power of social networking sites

Abstract

II II The Power of Social Networking Sites in the context of Online Recruitment

The Power of Social Networking Sites

in the context of Online Recruitment

A thesis submitted in part fulfilment of the requirements for the award of BA Honours Management

Author: Adeel Qurashi

Supervisor: Mr Bill Sutherland

Date: 17th of April 2009

Robert Gordon University Aberdeen Business School

Garthdee Road Aberdeen AB10 7QE

Tel: + 44 1224 262000 Web: www.rgu.ac.uk

Abstract

III III The Power of Social Networking Sites in the context of Online Recruitment

Abstract

Social Networking Sites are experiencing a rapid growth; there seems to be no limit to

their size. Many Social Networking Sites boast with millions of members using their

networks on regular basis to communicate, share, create, and collaborate with others.

Popular examples of these Social Networking Sites are Facebook, LinkedIn and Bebo.

Although most of these sites lack decent business models, they are valued at millions

of pounds. Google paid 1.5 billion dollar for YouTube when it wasn’t even earning a

single penny.

The reason successful Social Networking Sites have become so valuable is due to the

amount of people that are using it; and people are exactly what organisations are

after. This report aims to find out whether Social Networking Sites have the same

value in the context of recruitment. Academic literature extensively discusses online

recruitment, however not much is said about recruitment on Social Networking Sites:

‘Sociocruitment’.

Research revealed that professionals are quite optimistic about Sociocruitment.

Although users of Social Networking Sites had a disperse opinion on organisations

contacting them on these websites; not many were negative.

The contemporary research furthermore harvested information from a range of

sources to create understanding of key issues allowing readers to familiarise

themselves with the concept. Finally the report makes suggestions on how

organisations can engage in this new media.

Acknowledgements

IV IV The Power of Social Networking Sites in the context of Online Recruitment

Acknowledgements

The author would like to express his sincere appreciation to all those that have assisted

in the completion of this Thesis.

Mr. Bill Sutherland - Thesis Supervisor, RGU

Mr Sutherland has been an excellent Supervisor. The author could not have completed the research without his guidance and ongoing support. Due to Mr Sutherland’s critical yet motivating feedback the author managed to complete his Thesis. An acknowledgement does not cover the author’s immense gratitude towards Mr Sutherland. Ms. Karin Hermans - Area Manager, Randstad

The author has had a great experience working for Ms Karin in the past and would like to thank her for her unconditional support to the author. Mr. Bas van de Haterd - Consultant, van de Haterd Consultancy

Mr. van de Haterd has shown great interest in the research and assisted the author wherever possible. His timely response and assistance is greatly appreciated. Respondents

Author would like to thank all the people that took the time to respond to the questionnaire and assisted in gathering the primary data. Friends & Family

Finally the author would like to thank his friends for their great company and for enduring me for the past two years in Aberdeen. Their assistance under the motto: “Cheering Works” has been very motivating. I would also like to thank my family for their support, with special mention to my Mom and Dad, for always covering my back and providing me with encouraging words.

Table of Contents

V V The Power of Social Networking Sites in the context of Online Recruitment

Table of Contents

Abstract .................................................................................................... III

Acknowledgements .................................................................................. IV

Table of Contents ...................................................................................... V

Appendices ............................................................................................. VIII

List of Figures ........................................................................................... IX

List of Tables ............................................................................................. XI

1 Introduction ..........................................................................................1

1.1 Preface............................................................................................................ 2

1.2 Rationale ........................................................................................................ 2

1.3 Statement of Research Question .................................................................... 3

1.4 Aim of Research .............................................................................................. 4

1.5 Objectives ....................................................................................................... 4

1.6 Outline of the Chapters................................................................................... 5

1.6.1 Chapter 1 – Introduction .......................................................................... 5

1.6.2 Chapter 2 – Literature Review ................................................................. 6

1.6.3 Chapter 3 – Methodology ........................................................................ 6

1.6.4 Chapter 4 – Findings and Analysis............................................................ 6

1.6.5 Chapter 5 – Conclusions ........................................................................... 6

1.6.6 Chapter 6 - Recommendations ................................................................ 6

2 Literature review .................................................................................. 7

2.1 Introduction to literature ................................................................................ 8

2.2 Recruitment .................................................................................................... 9

2.2.1 Fundamentals of Recruitment ................................................................. 9

2.2.2 Recruitment Agencies ........................................................................... 15

2.2.3 Issues in Recruitment ............................................................................. 15

2.3 Web 2.0......................................................................................................... 18

2.3.1 Web 2.0 Definition ................................................................................. 18

2.3.2 Introduction to Web 2.0 ......................................................................... 20

2.3.3 Web 2.0 Technology .............................................................................. 22

2.3.4 Business use of Web 2.0 ......................................................................... 26

2.4 Social Networking Sites ................................................................................ 28

Table of Contents

VI VI The Power of Social Networking Sites in the context of Online Recruitment

2.4.1 SNS’s – the Basics .................................................................................. 28

2.4.2 Characteristics of Social Networking Sites............................................. 29

2.4.3 Social Networking Sites ......................................................................... 30

2.5 Online Recruitment ...................................................................................... 32

2.5.1 Recruiting Online ................................................................................... 32

2.5.2 Advantages ............................................................................................ 32

2.5.3 Disadvantages ....................................................................................... 34

2.6 Recruitment on Social Networking Sites ...................................................... 36

2.6.1 SNS part of Recruitment practise .......................................................... 36

2.6.2 Passive jobseekers ................................................................................. 37

2.6.3 Characteristics ....................................................................................... 38

2.6.4 Issues ..................................................................................................... 39

3 Methodology ......................................................................................41

3.1 Research overview ........................................................................................ 42

3.2 Research Philosophy ..................................................................................... 42

3.3 Research Approach ....................................................................................... 43

3.4 Research Design ........................................................................................... 44

3.5 Research Strategy......................................................................................... 45

3.6 Secondary Research ..................................................................................... 45

3.6.1 Robert Gordon University ...................................................................... 46

3.6.2 Databases .............................................................................................. 46

3.7 Primary Research .......................................................................................... 47

3.7.1 Surveys .................................................................................................. 49

3.7.2 Interviews .............................................................................................. 52

3.8 Rationale for Selected Methods .................................................................... 55

3.9 Ethical Considerations .................................................................................. 56

3.10 Confidentiality .............................................................................................. 57

3.11 Authenticity of the Data ............................................................................... 57

3.12 Limitations of the Research .......................................................................... 57

4 Findings and Analysis ........................................................................ 59

4.1 Introduction .................................................................................................. 60

4.2 Questionnaire ............................................................................................... 61

4.2.1 General Questions ................................................................................. 62

4.2.2 Technology ............................................................................................ 68

4.2.3 Social Networking Sites ......................................................................... 71

4.2.4 Recruitment ........................................................................................... 75

4.2.5 Professional vs. Personal ....................................................................... 82

4.3 Interviews ..................................................................................................... 88

Table of Contents

VII VII The Power of Social Networking Sites in the context of Online Recruitment

4.3.1 Findings ................................................................................................. 89

4.3.2 Interpretation/Discussion ...................................................................... 94

5 Conclusion ..........................................................................................97

5.1 The report ..................................................................................................... 98

5.2 Social Networking Sites ................................................................................ 98

5.3 Sociocruitment ............................................................................................. 99

5.4 Limitations.................................................................................................. 100

6 Recommendations ........................................................................... 101

6.1 Introduction ................................................................................................ 102

6.2 Recommendations...................................................................................... 103

6.2.1 Have a strategy .................................................................................... 103

6.2.2 Online Social Profile ............................................................................ 103

6.2.3 Social Bookmarking ............................................................................. 104

6.2.4 Build applications ................................................................................ 104

6.2.5 Explore opportunities .......................................................................... 104

6.3 Further Research ........................................................................................ 105

References ............................................................................................. 106

Bibliography ........................................................................................... 115

Appendix ................................................................................................. 118

Appendices

VIII VIII The Power of Social Networking Sites in the context of Online Recruitment

Appendices

Appendix 1 – Questionnaire 119

Appendix 2 – Questionnaire Results 127

Appendix 3 – Interviews 136

List of Figures

IX IX The Power of Social Networking Sites in the context of Online Recruitment

List of Figures

Figure 1 – Eight steps in R&S process (Cornelius 2001) ................................................13

Figure 2 – Participation in Social Activities identified by Li, Forrester Research (2007).21

Figure 3 – Participation model of a Web 2.0 service (Hoegg et al 2006 p.9) .................23

Figure 4 - Overview of Web 2.0 apps (Hoegg et al 2006 p.8) ........................................26

Figure 5 – Overview of Social Networking Sites (Gerbranda 2007 p. 10) ......................29

Figure 6 – Sources of Primary Data (Ghauri and Gronhaug (2005) ...............................48

Figure 7 - Data collection approaches in qualitative research (Creswell 2007) .............53

Figure 8 – Findings: Gender response ..........................................................................62

Figure 9 – Findings: Age group .....................................................................................63

Figure 10 – Findings: Education level ...........................................................................63

Figure 11 – Findings: Occupation .................................................................................64

Figure 12 – Findings: Ethnicity .....................................................................................65

Figure 13 – Findings: Location .....................................................................................66

Figure 14 – Findings: Internet Access ...........................................................................68

Figure 15 – Findings: Use of Internet ...........................................................................69

Figure 16 – Findings: Computer Literate ......................................................................69

Figure 17 – Findings: Use of Social Networking Sites ...................................................71

Figure 18 – Findings: Usage Social Networking Sites ....................................................72

Figure 19 – Findings: Purpose of using Social Networking Sites....................................73

Figure 20 – Findings: Use of On-line methods to find a job ..........................................75

Figure 21 – Findings: Passive jobseekers ......................................................................76

Figure 22 – Findings: Preferred place to work ..............................................................77

List of Figures

X X The Power of Social Networking Sites in the context of Online Recruitment

Figure 23 – Findings: Organisation Contacting individuals on SNS ................................78

Figure 24 – Findings: Individuals contacting Organisations on SNS ..............................79

Figure 25 - Findings: View recommended vacancy .......................................................79

Figure 26 - Professional vs. Personal: gender difference ..............................................82

Figure 27 - Professional vs. Personal: Purpose of Internet ...........................................83

Figure 28 – Professional vs. Personal: Passive Jobseekers ............................................83

Figure 29 - Professional vs. Personal: most popular work places .................................84

Figure 30 - Professional vs. Personal: Organisation contact individuals ........................85

Figure 31 - Professional vs. Personal: Individuals contact Organisations ......................85

List of Tables

XI XI The Power of Social Networking Sites in the context of Online Recruitment

List of Tables

Table 1 – Model of Psychological Contract (Guest 2002) .............................................10

Table 2 – Recruitment methods (CIPD 2005) ...............................................................14

Table 3 – Web 1.0 vs. Web 2.0 in O’Reilly Conference (2004) ......................................20

Table 4 – Features of Popular Websites (Cormode and Krishnamurthy 2008) ..............22

Table 5 – Overview of the technologies (retrieved from Murugesan (2007) ................25

Table 6 – Advantages of using E-Recruitment according to CIPD (2009) ......................33

Table 7 – Disadvantages of using E-Recruitment according to CIPD (2009) ..................34

Table 8 – Advantages of using SNS for recruitment (Gupta 2008 p. 2) .........................38

Table 9 – Disadvantages of using SNS for recruitment (Gupta 2008 p. 2) .....................38

Table 10 – Three research philosophies .......................................................................42

Table 11 – Research approach as described by Ghauri and Gronhaug (2005) ..............43

Table 12 – Questionnaire Categories ...........................................................................51

1 Introduction

Introduction

2 2 The Power of Social Networking Sites in the context of Online Recruitment

1.1 Preface

User generated content has grown exponentially. Websites allowing its users to share

content are increasing rapidly. Companies such as Facebook, Bebo, and Twitter are

valued at millions of pounds. Google even paid 1.5 billion dollar for YouTube; one the

largest websites offering user generated content.

The primary service offered by Social Networking Sites is the possibility to connect to

people and create, share and collaborate. The extensive use of Social Networking Sites

by individuals has allowed organisations to use it effectively for other activities.

Companies are willing to pay a lot of money to advertise on these websites and access

the information made available by its users. Other organisations are using these

websites to extend their marketing efforts and create loyalty among their customers.

This report aims to investigate a neglected use of Social Networking Sites; it will focus

on how these enormously popular websites can be used by organisations to recruit

people.

1.2 Rationale

The growth of Social Networking Sites has not gone unnoticed; within a few years, they

have entirely changed the landscape of internet. The media is constantly reporting the

growth and the use of Social Networking Sites, while investors are willing to invest

millions of pounds in companies that lack event the most basic principles of business

models.

Introduction


However there are two things that seem to make all the difference, the users and their

content. Online communities receive great attention from their users and offer many

business opportunities for organisations.

Marketing literature has always associated high value to word-of-mouth promotions,

with Social Networking Sites, this concept has revolutionised. Allowing content to be

shared immediately around to globe with millions of other people, hence it may come

as no surprise that academics and professionals are extensively discussing the use of

Social Networking Sites as a marketing tool. Other business disciplines seem to be

somewhat ignored.

