80 per cent of
LinkedIn users are white and only 30 per cent are at Director or Manager level.
These figures show that the group of people using LinkedIn are similar meaning that
in comparison to going through some tradition methods of recruiting such as internal
recruitment and hiring through recruitment companies, the applicant may be more
limited in terms of what new aspects they bring to the organisation. This causes a
problem as it is excluding applicants who aren’t online and can have effects on
equality in the firm. This can cause problems for the firm as they will be lacking in
skill in certain areas which wouldn’t have been the case if they had chosen traditional
methods of recruiting. “Participation through the internet seems to be attractive to a

3
different population than those recruited using traditional means: this pool is likely to
be younger white males, more highly educated, more frequent job changers and
already in employment with the sector … The equity of access to employment and
the diversity of the workforce could therefore be affected.” (Searle, 2006)

Managers are responding to this issue by recruiting online and through more
tradition methods such is internal recruitment and recruitment through employment
agencies. By doing this organisation can get a range of applicants and will have
diversity within their workforce.

I would suggest that managers use a range of methods when recruiting, by doing
this they will be less of an issue with diversity and there will be a range of applicants
for the job all brining a different set of skills. With statists showing 59% of applicants
will amend information on their social media profile to make them seem like a better
candidate, this makes the recruitment process unfair for honest applicants. By using
a range of methods managers can find the genuine candidates (Robert Walters,
2018).

In conclusion I think that social media shouldn’t be permitted in the recruitment and
selection process. Despite the benefits that social networks such as LinkedIn provide
I feel that it is far too easy online for people to change aspects of who they are, from
personality to interests and achievement, people can manipulate other online by
creating a false persona which could result in honest people being out of work.
Social media in recruitment and selection is constant changing, with new social
networking website appearing and with constant advances in technology this is a
method of recruitment which may not be for everyone now but will gain popularity
and credibility in the future.

References
Chris Honeyman, Beyond Interrogability (2013) Workplace Conflict Available
at:https://www.beyondintractability.org/coreknowledge/workplace-conflict [accessed
05/04/2018]
CIPD (2013) Pre-employment checks: an employer's guide Available at:
http://www.cipd.co.uk/hr-resources/guides/pre-employment-checks.aspx [accessed
06/04/2018]
CIPD (2018) Who We Available at: https://www.cipd.co.uk/about/who-we-are
[accessed 06/04/2018]
Daniel Nations, Lifewire (2017) What is Linkedin and why you should be on it
Available at: https://www.lifewire.com/what-is-linkedin-3486382 [Accessed
03/04/2018]
Davison, H., Maraist, C., Hamilton, R. and Bing, M. (2012) ‘To screen or not to
screen/ Using the internet for selection decisions’, Employee Responsibilities and
Rights Journal, Vol.24, Issue 1: pp.1-21. [accessed 08/04/2018]
GOV (2018) Data Protection Available at: https://www.gov.uk/data-
protection [accessed 06/04/2018]

