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03/09/2016 CoWell Brown Bag Research Seminar - Dr. Debora Jeske

Making recruitment and selection decisions based on social media content: Effects on perceived fairness, privacy and job pursuit

Wednesday, March 9, 2016 - 12:45 to 14:00


Dr. Debora Jeske
Lecturer in Human Resource Management
in the Business School at Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, UK
d.jeske [at] napier.ac.uk

Venue:
Jacobs University Bremen
Res. IV, Conference Room (Room 52)


Making recruitment and selection decisions based on social media content: Effects on perceived fairness, privacy and job pursuit

The presentation will outline the results of a research project that examined potential applicant reactions to organizations that screen social media in selection. We focused specifically on perceptions of fairness and respect for privacy as well as intentions to pursue a job in such organizations. Using a survey design and various job scenarios, two studies were conducted – a pilot in the USA and a follow-up in the UK. Perceptions of fairness and privacy predicted job pursuit intention in both studies. In addition, perceptions of fairness and privacy regarding the screening practice were higher when the job required explicit interactions with children. Results from the follow-up further show that when information privacy was valued more highly and participants had sensitive online content, they perceived online content screening by employers as less fair and more privacy invasive. Several practical implications are discussed.

For further information about CoWell and the Brown Bag Research Seminars please contact Prof. Dr. Guido Möllering.