One of the neglected aspects is recruitment; Social Networking Sites and Recruitment

have one main thing in common: They both revolve around people. Organisations are

not fully aware of the potential that Social Networking Sites have in the context of

Recruitment. Other organisations do not fully understand the concept or are reluctant

to the changes that are occurring. Provided with relevant data, these organisations can

determine whether Social Networking is applicable within their recruitment practises.

This study aims to fill that knowledge gap, by researching existing literature from a

range of sources and by conducting primary research among the users of Social

Networking Sites; the study will assist organisations in understanding this new

technology and identify opportunities in their own environment.

1.3 Statement of Research Question

‘To analyse how Social Networking Sites can be used by organisations to enhance

recruitment activities and to identify the perception of users engaged by this approach’

Introduction


1.4 Aim of Research

The aim of this study is to research how the increased use of Social Networking Sites

can allow organisations to exploit these modern resources.

1.5 Objectives

The following research objectives will be set for this study

To describe the concept of Web 2.0 and why Social Networking Sites play a

major role in present times.

The aim of this objective is to create an understanding of Social Networking

Sites and the fundamental technology that has contributed to the success of

Social Networking Sites.

To perform a research into existing literature concerning (On-line)

Recruitment, Web 2.0 and Social Networking Sites.

The aim of this objective is to gather data relevant to Social Networking Sites,

Recruitment and Web 2.0. Investigating current literature will allow a better

understanding of the research problem and the related issues. A wide range of

sources will be drawn upon to create a good understanding of the three key

points.

Introduction


To investigate the opinion and perception of Professionals on the use of Social

Networking Sites.

The aim of this objective is to investigate through primary research how

professionals dealing with recruitment and Social Networking concepts

perceive the technology.

To identify the use, opinion and perception of members of Social Networking

Sites in the context of organisations approaching them regarding recruitment.

The aim of this objective is to understand how individuals use Social

Networking Sites and their stance towards communicating with organisations

through the use of Social Networking Sites.

To recommend initiatives based on the findings allowing organisations to

identify opportunities in their own environment and indicate further area of

research.

The aim of this objective is to assist organisations in understanding the use of

Social Networking Sites by making recommendations based on the findings.

Furthermore, the author intends to identify further areas of research.

1.6 Outline of the Chapters

This section provides a brief outline of the overall structure applied to this thesis.

1.6.1 Chapter 1 – Introduction

This first chapter introduces the thesis, by providing background to the study and

research problem. It identifies the purpose of the research and the objective that have

been outlined by the author.

Introduction


1.6.2 Chapter 2 – Literature Review

The second chapter is divided into sub headings, each sub heading covers relevant

existing data revolving around the topic. The chapter sets out the scene for further

investigation on which the author based his primary research.

1.6.3 Chapter 3 – Methodology

The third chapter demonstrates the research approach and what methods have been

applied in order to collect relevant data and how this data was analysed. The chapter

further describes the research limitations and considerations that have been taken

into account by the author when conducting the contemporary study.

1.6.4 Chapter 4 – Findings and Analysis

The fourth chapter presents the findings of the primary research. The data retrieved

from the interviews and questionnaires is then analysed and discussed.

1.6.5 Chapter 5 – Conclusions

The fifth chapter summarises the report and draws conclusions from the findings.

1.6.6 Chapter 6 - Recommendations

The sixth chapter contains recommendations made by the author based on the

research and findings. The recommendations are aimed to assist organisations in

identifying opportunities in their surroundings, while recommendations are also made

to indicate areas for further research.

Literature review


2 Literature review

Literature review


2.1 Introduction to literature

Literature review has been defined by Hart (1998) as:

“The selection of available documents (both published and unpublished) on the

topic, which contain information, ideas, data and evidence written from a

particular standpoint to fulfil certain aims or express certain views on the

nature of the topic and how it is to be investigated, and the effective evaluation

of these documents in the relation to the research being proposed”

In this chapter the author will discuss the findings derived from extensive secondary

research that has been undertaken. The findings are primarily gathered from journals,

textbooks, websites and academic literature. The author focused on retrieving

information on Recruitment, Web 2.0 and Social Networking Sites.

The literature review provides a solid basis for further discussion of the research

problem and the set objectives. To produce a solid base, the author addressed the

fundamentals of each topic and then proceeded with practical examples and by adding

extensive research.

The headings in this chapter communicate the essential topics within this research and

are ordered as following:

Recruitment

Web 2.0

Social Networking Sites

Online Recruitment

Literature review


2.2 Recruitment

2.2.1 Fundamentals of Recruitment

Recruitment and selection became key issues to organisations towards the end of

1980’s (Gold 1999). Curnow (1989 p.40) confirms this by stating: “recruitment is

moving to the top of the personnel professional’s agenda”. Recruitment can be seen as

a form of business competition; recruitment is not only business, it is big business

(Cascio 1995).

In the modern era recruitment has become part of the overall HRM practises. Watson

(1994 p.185) describes recruitment as: “the processes by which organisations solicit,

contact and interest potential appointees, and then establish whether it would be

appropriate to appoint any of them”. Marchington and Wilkinson (1997) define the

practise of recruiting and selecting people to fill new or existing positions as a crucial

element of personnel and development activity in all organisations, irrespective of

their size, structure or orientation.

Recruitment and Selection are two terms that are usually combined in academic

literature. Recruitment could hence be regarded as actions taken to find the right

people and Selection as picking the right people. Foot and hook (2008, p. 142) also

consider the recruitment process to be closely linked with selection as they state:

“Both activities are directed towards obtaining employees with the requisite competencies and attitudes, and recruitment activities lay the groundwork for the selection process by providing the pool of applicants from who selectors may choose”

The definition considers searching and selecting to be the key aspects of recruitment.

Yet it is difficult to state where recruitment stops and selection begins (Anderson

Literature review


1994). Whitehill (1991) describes the recruitment process as the positive part where

one is creating a pool of potentially qualified people, and describes the selection as the

negative part, where a few are selected from many. Newell and Shackleton (2000

p.113) specifically describe the act of recruiting as: “process of attracting people who

might make a contribution to the particular organisation”. Gold (2003) identifies two

crucial issues within this definition, firstly he claims: “there is a need to attract people,

this implying that people do have a choice about which organisation they wish to work

for” and the second issue Gold identifies is: “the contribution that people will make to

an organisation is not totally predictable”. The response of Gold was aimed at

organisations believing firmly that it is the organisation that selects the people and not

people selecting organisations. One may argue that the power balance in each

situation is affected by many factors such as the supply and demand of particular type

of people.

In the recent years, academics have discussed a more complicated recruitment

process. For instance, there is growing evidence that having a positive psychological

contact with employees can lead to increased motivation and higher loyalty towards

the organisation (Guest, Davey and Patch 1988). Some large organisations are using

organisational psychologists or consultants to improve the reliability and validity of the

selection decision (Marchington and Wilkinson 1997). Guest (2002) has developed a

model of the psychological contract (see Table 1).

Inputs Contents Contents

Employee Characteristics Fairness Employee behaviour

Organisation Characteristics Trust Performance

HR practises Delivery

Table 1 – Model of Psychological Contract (Guest 2002)

Literature review


But what exactly is a psychological contract. Psychological contracts can be described

as the set of expectations held by the individual employee who specifies what the

individual and the organisation expect to give to and receive from each other in the

course of their working relationship (Sims, 1994). Guest (1998 p. 650) states: “The

contract resides in the interaction rather than in the individual or the organization”.

Schein (1965, 1980) also pays attention to the psychological contract, defining it as a

set of unwritten expectations present at each moment between each member of the

organization and others in the organisation. As defined by the authors, the

psychological contracts are an important component of the employees and their

organisations (Maguire 2002). The reason for it being so important is that we live in an

era of employee relations and not industrial relations (Guest 1998). Hence care must

be taken when contracts are drawn and people are being attracted towards the

organisation.

Gold highlights the importance of attracting people, as recruitment is usually for a

great deal considered to be seen from the organisation’s perspective. Torrington et al

(1996) argue that it is essential for organisations to realise that the process of

recruitment and selection is not a one-way system. They continue by stating:

“Recruitment is now recognised as a two-way process: candidates often need to be convinced that the organisation, the position being offered, remuneration and any additional perquisites and the future prospects fit in with their individual career plans” (Torrington et al. 1996 p.172)

Cascio (1995) describes two approaches to recruitment, the first where recruitment is

considered to be a one way process can be termed as ‘prospecting’, whereas the two-

way approach can be termed as ‘mating’. In the present times the mating strategy

Literature review


seems to be more common, where companies put much effort in marketing

themselves.

As Human Resource Management has become more sophisticated, recruitment

practises exist of a wide variety, reflecting the organisation’s strategy and its

philosophy towards people (Gold 2003). A recruiter now needs to consider several

elements and factors to create a perfect match between the employer and employee.

The act of recruitment is defined and what should be taken into account, but what is

the aim of recruitment practises, Armstrong (1996 p. 443) states:

“The overall aim of the recruitment and selection process should be to obtain at minimum cost the number and quality of employees required to satisfy the human resource needs of the company”

The aim of recruiting is not only to attract and select people, it should also be done in a

cost effective way. Hook and Foot (2008 p.143) consider the following points to be the

aims of recruitment:

- “To obtain a pool of suitable candidates for vacant posts” - “To use a fair process and be able to demonstrate that the process was fair” - “To ensure that all recruitment activities contribute to organisational goals and

a desirable organisational image” - “To conduct recruitment activities in an efficient and cost-effective manner”

With the information provided by these authors, it can be confirmed that recruitment

starts with creating a pool of people which are then filtered based on the requirements

set by the organisation. In order to create this pool, HRM literature covers many tools

and methods that can be used by recruiters to create a pool and filter them according

to set criteria’s.

Literature review


Stages involving recruitment and selection are extensively described by academic

literature; they are either very detailed or very simplified. Cornelius (2001 p. 31, Figure

1.2) identifies eight key steps in the recruitment and selection process. The

recruitment process consists of two major stages, job analysis and advertising (Martin

and Jackson 1997). The other steps are part of selection. For the sake of relevance,

only the recruitment part will be discussed.

Figure 1 – Eight steps in R&S process (Cornelius 2001)

The process starts with identifying the need to recruit. According to the traditional

methods it is then common to write a comprehensive job description, which will allow

the recruiter to exactly know what the purpose, duties and responsibilities of the

vacant position are (Beardwell and Claydon 2007). The job description is used to set

the selection criteria.

8. Measure, review, evaluate

7. Induct the new starter

6. Select the right person

5. Advertise the vacancy

4. Determine the reward

3. Define the selection criteria

2. Analyse the requirments

1. Identify the need to recruit

Literature review


After the basic information on the vacancy is available, an organisation then must

decide which recruitment method will serve them best. A recruitment process that

generates insufficient applications or too many unsuitable ones, the process will

become expensive (Marchington and Wilkinson 2005).

To generate the initial pool of candidates, the available job must be advertised. Martin

and Jackson (1997) state: “advertising can be a very expensive activity, especially if we

get it wrong”. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) each year

investigates the most popular recruitment methods (see Table 2). The most

appropriate source depends on the group the organisations wishes to target (Martin

and Jackson 1997). From the figures provided by CIPD (2005); local newspaper adverts,

recruitment agencies and own website are the most used methods. E-recruitment is

not a separate category in their research. Even though there has been a rapid growth

in online recruitment (Gold 2003).

Tool % Tool %

Local Newspaper adverts 85 Employee referral scheme 38

Recruitment agencies 80 Links with school/college/uni 35

Own website 67 Apprentices/interns 32

Specialists journals/trade press 59 Commercial website 30

National Newspapers adverts 55 Physical posters/billboards/vehicles 14

Jobcentre Plus 54 Radio or TV adverts 9

Speculative application/WOM 52 Other 7 Table 2 – Recruitment methods (CIPD 2005)

Literature review


2.2.2 Recruitment Agencies

Recruitment agencies are one of the most widely available and used outside sources

(Cascio 1995). Ulrike Hotopp is the Employment Relations Directorate at the

Department of Trade and Industry, Hotopp (2001 P.1) states: “The recruitment

industry is gaining importance in most industrialised countries”. This has not gone

unnoticed, as the leading companies have experienced healthy growth. The three

largest recruitment agencies in the world together generated total revenue of 50

billion euro’s in 2007.

Adecco SA, Manpower Inc, Randstad N.V. and Vedior are the leading organisations in

this industry (Data Monitor 2008). These large companies benefit from economies of

scale (Data Monitor 2008). In 2008 Randstad and Vedior agreed to merge and become

the second largest HR Company in the world with about 8% of the global market

(Recruiter 2008). The global HR market now has three major players: Adecco, Randstad

and Manpower.