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Gov.UK (2013) Equality Act 2010: guidance https://www.gov.uk/guidance/equality-
act-2010-guidance#overview [Accessed 04/04/2018]
Haefner R (2009) More employers screening candidates via social networking sites:
five tips for creating a positive online image Available at:
http://www.careerbuilder.com/ Article/CB-1337-Interview-Tips-More-Employers-
Screening-Candidates-via-Social-Networking-Sites/ [accessed 07/04/2018]
Investopedia (2018) Business Ethics Available at:
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/business-ethics.asp [accessed 15/04/2018]
Investopedia (2018) Code Of Ethics Available at:
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/code-of-ethics.asp [accessed 15/04/2018]
Jacobs, D. (2009). Surviving the social explosion. Landscape Management, 48, pp.
10-13. [Accessed 04/04/2018]
Jacobs, D. (2009). Surviving the social explosion. Landscape Management, 48, pp.
10-13. [Accessed 04/04/2018]
Jennifer Lombardo, Study (2018) Functional vs. Dysfunctional Conflict in
Organizations: Differences and Mediation Available at:
https://study.com/academy/lesson/functional-vs-dysfunctional-conflict-in-
organizations-differences-and-mediation.html [accessed 05/04/2018]
Kluemper DH and Rosen PA (2009) Future employment selection methods:
Evaluating social networking web sites. Journal of Managerial Psychology 24(6):
567-580 [accessed 07/04/2018]
Levin-Epstein A (2011) Create the Perfect ‘Hire Me’ Facebook Page: 9 Simple Tips.
Available at: http:// www.cbsnews.com/8301-505125_162-47541557/create-
theperfect-hire-me-facebook-page-9-simple-tips/ [accessed 07/04/2018]
Pennington A, Macklin R and Campbell T (eds) (2007) Human Resource
Management. Ethics and Employment. Oxford: Oxford University Press. [accessed
03/04/2018]
Robert Walters (2018) Using Social Media In The Recruitment Process Available
at :https://www.robertwalters.com/content/dam/robert-walters/corporate/news-and-
pr/files/whitepapers/using-social-media-in-the-recruitment-process.pdf [accessed
15/04/2018]
Searle, R.H. (2006) ‘New technology: the potential impact of surveillance techniques
in recruitment practices’, Personnel Review, Vol.35, Issues 3: pp.336- 351 [accessed
10/04/2018]
Sheffield University (2013) Equality Act (2010) Available at:
https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/equality/equalityduty/equalityact2010 [accessed
07/04/2018]
SHRM. (2011). SHRM survey findings: The use of social networking websites and
online search engines in screening job candidates Available at:
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socialnetworkingwebsitesandonlinesearchenginesinscreeningjo bcandidates.aspx
[Accessed 04/04/2018]
Thomas SL, Rothschild PC and Donegan C (2014) Social networking, management
responsibilities, and employee rights: The evolving role of social networking in
employment decisions. Employee Responsibilities & Rights Journal, 1-17 [Accessed
04/04/2018]
Thomas SL, Rothschild PC and Donegan C (2014) Social networking, management
responsibilities, and employee rights: The evolving role of social networking in
employment decisions. Employee Responsibilities & Rights Journal, 1-17 [accessed
07/04/2018]
Ünal A, Warren D and Chao C (2012). The normative foundations of unethical
supervision in organizations. Journal of Business Ethics 107(1): 5-19. [accessed
06/04/2018]
Vinu Kishu, Linkedin (2016) Modern Recruitment Methods vs Traditional
Recruitment Methods Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/modern-
recruitment-methods-vs-traditional-venu-kishu [accessed 03/04/2018]

Component 2: Reflective writing

For our managing people at work unit we were given a task and in groups had to
present. Working as a team posed many challenges throughout the task which
myself and other team members had to deal with. In task 2 we researched Mike
Ashley, a successful entrepreneur who had come under attack for not paying staff
minimum wage. We had to analyse the situation coming u with suitable
recommendations for the issue (Investopedia, 2018).

The first challenge faced was getting into a group, having not being present for
seminar 4 and 5, for task 1 I didn’t have a group. This was an issue that I handled by
using some of my interpersonal skills such as communication and listening, this way
I was able to join a team, get along with all the team members and get the task

6
completed to a high standard. One of my values is being a good team member which
came across which I approached my group hoping to work with them. I also believe
that being focused helps other believe in me which helped me on this occasion.
Another value I have is being reliable, considering this to address this issue in the
future I will make sure I attend ever seminar. By doing this I will not miss any task, be
put into a group and be able to develop my presentation skills.

Another issue faced during this task was the distribution of work. When we first
received the task, there was lack in communication and organisation. As a group we
hadn’t assigned areas for each of us to focus on resulting in us starting work on the
presentation later than expected. We solved this problem by creating an online group
chat to talk about the work and using our results from a Belbin survey we had taken
in a different unit. This way of addressing the issue was align with my management
value which is helping other because we were able to come up with a solution to
doing the work that everyone in the group was comfortable with. Using a Facebook
group chat allowed everyone to talk easily as we all felt more comfortable
communicating online. Using results from the Belbin surveys made managing the
task much easier as we were able to distribute tasks based on everyone’s strengths.
For example, Jonny is a monitor evaluator so was able to oversee everyone’s work
and give advice while Rob was a shaper and helped everyone stay focused on the
task. This also aligned with my management beliefs which is that managers work
with people not on them, this relates to Belbin as we are all using our strengths to
help work together and create the best piece of work possible. In future to address
this situation better we will discuss our strengths before, so we don’t waste time
figuring out who is best suited for which task.

In conclusion I think that the presentation of task 2 was successful. Despite there
being delaying in finding a group, distributing of work and the team’s confidence to
communicate myself and the rest of my team member have learnt how to deal with
these situations in the future. The task has also presented management values and
beliefs such as meeting deadlines, helping other, being a great team member, being
honest and being reliable. With learning from the mistakes, I have made as well as
learning new values and beliefs I feel that I will be better in presentations and group
work tasks in the future.

References

Investopedia (2018) Interpersonal Skills

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/interpersonal-skills.asp [accessed 21/04/2018]