2.2.3 Issues in Recruitment

Recruitment is becoming more complex, different internal and external issues are

affecting this practise. Issues in Human Resource Management can be analysed in

terms of legal, moral and business consideration (Foot and Hook 2008)

2.2.3.1 Legal

Organisations have considerable freedom in selecting people they want to recruit,

however legislation plays a significant role in the recruitment and selection process;

particularly in attempt to prevent discrimination on the grounds of sex, race or

disability (Beardwell, Holden and Claydon 2004). Governments are introducing

Literature review


increased legislation. Latest European legislations focus on Data protection and other

sorts of discrimination. According to Armstrong (1996) the legal framework to

recruitment is provided by The Employment Protection Act 1978, The Employment Act

1982, The Trade Union Reform and Employment Act (1993), The Sex Discrimination

Acts 1975/1986 and The Race Relations Act 1976. It is extremely important for

organisations to comply with these legislations. In the UK, the Chartered Institute of

Personnel and Development has over 110.000 members and is perceived as the body

representing recruitment and selections activities (Beardwell, Holden and Claydon

2004).

2.2.3.2 Business

Companies tend to lack understanding of HR practises and recruitment in particular.

The situation seems to be worse in small firms where the role of Human Resource and

internal communication is often not considered at all (Russo et al 1995). When it

comes to recruitment, bigger organisations have a better structured internal

communication, but still the gathering of information is seldom done on a regular basis

(Russo et al 1995). Most of the business issues seem to address smaller firm. Small

firms are less able to sustain internal labour markets, hence may struggle to retain key

staff and are more vulnerable to changes in the external labour market (Lane 1994;

Hendry et al 1995). Atkinson and Storey (1993) found that small firm report labour

market problems more often than any other types of business problem. The amateur

approach to Human Resource Management in small firms is usually justified by it being

more cost efficient (Carroll et al 1999).

Literature review


2.2.3.3 Ethical

Taking ethical issues into regards is considered to be extremely important in present

times. However the ethical dimension of HR policy and practise has been downplayed

in recent literate, moving the emphasis to ‘strategic fit’ and ‘best practise’ (Winstanley

and Woodall 2000). The term ethics is described by Petrick and Quinn (1997 p.42) as:

“Ethics is the study of individual and collective moral awareness, judgement, character,

and conduct”

The tone set during the recruitment process must be carefully handled, as it

represents the attitude of the firm and members, it also has impact on future

relationship with the firm (Winstanley and Woodall 2000).

Literature review


2.3 Web 2.0

2.3.1 Web 2.0 Definition

Much debate has been done regarding the definition of the term Web 2.0. The term

was originally described (O’Reilly 2007 p.18) as:

“Like many important concepts, Web 2.0 doesn’t have a hard boundary, but rather, a gravitational core. You can visualize Web 2.0 as a set of principles and practices that tie together a veritable solar system of sites that demonstrate some or all of those principles, at a varying distance from that core”

The original definition provided by O’Reilly seemed to be very ambiguous and hence

many others attempted to define Web 2.0. Latham (2008 p.1) states “Web 2.0 is most

recognizable in its incarnation as collective knowledge tool...”

Although many ideas of the concept exist, the label remains difficult to describe

(Alexander and Levine 2008). As an expert in the field, Murugesan (2007 p.34) provides

his definition and states:

“Web 2.0 is also called the wisdom Web, people centric Web, participative Web, and read/write Web. Web 2.0 harnesses the Web in a more interactive and collaborative manner, emphasizing peers’ social interaction and collective intelligence, and presents new opportunities for leveraging the Web and engaging its users more effectively”

The definition given by Murugesan is more specific on the usage of Web 2.0 and

provides more criteria to evaluate whether something can be regarded as Web 2.0

An interesting definition is provided by Cormode and Krishnamurthy (2008 p.2), they

define web 2.0 as: “Web 2.0 is both a platform on which innovative technologies have

been built and a space where users are treated as first class objects”

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This definition is interesting as it does not only emphasise the change in the

technological area, it also indicates that users have become increasingly important,

hence receive more attention and are more valued.

O’Reilly realised the clutter around the term Web 2.0 and posted a new article to give

his definition of Web 2.0, this time being more precise in his explanation; he states:

“Web 2.0 is the business revolution in the computer industry caused by the move to the internet as platform, and an attempt to understand the rules for success on that new platform. Chief among those rules is this: Build applications that harness network effects to get better the more people use them” (O’Reilly 2006)

O’Reilly (2006) further develops this definition by adding the following rules:

- Don’t treat software as an artefact, but as a process of engagement with your users (“The perpetual beta”)

- Open your data and services for re-use by others, and re-use the data and services of others whenever possible. (“Small pieces loosely joined”)

- Don’t think of applications that reside on either client or server, but build applications that reside in the space between the devices. (“software above the level of single device”)

- Remember that in a network environment, open Application Programming Interfaces and standard protocol win, but this doesn’t mean that the idea of competitive advantage goes away. (“The law of conservation of attractive profits”)

- Chief among the future sources of lock in and competitive advantage will be data, whether through increasing return from user-generated data, through owning name space, or through proprietary file formats.

The latest definition of O’Reilly provides a better understanding of the concept,

however as Web 2.0 is becoming a buzz word for marketers, the term risks of being

perceived differently among people. From the definitions provided by several

academics, one thing can be concluded: Web 2.0 is a collective environment in which

user generated content is highly encouraged.

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2.3.2 Introduction to Web 2.0

The concept of Web 2.0 was officially introduced by O’Reilly Media in 2004 (O’Reilly,

2005) and it is how next generation Web is described. The Web is more important than

ever (O’Reilly, 2007). The initial brainstorm led to a draft (see Table 3), which

characterised the difference between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 (O’Reilly 2004).

Web 1.0 Web 2.0

DoubleClick Google AdSense

Ofoto Flickr

Akamai BitTorrent

Mp3.com Napster

Britannica Online Wikipedia

Personal websites Blogging

Evite Upcoming.org and EVDB

Domain name speculation Search Engine Optimizarion

Page views Cost per click

Screen scraping Web services

Publishing Participation

Content Management System Wikis

Directories Tagging

Stickiness Syndication Table 3 – Web 1.0 vs. Web 2.0 in O’Reilly Conference (2004)

A key Web 2.0 principle according to O’Reilly (2007) is that the service automatically

gets better as more people use it. O’Reilly (2007 p.22) continues with:

“The central principle behind the success of the giants born in the Web 1.0 era who have survived to lead the Web 2.0 era appears to be this, that they have embraced the power of the web to harness collective intelligence”

The essential difference between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 according to Cormode and

Krishnamurthy (2008 p.2) is that “... content creators were few in Web 1.0 with the

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vast majority of users simply acting as consumers of content, while any participant can

be a content creator in Web 2.0 ...”

Figure 2 – Participation in Social Activities identified by Li, Forrester Research (2007)

This idea is further analysed by Li (2007), he argues that the foundation of social

strategy lies in the different types of user participation. Each user of Social

Technologies is perceived to be at a different stage (Figure 2). When Li’s level of

participation figure is tilted, the model introduced by Roger (1962) ‘diffusion of

innovations’ can be seen; the creators can be perceived as the innovators, whereas the

in-actives are the laggards.

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The concept of Web 2.0 heavily relies on its users to participate and contribute. Di

Loreto (2007) identifies three trends to be the key to success; it is important to be on

the internet in a simple way, to be able to share knowledge and to link people.

2.3.3 Web 2.0 Technology

Web 2.0 is about collaboration and interaction. These activities are performed in many

different ways. Cormode and Krishnamurthy (2008) listed some of the popular

websites (see Table 4), however they indicated that some of these website, they

consider to be Web 1.5, this as “it fails to offer sufficient ways for the users to interact

with the content” (Cormode and Krishnamurthy 2008 p.7).

Feature Class Feature

Face

bo

ok

You

Tub

e

Flic

kr

Live

Jo

urn

al

MyS

pac

e

Dig

g

Frie

nd

ster

Am

azo

n

Ebay

Cra

igsl

ist

Slas

hd

ot

Profile Details Age

Location

Gender

Testimonials

Other data

Connectivity Friends

Subscriptions

Groups

Content Main content profile video

s photo

s blogs profile link

s profile

s product

s product

s ads article

s

Other content photo

s photo

s blog, photo photos photos photos

photos

Tagging

Friends only

Comments

Editable content

Rateable content

Viewing statistics

Technical Public API

Embedding allowed

Many RSS feeds

Private messages

Web 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.5 1.5 1.5 1,5 1.5 1.5

Table 4 – Features of Popular Websites (Cormode and Krishnamurthy 2008)

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In order to further understand how these websites have managed to grow

exponentially, some of the elements of Web 2.0 technologies are discussed.

Hoegg et al (2006 p.7) state: “from a business model perspective, not the resulting

community but the service is of importance that has the potential to result into a

community”. Hoegg et al indicate that the main focus in Web 2.0 environment lies on

tools and services that allow content to be collaboratively created, managed and

shared. The participation model offers a great visual of what has been said previously

(see Figure 3). The objective and the vision is what the tool or service wants to achieve,

User is responsible for the content and the service provider supplies the technical

framework.

Figure 3 – Participation model of a Web 2.0 service (Hoegg et al 2006 p.9)

As mentioned, Web 2.0 consists of several new Web Technologies. A highly accepted

feature of the new Web is Blogging, although it is basically a personal homepage in

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dairy format. (O’Reilly 2007). Skrenta (2005) comments on the chronological

organisation of a blog “it seems like a trivial difference, but it drives and entirely

different delivery, advertising and value chain” The description that is provided by

Skrenta is very true and not limited to blogs as this is confirmed by the latest wave of

business start-up where the business models seems to be completely different to

traditional models.

The part that has made difference in Blogging and in Web 2.0 is the RSS technology,

O’Reilly (2007 p.24) describes it as: “RSS allows someone to link not to just a page, but

to subscribe to it, with notification every time that page changes”. It has been very

effective in sharing content among a large group.

Another very useful Web 2.0 technology is tagging. With the enormous growth of web

pages; tagging allows the content to be categorised by the web users (Murugesan

2007). Folksonomonies are a consequence of all these tags, their advantage over the

traditional taxonomies is that they are more quickly able to response to users’ needs

and adepts the categorisation based on the use of users. Tagging is described by

Marlow et al (2006) as:

“Instead of well-defined, vertical and centralised classification, users develop

personal tags as a new way of organising information, which is a compromise

between personal filing and collective production of taxonomy”

Another very popular tool from the Web 2.0 stall is Social Bookmarking. This tool can

be used by any webpage to make the content on the page ‘shareable’ among the Web

2.0 community. The content can be immediately shared on many popular Social

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Networking Sites, i.e. Facebook, Digg and Delicious. Organisations apply this method to

make their content more shareable without having to build a proper Web 2.0

compatible site.

Technology Description

Blogs Two way Web-based communication tool

RSS Feeds summarising information

Tags Keywords added to blogs or articles

Folksonomy Refers to user generated taxonomies of information

Mashups Web page combining information from several sources

Wikis A collaborative authoring system for creating and editing content Table 5 – Overview of the technologies (retrieved from Murugesan (2007)

All these different tools take us back to the definition of Web 2.0; which is a collectivist

online society, or as Aguiton and Cardon (2007 p. 55) describe it:

“Web 2.0 services can be characterized by the astonishing rise of public interpersonal relations in mediated communities, the extension of the number of contacts and the growth of a new form of weak friendship”

The underlying technology is far more complex and involves AJAX, FLEX, Blog ware etc.

However due to the nature of the contemporary study, this will not be discussed in

further detail.

According to Hoegg et al (2006) services on Web 2.0 are offered in three different

forms. There are platforms, which offer the means for users to express themselves;

online collaboration tools, which aim to improve processes by making information

accessible from every location and lastly there are community services: unifying users

through a common objective (Figure 4).

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Figure 4 - Overview of Web 2.0 apps (Hoegg et al 2006 p.8)

2.3.4 Business use of Web 2.0

The use of Web 2.0 is not exclusively for individuals, organisations are just beginning to

recognise and utilise the power of Web 2.0 social media (Thackeray et al 2008).

Organisations that understand the benefits of using tools can internally allow their

employees to communicate faster, more flexible and use it practically anywhere in the

world, while allowing them to connect with their customers. Innovapost for instance

began developing strategies to make the most of the opportunities this new

environment offers (Xarchos and Charland 2008). Innovapost used Web 2.0 technology

to develop a new portal that allowed its employees to seek new opportunities within

the companies, while allowing other employees (primarily managers) to post

opportunities. Other technologies are being developed to further exploit the capability

of Web 2.0.

Web 2.0

Community Open Community unified by an ideal

Social Networking

Dating: Woopy

Business: OpenBC

Knowledge Sharing

Search Engine

Swicki

Interest Group

Charity

GiveMeaning

Platforms Platform or tool to empower

the user

Directory

Blogguide

Technorati

Technology Centric

Wetpaint

Wiki

Online Collaboration Closed user group with a

specific objective

Online Applications

Office apps

iRows

Virtual Workflow

Brain storming

Brain reactions

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In the report ‘A new marketing paradigm: share of customer, not market share’

Peppers and Rogers (1995), describe the new method of relationship marketing

enabled by technology. They state:

“The relationship marketing approach has the potential to change radically the rules of business competition, for example growth driven by mass marketing encourages businesses to chase short-term profits based on transaction volume. In contrast, one-to-one marketing gives businesses new incentives to invest to gain more loyalty of their most profitable customers” (Peppers and Rogers 1995 p. 48)

They conclude by using extensive data gathering through new web technologies,

organisations can create a competitive advantage. This can lead to extended customer

loyalty and higher customer satisfaction.

As traditional online marketing tactics, such as banner ads and pop-ups, are becoming

less applicable in the world of social media (eMarketer 2008), it is up to the

organisations to embrace the new technology and put it to full use.

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2.4 Social Networking Sites

2.4.1 SNS’s – the Basics

The latest trend in online world is social networking portals (Marchu, Breslin and

Decker 2004) Social networking sites have rapidly gained popularity, with Twitter

posting growth rates exceeding 1300% (Seeking Alpha 2009). Globally the active

memberships on Social Networking Sites were expected to reach 230 million by the

end of 2007 (Data Monitor 2007), Today Facebook alone boasts with more than 200

million members. Social Networking Sites are considered to be one the most

prominent activities within the Web 2.0 arena. Although they have become

increasingly interesting in marketing context, literature is still limited.

A definition of Social Network Sites is provided by Boyd and Ellison (2008 p.210) in

which they state:

“We define social network sites as web-based services that allow individuals to (1) construct a public or a semi-public profile within a bounded, system, (2) articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and (3) view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system”

What must be noted is that Boyd and Ellison use the term ‘Social Network Site’ rather

than ‘Social Networking Site’. They justify this by saying that networking is usually

done between strangers, while a network is the people already familiar to the person.

Although networking is possible on these websites, it is commonly not their primary

intention (Boyd and Ellison 2008). The definition provided by Weaver and Morrison

(2008 p.97) does focus on social networking stating: “In the context of today’s

electronic media, social networking has come to mean individuals using the Internet

and Web applications to communicate in previously impossible ways”.

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2.4.2 Characteristics of Social Networking Sites

Social Networking Sites tend to support the maintenance of pre-existing networks,

others help strangers meet online based on their interests, political views, or activities.

Some sites attract a range of audiences based on common language or shared racial,

sexual, and religious or nationality based identities. The difference between Social

Networking Sites can also differ in which information and communication tools they

offer, such as mobile connectivity, blogging, and photo/video-sharing (Boyd and Ellison

2008).

Gerbranda (2007) concluded that although differences exist between Social

Networking Sites, they are all considered to be Social Networking Sites. However he

continues with stating that when these websites are evaluated on their purpose and

technology; it is possible to make three categories (see Figure 5).

Figure 5 – Overview of Social Networking Sites (Gerbranda 2007 p. 10)

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2.4.3 Social Networking Sites

Currently there are hundreds of active Social Networking Sites. They each serve a

different market as stated by Boyd and Ellison in 2008. Some of the key Social

Networking Sites will be described to demonstrate the differences.

2.4.3.1 Linkedin

“LinkedIn is an interconnected network of experienced professionals from around the

world, representing 170 industries and 200 countries. You can find, be introduced to,

and collaborate with qualified professionals that you need to work with to accomplish

your goals” (Linkedin 2009). The Networks currently has nearly 40 million members

around the world. It is a professional community, where according to Linkedin a new

member is received roughly every second.

2.4.3.2 Facebook

Facebook is a Social Networking Site where users can join networks organized by city,

workplace, school, and region to connect and interact with other people. People can

also add friends and send them messages, and update their personal profiles to notify

friends about themselves. Facebook is the largest Social Networking Site, currently

attracting most of the traffic among its competitors. Just recently Facebook hit a

milestone having more than 200 million members. Facebook offers all kinds of services

to its members, although the “basic” features are provided by the host organisation,

the biggest increase in the usability and features come from third-party developers.

Currently Facebook hosts more than 30.000 applications (Ustinova 2008). The growth

of Facebook is immense and there are currently no sign that this will stop very soon.

Literature review


2.4.3.3 MySpace

MySpace is a personal online community that lets you meet your friends' friends

(MySpace 2009). Users of MySpace can create a community and can share photos,

journals and interests with people in their network. It is believed that the company led

the Web 2.0 revolution in which users could create their profiles, however due to the

rise of its younger rival Facebook; MySpace has seen a significant decrease in visitors

(Smith 2009).

2.4.3.4 Twitter

Twitter is one of the latest popular Social Networking Site. Twitter is a free micro-

blogging service that allows its users to send and read other users update which are

also known as ‘tweets’; which are only 140 characters in length. Twitter stands out

from all other large Social Networking Sites due to its simplicity. It does not offer any

advanced sharing tools, i.e. photo or video sharing. However by using Web 2.0 tools,

Twitter allows users to share their tweets on any other website; this has contributed

enormously to the success of Twitter. Its current user count is not disclosed by Twitter,

however it is estimated that twitter attracted 10 million visitors in February alone

(Radwanick 2009).

Literature review


2.5 Online Recruitment

2.5.1 Recruiting Online

Online recruitment, e-cruiting, cybercruiting, or Internet recruiting all refer to the

formal sourcing of job information online (Galanaki 2002). There has been a growth in

the use of online methods (Beardwell and Claydon 2007). Not very surprising as

Strategic Direction (2009) states: “The first working generation of the new

millennium is the best connected in history”. It is essential to all organisations to have

an effective recruitment strategy (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development

2009a). According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (2009a)

there are many advantages for organisations to recruit online, they continue by

stating:

“There are no fundamental philosophical differences between recruiting using ‘old media’, such as adverting in newspapers, and the ‘new media’ such as e-recruitment. Organisations may use a mix of traditional and online methods on depending on what meets their strategic recruitment needs and which reaches their talent market in the most appropriate way”.

A survey conducted to compare online recruitment with more traditional methods,

showed that online recruitment was able to produce as many suitable candidates as

traditional methods, however recruiters had larger pool to select from (IRS 2005)

2.5.2 Advantages

There are many advantages for an organisation that decides to recruit online. The main

arguments used for online recruitment are discussed by a range of authors.

Literature review


Advantages

Reduce recruitment costs

Speed up the recruitment cycle and streamline admin

Manage vacancies more effectively

Reach a wide pool of applicants

Reach a niche pool of applicants

Internal vacancies spread across multiple locations

Provide and up-to-date image, reinforcing branding and culture

Vacancies are always available for access

Cost effective approach to building a talent bank

Handle high volume of applications in a consistent way

Able to provide more tailored details about the vacancy

Table 6 – Advantages of using E-Recruitment according to CIPD (2009)

2.5.2.1 Cost efficiency

As Armstrong (1996) was quoted earlier in this paper, he stated that the aim of

recruitment should be to obtain a minimum amount of pool while being cost effective.

Online recruitment is one of the methods to achieve this. Galanaki (2002) states:

“Publishing vacancies on corporate Web site involves almost no cost at all, while the costs of putting advertisements on dedicated recruitment sites depends mainly on the coverage of the particular site”

It could be said that online recruitment can create savings on three types of costs

generated from recruitment; namely job awareness, candidate selection and lost

productivity because of the time it takes to fill a position (Williams and Klau 1997).

2.5.2.2 Improved results

The internet primarily attracts young, computer literature and educated people and

they usually show greater interest in the company, the interest rate is increased when

they apply using the corporate website (Ballie 1996; Frost 1997). Online recruitment is

heavily promoted based on the assumption that it can generally free up to 30% of HR

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time for strategic issues (workforce 2000a). And finally, as internet can reach people

globally, they could potentially generate better leads (Workforce 2000b).

2.5.2.3 Attract inactive people

Business-oriented Social Networking Sites offer a fertile source of information on

passive jobseekers; is often said by recruiters (Gupta 2008; King 2007; Pruit 2008; Ruiz

2008; Wolk 2004). It is maintained by many Human Resource professionals that

passive jobseekers are more desirable as they represent an untapped pool of potential

candidates that are not already represented by placement agencies, or other recruiting

professionals, besides passive jobseekers are considered to be stable employees

(DeKay 2009).

2.5.3 Disadvantages

Along with many advantages of online recruiting, there are also some negative aspects

of online recruitment.

Disadvantages

Limit applicant audience as internet is not always first choice

Overload in (unsuitable) applications if description is unclear

Exclude applicants that do not use internet

Limit attraction of people that do not use internet

The process becomes impersonal

Impacts the 'cultural fit' dimension of Recruitment

Turn off' people when site is badly designed or technical issues occur

Lose candidates if your website ranks lower than the competition

Recruitment decisions can be based on subjective information

Table 7 – Disadvantages of using E-Recruitment according to CIPD (2009)

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2.5.3.1 Integration

For e-recruitment to function effectively, it must be integrated with other recruitment

methods so it can work in harmony (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development

2009). The use of the methods should be introduced to the people within the

company, in order for them to get familiar with the implementation of these tools

(Workforce 2000b).

2.5.3.2 Overload

Due to the simplified process of applying for a vacancy and the lack of time and

geographic barriers there is a risk of receiving too many applications (Workforce

2000a). Hence care should be taken in drafting the job profile and job description

(Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development 2009).

Literature review


2.6 Recruitment on Social Networking Sites

The reach of Social Networking Sites is getting wider, and it offers companies to raise

their profile, directly communicate with clients and potential clients, create natural

web links back to their site and engage in free marketing (Gupta 2008; newbusiness

2009)

Organizations till present have found the most value in using social networking sites as

sources of candidate information (Santonocito 2009), however the business oriented

Social Networking Sites, as they provide instant credibility to a professional’s profile,

with referrals and recommendations of the person, aiding recruiters in captivating

their mindshare can be very useful (Gupta 2008).

2.6.1 SNS part of Recruitment practise

Recruitment on Social Networking Sites does not have to be complicated. Social media

capitalizes on one of the greatest strengths of the Internet, the ease of entry and

elimination of intermediaries (Burns 2008). Santonocito (2009) even states that in ten

years time having a presence on Social Networking Sites will be as common for SMEs

as having their own internet. But in order to exploit the opportunity, companies will

require a greater investment of time, understanding, commitment and authenticity to

build meaningful relationships and communities (Burns 2008).

A research conducted by O2 indicated that, more than 700.000 small and medium

businesses are using the Twitter Social Network to save on recruitment and marketing

costs (Grant 2009). This trend is also found on other popular Social Networking Sites,

including Linkedin, Facebook, Orkut, Xing, Hi5 and others (Gupta 2008). Social media

can be used by organisations of any size or type; both being confirmed by CIA, which

Literature review


has recently announced that they will attract new recruits through the use of Facebook

(Reid 2009).

At the moment the only network consistently associated with recruiting success is

LinkedIn (Burns 2008). LinkedIn has shown rapid growth rates, currently having more

than 35 million members around the globe, while its direct competitor Xing has 7

million members (Leske 2009). With the recent recession and huge amount of

redundancies, LinkedIn’s unique visitors count hit 7.7 million a month, from a 3.6

million a year earlier (Leske 2009). With a huge amount of unemployed yet well

educated people looking for a job, Social Networking Sites are full of people willing to

be employed.

2.6.2 Passive jobseekers

However the power of business-oriented Social Networking Sites according to

recruiters is often considered to be the fact that they are a rich source of information

regarding passive jobseekers (Gupta 2008; King 2007; Pruit 2008; Ruiz 2008; Wolk

2004). DeKay (2009) refers to them as individuals that according to placement

specialists, are people that are currently employed and not seeking a career change.

They are perceived to be more desirable by HR-professionals as they are not

associated with agencies or professionals and are considered to be stable employees.

Frauenheim (2006 p. 1) conducted an interview with Timothy Farrelly, a San Francisco

executive recruiter who stated: “there is probably no better place out there to find a

passive candidate, it is really effective”. The question is how Social Networking Sites

will compete against job boards, Gupta (2008 p. 2) quotes Rajesh, Vice President of

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TeamLease stating: “the Ability to tap passive job seekers through the Internet is a skill

and would be a key differentiator in the coming years.

2.6.3 Characteristics

Gupta (2008) provides an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of

recruitment on Social Networking Sites which can be seen in Table 8 and Table 9 , this

unlike earlier comparison provided by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and

Development on E-recruitment which can be found in Table 6 and Table 7.

Advantages

Wider reach as large number of people post their profiles online

Ability to identify both, active (job portals) and passive (SNS) job seekers

Attains significant cost reduction

Assess the candidates to greater extent, like behavioural attributes, as individuals tend to be more open on SNS

Reach out to candidates with niche skills

Access to different international talent pools Provides instant credibility to a professional's profile with the referrals and recommendations on the person

Table 8 – Advantages of using SNS for recruitment (Gupta 2008 p. 2)

Disadvantages

Job portal search can yield immediate results

Passive headhunting through SNS can be time consuming

Pointed searches either not possible or do not yield accurate results

Table 9 – Disadvantages of using SNS for recruitment (Gupta 2008 p. 2)

According to Gupta’s list; the advantages way out the disadvantages. Although these

disadvantages should not discourage organisations to use Social Networking Sites as a

recruitment tool, they should be taken into account. The approach to recruitment on

Social Networking Sites is different to the orthodox methods. Pulsinelli (2009) quoted

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Erik Cook an internet consultant stating: "You do it a lot more of a soft sell; the sales

cycle is a lot longer, so the patience needs to be there".

2.6.4 Issues

Popular social networking sites such as Facebook, YouTube and MySpace can often

provide employers with a far more honest picture of an individual, by accessing Social

Networking Sites employers have instant access to the personal antics of the

unsuspecting job seeker, including photographs, videos and personal comments

(Punch Communications 2009). According to a study conducted by Development

Dimensions International states: “Only 12 per cent of UK interviewers said that they

would look at online profile sites such as MySpace and Facebook” (Gradplus 2009).

These new practises have not yet become regular part of HR practises, however Moses

(2009) warns people to be careful when deciding which colleagues to add as a

Facebook friend as one throwaway status update about your employer could see you

facing the sack.

It is essential for organisations to understand how Social Networking Sites works and

train their HR-personnel accordingly. Ceridian (2007) states that if organisations decide

to include Social Networking Sites in their recruitment process; they will require

making the following precautions:

“Ensure that your recruiting officers are trained in equal opportunities” “Keep a paper trail and archive print-outs that you have used when assessing a candidate” “Review your policies and make it clear that only HR is allowed to consult online profiles”

Literature review


Moses (2009) quoted Steven Penning which has two decades of experience in

employment law, expressing: "What employers are doing is they're scrambling and

trying to make out that present policies can be stretched to cover these new areas,

and in many respects they can't,"

Social Networking Sites have many advantages; nonetheless it is crucial for

organisations to understand how Social Networking Sites operate and what limitations

can be detected in the organisations HR policies and government legislation.

Methodology


3 Methodology

Methodology


3.1 Research overview

This chapter will examine the research methods undertaken by the author in order to

meet the aims and objectives of this research. Furthermore it will address the

approach and issues and give a rationale for selecting the used methods within this

research.

In the previous chapter, the author established key literature supporting the

achievement of the aims and objectives for this research. To answer the research

questions, the author had to determine the most appropriate methods for collecting

the necessary data.

Primary and secondary research methods allowed the author to gain additional

knowledge and gather valuable information. The author will aim to clarify the

approach taken while evaluating the alternative strategies.

3.2 Research Philosophy

Research Philosophy refers to the development of knowledge and the nature of that

knowledge (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill 2007). The importance of adapting a

particular research philosophy is that it will underpin the research strategy and define

the view of the author on the research. Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill (2007) define

three types (see Table 10) of research philosophies.

Philosophy Description

Epistemology Concerns what constitutes acceptable knowledge in a field of study

Ontology Concerned with the nature of social phenomena as entities

Axiology Studies judgments about value

Table 10 – Three research philosophies

Methodology


For this research the author described his epistemological position as a combination of

a positivist and interpretivist. This decision was based on the facts that the research is

based on existing theory, while understanding differences between humans (Saunders,

Lewis and Thornhill 2007). The alternative options were considered not to be relevant

to this research due to their nature.

3.3 Research Approach

There are two types of research approaches: inductive and deductive. Conducting a

deductive research is when the theory is tested by conducting research and the

conclusions are drawn through logical reasoning (Ghauri and Gronhaug 2005;

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill 2007). An inductive approach is aimed at collecting data

first, and develops a theory as result of the data analysis (Saunders, Lewis and

Thornhill 2007).

Approach Description Deductive The logical process of deriving a conclusion from a known premise or something

known as true

Inductive The systematic process of establishing a general proposition on the basis of observation or particular facts

Table 11 – Research approach as described by Ghauri and Gronhaug (2005)

This research is based on both approaches, as the processes of both approaches are

not totally exclusive (Ghauri and Gronhaug 2005). This allowed the author to question

existing theories while develop new knowledge based on the existing literature

through primary research.

Methodology


3.4 Research Design

The research design is the general plan on how the research questions will be

addressed (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill 2007). It constitutes the blueprint for the

collection, measurement and analysis of the data and it aids the author in allocating

the limited resources by posing essential choices (Phillips 1971). Overall, the research

design conveys both the structure of the research problem and the plan of

investigation (Kerlinger 1986).

There are three types of researches; exploratory, descriptive and casual. Each of the

research is more valuable than the other depending on the circumstances, nature of

the problem and the audience it is written.

Exploratory Studies provide a valuable mean in analysing current situations; seek new

insights and asses developments in different context (Robson 2002). If the nature of

the problem is unclear or the area of investigation is very new, an exploratory research

can be very useful (Cooper and Schindler 2003; Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill 2007).

According to Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill (2007) there are three principle methods of

conducting a exploratory research; searching existing literature, interviewing ‘experts’

in the subject and conducting focus group interviews. A key characteristic is the

flexibility of this approach (Ghauri and Gronhaug 2005). An exploratory research was

conducted at the initial stages of the contemporary study to provide the author with

relevant information on the topic. As the research questions were rather unclear, this

research method allowed the author to understand the situation and development in

this area. As result of this initial research, the author was able to find possibilities to

identify and solve problems.

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The descriptive research is another approach to designing a research. Its aim is to

portray an accurate profile of people, events or situations (Robson 2002). When

conducting a descriptive research, the problem that is being addressed should be clear

prior to the research (Robson 2002). This type of research was the primary approach

for this study. After the initial phase was completed by conducting an exploratory

research, the author identified specific aims and objectives and as result outlined a

methodology to conduct the research.

Using the two methods identified above, the author’s approach to the research was

clear and well structured.

3.5 Research Strategy

Every strategy can be used for exploratory, descriptive and explanatory research (Yin

2003). Some of the strategies seem to belong to a specific research type, however it is

stressed that no research strategy is inherently superior on inferior to another

(Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill 2007). The author has made a selection of quantitative

and qualitative methods to conduct the primary research; a range of sources were

used to conduct the primary research. Hence the author’s strategy can be described as

a mix between different techniques. This can be referred to as Triangulation, which is

described by Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill (2007) as: “the use of different data

collection techniques within one study in order to ensure that the data are telling you

what you think they are telling you”.

3.6 Secondary Research

Secondary research is useful to better understand and explain the research question

(Ghauri and Gronhaug 2005). Secondary data can be raw data or published summaries

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(Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill 2007). The author wrote a literature review based on

the data retrieved from books, journal articles, online data sources and reports.

The primary sources for the secondary research were:

3.6.1 Robert Gordon University

The Georgina Scott Sutherland Library, which is located in Aberdeen Business School,

was an utterly resourceful place for the author to consult academic literature.

3.6.2 Databases

The following databases were essential to the author for collecting the necessary

information. Although each of them deliver their information in different formats, the

content is extremely valuable to the author due to its academic origin.

Business Source Premier “Business Source Premier is the industry’s most used business research database, providing full text for more than 2,300 journals, including full text for more than 1,100 peer-reviewed titles. This database provides full text back to 1886, and searchable cited references back to 1998. Business Source Premier is superior to the competition in full text coverage in all disciplines of business, including marketing, management, MIS, POM, accounting, finance and economics” (EBSCO 2009)

Emerald

“Emerald is the world’s leading publisher of business and management research. Our database consists of 190 types of journals and various other literatures” (Emerald 2009).

KeyNote

“In today’s competitive business environment, knowledge and understanding of your marketplace is essential. With over 25 years’ experience producing highly respected off-the-shelf publications; Key Note has built a reputation as the number one source of UK market information. Below are just a few of the comments our business partners and clients have made on Key Note’s range of reports” (Key Note 2009)

Methodology


Mintel “Mintel's clients gain global insight into consumer behaviour, product innovation and competitive marketing strategies. Our high quality data, meaningful analysis and actionable recommendations always positively impact our clients' business.

Today, many of the world's leading companies make strategic business decisions based on Mintel insight. We help them tap into new product opportunities, increase price margins, recognise competitive threats and respond to their individual business needs, so they remain competitive and profitable” (Mintel 2009)

Science Direct

“Born out of an Elsevier® tradition in scholarly communication, Science Direct has always followed a vision of the digital library of the future. Today we offer one of the world's most advanced web delivery systems for scientific, technical and medical information” (Science Direct 2009)

SAGE Publications

“SAGE Publications is a leading international publisher of books, journals, and electronic media. SAGE publishes more than 500 journals in Business, Humanities, Social Sciences, and Science, Technology and Medicine.” (SAGE 2009)

Google Scholar

“Google Scholar provides a simple way to broadly search for scholarly literature. From one place, you can search across many disciplines and sources: peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, abstracts and articles, from academic publishers, professional societies, preprint repositories, universities and other scholarly organizations. Google Scholar helps you identify the most relevant research across the world of scholarly research.” (Google Scholar 2009)

3.7 Primary Research

Primary data was collected for the contemporary study. Gathering primary research

allowed the author to collect new data which could prove highly relevant. Primary

research allowed the author to collect data that was not available and create new data

that could answer the research questions (Ghauri and Gronhaug 2005). The advantage

of collecting primary data is the fact that they are collected for a particular project;

hence they are more consistent with the research questions and research objectives

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(Ghauri and Gronhaug 2005). However there are also disadvantages according to

Ghauri and Gronhaug (2005) as according to them, primary data can be expensive and

time consuming; besides there is a weakness in the quality of primary research, as the

researcher is fully dependant on the willingness and the ability of the respondents.

Figure 6 – Sources of Primary Data (Ghauri and Gronhaug (2005)

Primary research consists of two widespread methods: quantitative methods and

qualitative methods (Mingers 2003). A definition of quantitative research is provided

by Punch:

“Quantitative research is empirical research where the data are in the form of numbers. Qualitative research is empirical research where the data are not in the form of numbers” (Punch 1998 p. 4)

The definition by Punch is concerned with the collection and analysis of data in

numeric form (Blaxter, Hughes and Tight 2001). This type of research is usually

relatively large scale and is often falsely perceived as the gathering of ‘facts’ (Blaxter,

Hughes and Tight 2001).

Methodology


Sherman and Webb discuss qualitative and quantitative methods; they state:

“Qualitative implies a direct concern with experience as it is ‘lived’ or ‘felt’ or ‘undergone’. In contrast, ‘quantitative’ research, often taken to be the opposite idea, is indirect and abstracts and treats experiences as similar, adding or multiplying them together, or ‘quantifying’ them” (Sherman and Webb 1988 p. 7)

Qualitative data is usually related to collecting and analysing data in several forms,

mainly non-numeric (Blaxter, Hughes and Tight 2001). In the recent years there have

been discussions within social sciences regarding the relative merits of quantitative

and qualitative strategies for research (Blaxter, Hughes and Tight 2001). Some

researchers find the two methods exclusive to each other while others are glad to use

a combination (Blaxter, Hughes and Tight 2001).

The author used a mixture of quantitative and qualitative methods to conduct the

primary research. The mixture allowed the author to collect more in depth data from

the industry, while measure general attributes of the users of Social Networking Sites.

Different methods will now be described and finally a rationale will be provided for the

selected methods.

3.7.1 Surveys

In business and management research there is a great use of questionnaires (Saunders,

Lewis and Thornhill 2007). Hutton describes the method as:

“The method of collecting information by asking a set of pre-formulated

questions in predetermined sequence in a structured questionnaire to a sample

of individuals drawn so as to be representative of a defined population”

(Hutton 1990 p. 8)

Methodology


The author found this method appropriate to research the individuals that visit Social

Networking Sites. This method was selected due to its low cost and time efficient

nature. Other benefit of using this method is that it allowed the author to target a

larger audience rather than a narrow selection; allowing the author to yield important

quantifiable data.

3.7.1.1 Questionnaire

Using a questionnaire was an ideal method for the contemporary study as it works

best with standardised questions, which barely leave room for different interpretation

(Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill 2007). The targeted audience received a questionnaire

through the use of electronic mail and using Social Networking Sites. The selection of

using digital format over traditional format (i.e. mail) was a well considered decision,

as the former has a higher level of cost efficiency, can reach a wider audience and the

data is more easily transferable for analysis purposes, while the latter is expensive,

time consuming and has very low rate of response.

The design and content of the questionnaire was utterly important as it can determine

the response rate (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill 2007). The questions were developed

considering the research questions and the conducted literature review. The final

questionnaire had 18 close ended questions (see appendix 1).

The questionnaire was divided over four categories (see Table 12), giving the

respondent a less intimidating feeling and creating a better overview of the

questionnaire.

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Category Aim of Category

General Raw segmentation of the responding audience

Technology Investigate technological issues

Social Networking Sites Create a better understanding of SNS use

Recruitment Measure respondents perspective on recruitment on SNS

Table 12 – Questionnaire Categories

In order to develop a proper questionnaire, several sources were used including, UK

government website to identify ethnicity classes, Chartered Institute of Personnel and

Development Report for recruitment details and books in order to comply with the

standards of an acceptable questionnaire.

The questionnaire was developed using the sophisticated software of Survey Monkey,

which enabled the author to exploit useful features including live statistics and the

output of data in a format used for SPSS. Survey Monkey also allowed the author to

design an accessible yet powerful questionnaire. The font size and colours can impact

the reader; hence special attention was paid to selecting the most comfortable setting.

Pilot testing was conducted to detect weaknesses in design and instrumentation

(Cooper and Schindler 2003). Ahead of conducting the pilot, the questionnaire was

presented to Mr Sutherland. He commented on issues affecting categorisation and the

interpretation; the feedback was used to improve and fine tune the questionnaire. The

questionnaire was then trialled among three people, of which the responses were very

positive. From this response the author concluded the questionnaire to be sufficient to

be disseminated.

The sample selection was not based on a specific sampling method. The questionnaire

could be completed by anyone, with one exception; the respondent had to be a user of

Social Networking Sites. This did not cause any difficulties as the questionnaire was

Methodology


primarily disseminated through the use of Social Networking Sites; hence most of the

respondents were using at least one site.

The questionnaire was used spread using two major methods, the use of social

networking sites and author’s personal network.

Social Networking Sites

The author is an active member of several Social Networking Sites which

allowed him to use this method to contact respondents. The initial audience

targeted was approximately 250 people, however due to the viral aspect; the

exact targeted audience is difficult to measure.

Personal Network

Personal network was further exploited by addressing the individuals known to

the author. The questionnaire furthermore was sent to ROCvA Airport’s

Business Courses Manager, requesting him to share the questionnaire at his

institution. Other than that, the author requested his network, to not only fill in

the questionnaire, but share it among their network.

In the first 24 hours, 100 people responded to the questionnaire. After consultation

with supervisor, effort to increase response rate was not made. However the

questionnaire was left open for a total duration of one week; with a total of 160

respondents.

3.7.2 Interviews

Creswell (2007) stated that the qualitative research can be approached with four types

of data collection methods (see Figure 7). The contemporary study used qualitative

Methodology


research to examine the perception of the professionals. The observation technique

was not possible in this case and not considered to be useful in this case. Documents

were not a prime method, however before approaching potential professionals, their

backgrounds were probed in order to measure relevancy. The principal method for

conducting the qualitative research among the professional was to use interviews.

“The interview method involves questioning or discussing issues with people, it can be

a very useful technique for collecting data which would probably not be accessible

using techniques such as observation or questionnaires” (Blaxter, Hughes and Tight

2001 p. 172).

Figure 7 - Data collection approaches in qualitative research (Creswell 2007)

• Gather fieldnotes by conducting observation as a participant

• Gather fieldnotes by conducting observation as an observer Observation

• Conduct an unstructured, open-ended interview

• Conduct a semistructered interview

• Conduct a focus group

• Conduct different types of interview: e-mail, face-to-face, telephone interviews

Interviews

• Keep journals

• Examine autobiographies

• Conduct chart audits

• Review records

Documents

• Videotape or film a social situation, a group or an individual

• Examine photgraphs or videotapes

• Collect e-mail or electronic messages

• Gather phone text messages

Audiovisual materials

Methodology


Conducting interviews with credible professionals was the quantitative part of the

research. It allowed the author to measure the perception of professionals as indicated

in the objectives. As the interview does not necessarily have to take place face-to-face,

but can also be at distance e.g. by the e-mail (Blaxter, Hughes and Tight 2001), the

author decided to use this method as it was considered to be the most feasible

approach to conduct this type of research due to geographical issues.

The interview that was sent to two professionals;

Ms. Karin Hermans Manager at Randstad

Mr. Bas van de Haterd Consultant

The interviews were structured to gain insight into the personal perception of the

individuals and then continued with practical issues. The interviews were similar

however changes were made to conform to the role of the professional, this would

allow to gathering of specific data from each person.

3.7.2.1 Interview – Manager at Randstad

The first person to be considered for an interview was a manager within Randstad. This

would allow the author to determine the attitude of a professional working in the field

towards recruitment on Social Networking Sites. It would also offer insight into issues

recruitment agencies have already experienced or issues that have not yet been

identified by academic literature.

Methodology


3.7.2.2 Interview – Consultant at van de Haterd

Mr Bas van de Haterd was approached by the author to share his professional opinion

on the matter. Mr van de Haterd is an ideal person to enquire about regarding the

contemporary issue. He is intensively involved in HR issues and furthermore

specialised in online marketing.

3.8 Rationale for Selected Methods

The contemporary research combined different methods to create sufficient

knowledge. The researcher used a range of secondary data to collect relevant

information. The novel information was filtered and demonstrated in the literature

review. By conducting the literature review, the researcher had a better understanding

of what knowledge exists and what knowledge must be created in order to accomplish

the research objectives.

After the review of the existing data, the author decided to select a combination of

methods. To measure the perception of the members of Social Networking Sites, the

researchers decided to use a quantitative method. This resulted in the creation of a

questionnaire. The advantages of using a questionnaire were: low cost, response rates

can be high, response times are quick and the reach is larger. Focus groups in this case

would have limited the researcher to the opinion of a few people, whereas the

questionnaire reached more than 150 in different locations. Conducting the

questionnaire online was a decision made by the researcher, as the user-base of Social

Networking Sites is considered to be computer literate and would hence prefer this

method. The digital nature allowed convenient access, as the respondents only

Methodology


required to click on a link to share their responses. This method also allowed the

questionnaire to be easily disseminated among the network of its respondents.

To address the professionals a qualitative research method was selected due to the

smaller audience. Qualitative methods allow the researcher to gain in depth

knowledge, which seemed appropriate for the target audience. The chosen method

was an interview by e-mail. The researcher defined questions according to the person

and its role and the document were sent as an attachment to the individual. Personal

interviews would have been the author’s preferred method, however due to the

geographical issues, costs and limited time this was not a feasible option.

3.9 Ethical Considerations

Ethics are moral principles and values that will impact the way the researcher will

conduct its activities (Ghauri and Gronhaug 2005). “The goal of ethics in research is to

ensure that no one is harmed or suffers adverse consequences from the research

activities” (Cooper and Schindler 2003 p. 120)

The Robert Gordon University has formulated the ‘Research Ethics Policy’ which aims

to establish and promote good ethical practise in the conduct of academic research

(Robert Gordon University (2008). The author has ensured to have good understanding

of these policies.

The author has also filed a Student Project Ethical Review (SPER) form to comply with

the RGU policies. The SPER form must be completed for every student project

undertaken by and Honours student; this is to ensure that no unethical actions are

taken.

Methodology


The author sought to inform its respondents well on the nature of the research and

the rights the respondents are given.

3.10 Confidentiality

The respondents were assured wherever necessary that the data that they would

provide would be carefully dealt with and all data would be shared anonymously. The

individuals that were approached by the author for interview purposes were

requested to indicate whether their identity should be suggested or whether they

would prefer to stay anonymous.

3.11 Authenticity of the Data

As the author was not in the position to check the understanding of the respondents

first hand, issues of accuracy can be raised (Blaxter, Hughes and Tight 2001). The

author aimed to resolve this issue by striving to maintain the questions straightforward

and leave less to no space for misinterpretation.

3.12 Limitations of the Research

Various issues had an impact on conducting the research. This limited the author in

certain aspects.

The author was limited in the time that was available. After having the research

proposal approved the author had merely three months to review relevant literature,

formulate and conduct primary research, analyse the findings and draw conclusions

from the material. Reviewing the literature proved to be difficult as Social Networking

Sites are a quite recent development and academic literature has not explored all

Methodology


aspects. This resulted in a time consuming search for relevant literature. However the

rapid collection of primary research was a pleasant result.

The results of the primary research consisted of many student responses. Although

this was not the author’s intention, the type of response can be related to the method

used to gather the information. The personal network of the author consists of a large

proportion of students.

Findings and Analysis


4 Findings and Analysis



4.1 Introduction

This chapter is concerned with the analysis and discussion of results collected through

the use of questionnaires and interviews. To recapitulate, the questionnaire was sent

to users of Social Networking sites; a total of 160 responses were received. Next to the

questionnaire, three interviews were mailed out to respective people in the industry.

This chapter is divided in two main headings, each presenting the findings of the two

prime research methods. Each chapter will analyse, discuss and where possible,

compare the findings to the literature review.

The first section will discuss the findings of the questionnaire. The questionnaire

consisted of four main parts, namely: General Questions, Technology, Social

Networking Sites and Recruitment. The findings are displayed accordingly and are

correlated where found necessary.

The second section will discuss the findings retrieved from the interview. The

responses of the experts will be examined and compared to the literature review and

the findings of the primary research.



4.2 Questionnaire

The questionnaire was divided into four major parts; each aiming to retrieve particular

type of detail from the respondent. The parts were as following:

General Questions - Gender, Age, Ethnicity, Location, Employment

Technology - Computer literate, Internet use

Social Networking Sites - Networks, Purpose, Usage

Recruitment - Type of Job, Communication, Perceptions

The responses will be displayed accordingly and the author will discuss the findings

were possible in respect to the existing literature and other findings of this research.

The detailed responses can be found in appendix 2



4.2.1 General Questions

This section allowed the research to be segmented based on the responses given by

certain gender or age group. This background information was useful for further

analysis.

The total response to the questionnaire consisted of 160 individuals. Of which 41%

were male and 59% were female. The gender difference was considered to be within

proportions and did not have any major impact on the results of the overall research.

Figure 8 – Findings: Gender response

Male Female



The questionnaire offered the respondent to select one the four age groups. The result

was: 9.4% of the respondents were 17 and younger, 19.4% were between 25 and 39,

4.4% was above the 40 year and 66.9% were between 18 -24.

Figure 9 – Findings: Age group

The respondents were requested to indicate their educational level. The primary

school received the least response (2%), while undergraduate was the best

represented (40%). This could be linked back to the fact that almost 70% of the

respondents indicated to be between 18 and 24 years.

Figure 10 – Findings: Education level

< 17 18 -24 25 – 39 40 >

Primary school Secondary school High School

University – Undergraduate University – Postgraduate



As most of the respondents were aged 18 to 24 and indicated an undergraduate level

of education, it was not very surprising to see that the most selected option was

student (64%).

Figure 11 – Findings: Occupation

Student Executive / Manager

Professional (i.e. doctor, lawyer, consultant) Academic / Educator

Technical / Engineering Administrative

Sales / Marketing Unemployed

Unemployed and seeking job Other



The researcher found it useful to determine the ethnicity of the respondents, as this

would help determine if there is a difference in attitude towards recruitment practises

depending on ethnicity. The ethnicity bins were retrieved from the UK Government

site, which uses the classification to perform research (Office for National Statistics

2008). The outcome of the research indicated that the response primarily came from

the Asian (39%) and the White (43%) population.

Figure 12 – Findings: Ethnicity

White Asian Black Mixed Chinese Other



Finally the General Questions section requested the respondents to indicate their

location. The UK (36%) and Mainland Europe (46%) were best represented in this

research. Unfortunately no respondent was located in Africa. People from other

regions than mentioned accounted for a response of 8%, while USA generated a

response of 7%.

Figure 13 – Findings: Location

UK USA Mainland Europe Asia Africa Other



4.2.1.1 Interpretation/Discussion

The findings from the first part of the questionnaire revealed that more female

response was received, while the largest proportion was a student aged between 18

and 24 years old. Most of the respondents had either completed or were working

towards their undergraduate degree.

The largest response when categorised based on ethnicity came from ‘white’ and

‘asian’ individuals. Further data showed that most respondents were located on

Mainland Europe, followed by the UK. If the geographical location and ethnicity were

better divided, it would have offered interesting data; in which differences could be

identified in the perception of an African user in comparison to a Mainland European

user.



4.2.2 Technology

This section addressed the use of internet and computers. The respondents were

asked to indicate where they had access to internet, the use of internet and to what

extent they felt comfortable using a computer.

The majority (99%) of the respondents had access to the internet at home. The

questionnaire allowed multiple answers; hence the total count resulted in 464

responses. Interesting to see is that access to the internet is almost the same for work

(43%) and mobile (41%).

Figure 14 – Findings: Internet Access

At home At work At University Mobile



The respondents were requested to indicate the type of use they made of the internet.

Using the internet for e-mail purposes was selected by 94% people, while connecting

with friends; what can be linked to Social Networking Sites achieved 92%. On the

other hand, about 53% indicated to use the internet to find a job, which suggests that

other methods are frequently used to find a job.

Figure 15 – Findings: Use of Internet

When the respondents were asked to indicate their adequacy using a computer, 60%

responded with very well, followed by 30% considering themselves to be fairly well

behind a computer. Only 1% felt that they were very poor at using a computer.

Figure 16 – Findings: Computer Literate

E-Mail News Chatting

Connecting with friends Gaming Finding jobs

Academic Work Other

Very well fairly well Neutral Poorly Very poorly




Internet is primarily available at home, followed by university. As discussed in the

previous chapter this could be related due to the fact that a large proportion of the

respondents were students. Furthermore, internet on mobile received 40% response,

which means that the penetration of mobile users is significant and companies should

align their online strategy accordingly.

Among the users of Social Networking Sites, connecting with friends was the second

most important use of the internet. These users seem to attach much value to

networking online as connecting with friends is only surpassed by e-mail with barely

4%. The importance users seem to attach to connecting with friends could justify the

immense growth of Social Networking Sites discussed in the literature review.

Most of the responded felt that they managed to use a computer very well, although

this should be seen relatively as most of the activities that were mentioned in Figure

15, do not require expert knowledge of computers. The literature review also

highlighted that the success of Web 2.0 (see paragraph 2.3) relies on the number of

users. Ease of use is considered to be very important, and this is often used as a

feature to attract more members by the Social Networking Sites some of which are

indicated in the literature review.



4.2.3 Social Networking Sites

This section of the questionnaire inquired on which Social Networking Sites were most

popular and the usage by their users. The list consisted of 10 of most the popular

Social Networking Sites according to users and usage; there was also an option to

select ‘other’ as it would not be feasible to list all major websites.

Figure 17 – Findings: Use of Social Networking Sites

In the contemporary research, Facebook was utterly popular with 85% of the

respondent indicating that they make use of the website, followed by Hyves with 44%

response. The share of other Social Networking Sites varied between 10 and 20

percent. Only 5.1% indicated to use Twitter and Netlog, which in the case of Twitter is

very surprising, as the company has been reporting extreme growth rates as shown in

the literature review. From the two Business Social Networking Sites, LinkedIn was

selected 18% of time, while Xing only received 7% of the response.

Facebook Bebo Myspace Hi5

Hyves Twitter Orkut Linkedin

Xing Netlog Other



There is no discussion about the immense growth of the internet use in roughly the

last decade. The literature discussed the rapid growth of several Social Networking

Sites, and the amount of time people spend ‘socialising’ on these websites. More than

half of the respondents (53%) indicated that they visit these websites several times a

day. While less than 10% barely uses them.

Figure 18 – Findings: Usage Social Networking Sites

The amount of activity can be linked to the persons ‘status’ on the web. As Li (2007)

suggested, there are several levels of participation (see Figure 2). The people indicated

that they barely use the Social Networking Sites (9%), could be addressed as the

‘inactives’, while all other could be categorised, among Creators, Critics, Collectors,

Joiners and Spectators. In Li’s research however, the inactives formed the majority, the

contemporary research however indicates otherwise. This can be the result of the

higher acceptance of Social Networking Sites and their unaffected popularity.

Several times a day 1 to 3 times a week 4 or 5 times a week Barely use them



Vast number of people visiting these websites produces large traffic, creating much

value for Social Networking Sites. A number of visits many other websites could only

dream about.

Nearly all of the respondents (98%) that signed up for Social Networking Sites did this

in order to connect with friends. As discussed extensively in chapter 2.4, each Social

Network site has a slightly different approach, allowing them to differentiate. However

the key feature of most of these websites remains connecting with existing networks

(Boyd and Ellison 2008).

Figure 19 – Findings: Purpose of using Social Networking Sites.

Nearly 20% indicated to use Social Networking sites to explore professional

opportunities. This was closely followed by individuals that use them to find people

with similar interest (15%). Only 5% used Social Networking Sites to find the love of his

or her life. Hence the prime use of Social Networking Sites remains to connect with

friends, however if well targeted; other activities could use the large target audience

to increase their share.

Connect with friends Dating

Explore professional opportunities Find people with similar interests




There is wide variety of Social Networking Sites, each addressing a different target

group. Facebook has shown immense growth and this can be seen in this research as

well. Although there are hundreds of Social Networking Sites, less than 20% indicated

to be on a Networking Site other than mentioned. This has resulted in only a few sites

grabbing a large part of the pie, while others remain focussed on niche groups.

Facebook again seems to be a great example; Data Monitor (2007) expected Social

Networking Sites would have 230 million members all together, less than two years

later, Facebook alone has 200 million members.

The strength of Social Networks seems to lie in their power to keep attracting their

users to their websites. Contemporary research revealed that more than half of the

users check Social Networking Sites several times a day.

The primary reason for return seems to be ‘to stay in touch with friends’, which

confirms the earlier definition given by Boyd and Ellison (2008) in the literature review

(paragraph 2.4.1). They stated that Social Networking Sites are more about connecting

to existing networks rather than finding new contacts; hence should be addressed as

Social Network Sites instead of Social Networking Sites, as networking is done between

strangers. On the other hand MySpace (paragraph 2.4.3.3) encourages people to meet

their friends’ friends.

A small group still indicated to use them for exploring professional opportunities. It is

unclear whether the cause of this lies in the lack of organisational engagement or user

involvement. This could be caused due to the limited exposure the two major business

networks have received in non business media.



4.2.4 Recruitment

This section of the questionnaire aimed to gain more knowledge about the users and

their attitude towards recruitment issues. Questions addressed issues like whether

respondents perceived themselves to be ‘passive jobseekers’ and how they use

internet in the context of recruitment.

The respondents were requested to indicate whether they used online methods when

attempting to find a job. Just above 75% indicated to use internet as a tool when

seeking job. Bearing in mind that when the respondents were questioned on their use

of the internet (see Figure 15) about 50% indicated that they use the internet for

finding jobs. This entails that a number of respondents are not fully aware of their use,

unless the question is narrowed down or suggested more specifically.

Figure 20 – Findings: Use of On-line methods to find a job

Yes No



The 25% of the respondents seems to be indicating two different things and can

perhaps be seen as the passive jobseekers. They do not immediately feel attracted by

the internet to find a job, however once specifically looking, they seem to use the

internet.

Passive jobseekers are discussed in chapter 2.5.2.3. and 2.6.2.; many legitimate

sources and academicians conceive them very valuable. To enquire about how

members felt about themselves, they were asked to indicate whether they considered

themselves to be passive jobseekers.

Figure 21 – Findings: Passive jobseekers

Roughly 60% replied with ‘yes’, indicating that they considered themselves to be a

passive jobseeker. This group is larger than the group that indicated they used internet

for recruitment purposes, but smaller than the group that indicated that they used

internet for seeking jobs. The amount of individuals considering themselves to be

passive job seekers is nonetheless quite large and confirms earlier statements made by

Yes No



Gupta (2008) regarding the amount of passive job seekers potentially available on

Social Networking Sites.

Many people are using Social Networking Sites at the moment, with many of them

already working, while others seek employment. As the research intends to reveal

opportunities for organisations with recruitment ambitions on the Social Web, the

respondents were queried on where they would fancy working. The categories for this

question were retrieved from Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development

(2008b).

Figure 22 – Findings: Preferred place to work

Marketing & Sales Media Professional services

Retail & Wholesale Administrative Food & Drinks

Public Services Finance IT

Engineering Manufacturing Construction

Transport



The response indicated that ‘Marketing and Sales’ was most favoured with 54% of the

total; followed by Media (45%) and Professional Services (37%). The middle segment

ranged from Administrative (31%) to Finance (26%). Organisations hence targeting the

top three categories would do significantly well, in comparison to organisations aiming

at Construction (7%) or Transport (6%).

The research further demonstrated that nearly 50% of the people would have a

positive stance, while only 7% indicated not to appreciate organisations contacting

them online. There seems to be a large part (45%) that is not sure about organisations

contacting them. Successful approach for this group will most likely depend on the

type of organisations and the methods used to contact these users.

Figure 23 – Findings: Organisation Contacting individuals on SNS

Positive Neutral Negative



The response was more evenly dispersed when the respondents were queried whether

they would contact organisations on Social Networking Sites, ‘yes’ received the most

ticks (38%), closely followed by ‘maybe’ (35%) and about 27% responded that they

would not contact organisation on the internet.

Figure 24 – Findings: Individuals contacting Organisations on SNS

As discussed in chapter 2.4, Social Networking is all about sharing and connecting.

Using this in the context of recruitment, the question was raised on how many people

would check a vacancy if forwarded by a friend; nearly 90% of the respondents said

they would check the vacancy when forwarded by a friend.

Figure 25 - Findings: View recommended vacancy

Yes

No

Maybe

Yes

No




A large proportion of the respondents indicated that they use On-line methods as a

tool to find a job (Figure 20).

The response as given in Figure 25 offers organisations many options. In chapter 2.3.3,

Web 2.0 technologies were highlighted; which included Social Bookmarking. Social

Bookmarking is a simple tool that allows organisation and individuals to easily make

their content available in the arena of Web 2.0 websites. If organisation would

introduce the Social Bookmarking tools on their recruitment pages; allowing visitors to

easily share the vacancy with the people they find suitable within their network it

would be highly beneficial.

As for the recruitment process, the fifth step; ‘advertising the vacancy’ in the ‘eight

steps in Recruitment and Selection process’ (see Figure 1) by Cornelius (2001) would

be done by the visitors of the recruitment site and the users of Social Networking Sites.

The Web 2.0 is furthermore renowned for its viral aspect, allowing content to spread

around the globe in real-time. The viral aspect would make it possible for the vacancy

to disseminate among an immense group of Social users without the organisation

having to pay a high price. The largest recruitment organisations mentioned in chapter

2.2.2 were briefly examined on their use of social bookmarking. Every sign of Social

Bookmarking the vacancy lacked; all three organisations used a simple forward option

to mail the vacancy to another person. This is significant as these organisations should

be trendsetters in recruitment practises.



The benefit of this approach would be that users of Social Networking Sites are not

approached by organisations themselves; instead it is their trusted network. Hence

users are fulfilling certain recruitment activities lowering the cost to the organisation

while helping them attain quality prospects, which was stated as the aim of

recruitment by Armstrong (1996). When done properly, this could lead to higher

success rates and shorter lead times.



4.2.5 Professional vs. Personal

The data retrieved from the questionnaire was further analysed by using the two most

selected personal Social Networking Sites and the two professional Social Networking

Sites. The two most popular personal sites in the conducted questionnaire were

Facebook and Hyves, while the two professional sites were Linkedin and Xing. This

would allow examining whether there are substantial differences between users and

their motives on the two types of Social Networking Sites.

Although more women responded to the questionnaire as seen in Figure 8, it was

noticeable that more men were users of professional Social Networking Sites, in

contrast to women; which were better represented on personal Social Networking

Sites.

Figure 26 - Professional vs. Personal: gender difference

Facebook Hyves Linkedin Xing

Male Female



Further analysis demonstrated that most people were using professional and personal

networks to connect to friends, however the respondents that indicated to use the

internet as a medium to find jobs, were more often found on Linkedin rather than any

other network.

Figure 27 - Professional vs. Personal: Purpose of Internet

Figure 21 displayed that 61% of the respondents identified to be passive jobseeker.

From the research it appears that personal networks and professional networks barely

differ in the amount of users indicating themselves to be a passive jobseeker. 66% of

the Linkedin users indicated to be a passive jobseeker, while the lowest percentage

was affiliated with Hyves (63%).

Figure 28 – Professional vs. Personal: Passive Jobseekers

Connecting with friends Finding jobs


Yes No




To relate the findings to Social Networking Sites, The seven most popular places

people fancied working at where combined with the professional and personal

networks to see whether any differences could be identified.

LinkedIn’s users were more interested in Professional services (52%) and IT (24%),

Facebook and Hyves, leading on LinkedIn on certain occasions. Marketing and Sales

jobs attracted individuals from all four networks, while LinkedIn and Hyves peaking at

almost 70%.

Figure 29 - Professional vs. Personal: most popular work places

Two questions within the questionnaire were directly concerning the communication

between organisations and individuals of which the results were given in Figure 23 and

Figure 24. The opinions of the users were divided and, while only 7% of the

respondents answered that they would feel negatively about an organisation

approaching them on a Social Networking Site. The data was collected was

manipulated in order to discover whether the users had different opinion on this

matter when divided by the type of Social Networking Site they use.

Food & Drinks Professionalservices

Finance Media Retail &Wholesale

IT Marketing &Sales




In Figure 30 the data shows slight differences in how users feel about organisations

contacting them on Social Networking Sites. It is noticeable that LinkedIn’s members

are most open (59%) to organisations contacting them; however it is also LinkedIn’s

members that are the most negative (10%) about organisational contact. Xing users

are according to the data more positive about being approached by organisations as

none of the users indicated to be negative on this matter.

Figure 30 - Professional vs. Personal: Organisation contact individuals

Surprisingly when Xing users were asked about whether they would contact

organisations on Social networking site, they were the most reluctant (36%).

Figure 31 - Professional vs. Personal: Individuals contact Organisations

Positive Neutral Negative


Yes No Maybe





The findings of the contemporary research do not show significant differences

between the users of professional or personal Social Networking Sites. From the two

professional sites used, LinkedIn was more popular than its competitor Xing. This came

as no surprise as the literature review already indicated that use of LinkedIn is far

larger than its competitor.

When the use of internet was correlated to the two professional networks and

personal networks, both types of networks were primarily used to connect with

friends, or in the case of professional sites these may be associates. Respondents

indicating the use of internet when seeking jobs peeked were more often found on

LinkedIn, whereas Xing was outperformed by Facebook.

Noted in paragraph 2.6.2, the power of business-oriented Social Networking Sites was

according to recruiters the fact that they are a rich source of information on passive

jobseekers (Gupta 2008; King 2007; Pruit 2008; Ruiz 2008; Wolk 2004). The data in

Figure 28 reveals that there is barely a difference between business and social

networking sites when compared on the number of passive jobseekers. Although the

statement made by the authors in the literature review, it could be used in contrast to

job boards. Statement according to this study indicates that passive jobseekers are not

necessarily limited to Business Social Networks.

The difference was more noteworthy when the top seven rated options for most

favoured working places were correlated to the four Social Networking Sites.

Individuals interested in working in professional services and IT were most often found

on LinkedIn, while individuals interested in the food and drinks sector were most often



found on Facebook and Hyves. Marketing and Sales and Media seemed to be overall

very popular, regardless of the network.

Interesting information revealed by the primary research was the gender difference in

the use of Social Networking Sites (Figure 26). Research showed that although more

women responded to the questionnaire (Figure 8), giving them slight advantage in the

rating, men were still more often active on professional networks in comparison to

women. Current literature does not make any special notes of gender differences on

the use of professional and personal networks.



4.3 Interviews

The interviews were conducted among professionals dealing with recruitment and/or

New Media. The purpose of the interviews was to gain feedback from professionals to

analyse their perception of Social Networking Sites and their value in facilitating

recruitment.

The interviews were adjusted according to the professional’s occupation, however

overall they covered their personal experience with Social Networking Sites, the value

they attach to this medium and how they perceived Social Networking in the context

of recruitment.

Full interviews can be found in the appendix.



4.3.1 Findings

4.3.1.1 Using Social Networks

Ms. Karin Hermans, Area Manager at Randstad; which ranks among the global leaders

when it comes to Recruitment, has plenty of experience when it comes to recruitment.

Hermans is a member of several Social Networking Sites, however she particularly uses

LinkedIn; “I often use Linkedin to find contact persons of certain companies, for this

purpose Linkedin is very useful” she states.

Bas van de Haterd, an Independent Professional with expertise in: recruitment, staff

communication and online marketing, says he uses many Social Networks and he uses

them often. Not very surprising, van de Haterd is specialist when it comes to

recruitment on Social Networking Sites. He states: “They all add value in different

ways”. Like Hermans, Linkedin helps him get introduced to organisations. But he

generally uses LinkedIn to check references. While LinkedIn function as a professional

tool, he uses Facebook and Hyves for more social purposes. Interesting is that van de

Haterd uses Twitter to strengthen relations with various people, by using Twitter he is

able to improve relations, which would have otherwise been only business relations.

Van de Haterd highlights the importance of investing time and effort into Social

Networking Sites; according to him: “the more you put into it, the more you get out of

it”.

4.3.1.2 Successful Recruitment methods

When van de Haterd was asked to share his opinion on what he considers to be

successful recruitment tools, he pointed out that LinkedIn is a perfect database for

recruitment containing professional information on individuals. However he goes on



by saying: “only when done correctly”. Cultural differences must be taken into account

and more importantly; companies should always put the person in the centre of

attention, not the company nor the job.

Hermans considers the best tool to depend on the kind of job that is being recruited

for. Internet according to her is becoming a very strong recruitment tool. Randstad’s

own job portal is a significant tool to attract employees. “But also a strong recruitment

tool is recommendation” she adds. She explains that recruitment agencies stay in

touch with the recruited people and when similar job vacancies arise; they try to find a

suitable person in the social network of the recruited person.

Van de Haterd likewise considers that the success of a recruitment tool depends on

multiple factors, he states:

“The success however is never in any tool. It’s always in the people using the tools.

The tool itself is just that, a tool. It’s like a hammer; you can use to build a house

or to bash someone’s head in. A tool isn’t worth much; it’s the hand that uses it”

4.3.1.3 Benefits of online recruitment

When the professionals were asked to share their view on whether it would be

beneficial to organisations and potential employees, if organisations increased their

online activities and started to recruit on their own; their views differed.

Hermans states: “The largest benefit for the employee with the current method is that

he/she will get a broad overview of all jobs currently available”, aiming at the role of

recruitment agencies discussing a wider range of job offerings. Online activities will

narrow the perspective of potential employee’s according to her, “since it is more

focussed on one possible job instead of several jobs”.



On the other hand, van de Haterd plays up the financial benefit for the organisations.

As reference he points to SAB Miller, which saved over 500.000 pounds in 2006 by

recruiting on LinkedIn. He also suggest that it becomes easier to build a talent pipeline,

recruit faster and make better matching, achieving this by simply establishing

relationship rather than hiring individuals immediately.

4.3.1.4 Recruitment and SNS

According to van de Haterd, Social Networking Sites can be a very useful to recruit

people, without becoming unnecessary intermediaries. Staffing agencies are prime

users of Social Networking Sites as a recruitment tool at the moment. He proceeds by

stating: “The moment corporations are going to use them more; the world will become

a better place, since corporations are much more worried about their reputation”.

Hermans has not yet made use of Social Networking Sites to recruit people, but shares

that within Randstad, certain departments do use Social Networking Sites to find

people for a job. Hermans does not seem to be troubled by the increased use of Social

Networking Sites, when asked what made recruitment agencies a popular method for

organisations to recruit people through, she replied with:

“Recruitment agencies are specialised in recruiting people and therefore have a wider and stronger network than most companies. The majority of companies do not recruit people on a regular basis”

Whether the increased use of Social Networking Sites will threaten the activities of

Randstad strongly depends on the market conditions Hermans says. However the

strength of recruitment agencies lies in their expertise. Hermans states:

“The core business of recruitment agencies is to recruit people, therefore they are much more familiar with the recruitment process and this enables them to find the right person for companies in the most efficient way”



According to Hermans, Social Networking sites can be considered as an additional

method of recruiting, however they will not be able to alter or replace the traditional

steps within the recruitment process. Hermans believes that these steps are necessary

to find an employee that fits the criteria required for a job.

4.3.1.5 Issues

Both professionals were requested to comment on what organisations must take into

account when they conceive to recruit through Social Networking Sites.

Van de Haterd believes two things should be taken into account:

“You do not have control” “It is not about you” It is important to understand that there no control in social networks and these

websites are not a CV databases. He continues with stating: “LinkedIn is a tool for

social networking, Facebook isn’t a social network; it’s a tool. The people are the social

network”

Van de Haterd points out that to actually do something on Social Networks; one must

become part of it. Hence it is crucial to build trust and understand that this is not

about you, it is about the person being recruited. “There are no quick wins” he says.

“People on Social Networking Sites should clearly indicate whether they would like to

be approached by companies” Hermans states. Van de Haterd accords with Herman

saying that organisation should never spam, any communication should always be

directed at a single individual.



4.3.1.6 Future

Social Networking has received great attention due to its rapid rise to the horizon.

According to van de Haterd, “we’ve just seen the beginning”. Good social networking is

the combination of online and offline. Organisations should invest more time in getting

in touch and staying in touch with potential employees and former employees (i.e.

alumni’s). It is all about staying connected with your environment. Further integration

could be the next step, where communication will be done through the combination of

video messaging and offline event.

Van de Haterd says that organisations need to be active on the social networks and

identify opportunities for them by themselves where possible”



4.3.2 Interpretation/Discussion

The responses from the interviews shared two perspectives, creating interesting data.

Both professionals used Social Networking Sites for a range of purposes. Van de Haterd

indicated that according to him, each website ads value in different ways. This could be

very true, as discussed in chapter 2.3.3; websites can have a different approach to

Social Networking. Each Social Networking Sites can have a different objective/vision

as demonstrated by Hoegg et al (Figure 3, page 13).

In the literature review, Martin and Jackson said that the most appropriate source for

recruitment depends on the group the organisation wishes to target (paragraph 2.2.1).

A statement confirmed by both professionals; with van de Haterd adding that LinkedIn

has great potential to be a successful recruitment tool when used properly, while

Hermans highlighting the strength of the internet overall.

Worthy of noting was that Hermans said that recommendation is a strong recruitment

tool. The process of recommendation as described by Hermans, suggested that the

network of the recruited person is utilised off-line, if this practise is well

comprehended within other agencies as well, the step to utilise Social Networks Online

would be comfortable made. In this case, the organisation would merely need to

connect their online profile with the profile of the recruited person, allowing their

network to access the organisation’s profile and their vacancies.

The perspective on benefits for organisations to recruit online, was different among

the professionals: Hermans, focusing on the employee side of the story; indicated that

it would narrow the view of the person on other available opportunities, van de Haterd

argued that organisations can save a great deal of financial resources when conducting



recruiting online themselves. He added that when organisations recruit themselves it

can foster the relationship. As discussed in the literature; Guest, Davey and Patch

(1988) examined the psychological contract and indicated that having a positive

psychological contact with employees can lead to increased motivation and higher

rates of loyalty.

Van de Haterd advocates recruitment on Social Networking Sites, claiming that they

can become useful tools without becoming unnecessary intermediaries. Herman

suggests that Social Networking Sites can be useful, however within the context of

recruitment, they are currently simply an additional tool. In the literature, Gupta and

Burns (Paragraph 2.6.1) indicated that many recruitment opportunities lie in Social

Networks, Ceridian (Paragraph 2.6.4) however indicated that organisation should be

internally prepared to deal with the different type of recruitment practise.

Recruitment on Social Networking Sites in comparison seems to be more time

consuming and more difficult. Van de Haterd stated that one should not aim for quick

wins. Similar to Cook quoted by Pulsinelli (2009) stating that recruitment on Social

Networking Sites must be done as a soft sell, ”the sales cycle is a lot longer, so the

patience needs to be there" (Paragraph 2.6.3.)

Good communication seems to be vital when considering Social activities.

Professionals and the authors referenced in the literature seem to agree on this.

Hermans indicated that only people that are open for receiving communication form

organisations should be approached; van de Haterd highlights the importance of not

spamming individuals, Peppers and Rogers (1995) indicated that current approach

should be about building relations (Paragraph 2.3.4) and Cascio (1995) described the



two different approaches to recruitment, with recruitment on Social Networking Sites,

should most definitely be approach with a mating strategy.

As van de Haterd stated in the interview, it is for the organisations to identify the

opportunities, however as Burns (2008) indicated, in order for organisations to

successfully exploit any of the opportunities, it will require them to make greater

investment of time, understanding, commitment and authenticity to build meaningful

relations (paragraph 2.6.1)

Conclusion


5 Conclusion

Conclusion


Social Networking Sites are growing and growing, there seems to be no limit to their

size. Currently many online communities have millions of members using online

networks on a regular basis to communicate, share, create, and collaborate with

others. Not many people these days can claim to have an off-line social network which

is not part of any on-line network. Being and staying connected is the way to go.

5.1 The report

This report aims to inform its reader on the basics of recruitment, Social Networking

Sites and how online recruitment is currently perceived. Cascio (1995) states:

“recruitment is not only business, it is big business” and so are Social Networking Sites.

Successful Social Networking Sites are valued at millions of pounds, simply based on

how many people use them, and people are exactly what organisations are after.

People can be different types of stakeholders; they can for instance be customers or

employees. The latter is where this report will focus on. The contemporary research

has gathered data from current literature, users of Social Networking Sites and

professionals to create an overview of how Social Networking Sites are assessed in the

context of recruitment; offering an insight on the different aspects.

5.2 Social Networking Sites

The study highlights the rise of Social Networking Sites. Social Networking has allowed

individuals to use the internet and web applications in previously impossible ways

(Weaver and Morrison 2008). In chapter 2.4, Social Networks are evaluated based on

the perceptions and opinions of a range of authors. Boyd and Ellison (2008) suggested

that Social Networking Sites should be named Social Network Sites, as Networking is

Conclusion


done between strangers, while Social Networking Sites primarily seem to encourage to

link with people already known.

The growth of Social Networking Sites has been endorsed by Web 2.0; the fundament

of all web applications encouraging a collective environment in which user generated

content is highly valued. Web 2.0 offers users to share and connect across several

platforms, allowing increased participation from users.

Contemporary research revealed that connecting with friends is the second most

popular use of the internet, only being preceded by e-mail. With more than half of the

people responding to questionnaire indicating that they visit Social Networking Sites

several times a day, it seems to be a very interesting place to be. Professionals seem to

agree, although there is some discussion about their use. Remarks on the use include

that being on Social Networking Sites can be time consuming, however it is argued that

more value is gained when done properly.

5.3 Sociocruitment

Online recruitment has shown significant growth. This is not very surprising according

to Strategic Direction (2009) which states that the current generation is the best

connected in history. Organisations seem to embrace online recruitment due to the

cost efficiency, wider reach and integration with existing HR systems. Professionals

indicate that the use of job portals can be a great tool in assisting organisation in

finding the right candidates. However job portals still focus on a one way process,

which is described as prospecting by Cascio (1995), mating however is described by

Cascio as a two way approach to recruitment, something that can be enabled by

recruitment practises on Social Networking Sites.

Conclusion


During the course of this study, the author found many names for online recruitment;

including: e-cruiting, e-recruitment, cybercruitment and others. However, although

there is a lift in recruitment practises on Social Networking Sites, there does not seem

to be single word to refer to it. Hence the author decided to create one, after a

brainstorm session with Elfezy, the name for recruitment practises on the Social

Networking Sites determined to be named: Sociocruitment, with Socio referring to the

involvement of a society or community.

According to literature Sociocruitment can be very useful as it allows organisations to

access passive jobseekers. Findings revealed that indeed the majority of respondents

identified themselves as passive jobseekers. Accessing these passive jobseekers

however requires organisations to invest time in understanding how these networks

work, as the users seemed to be dispersed when asked whether they would allow

organisations to contact them, although only a minor part taking a negative stance,

there is plenty of opportunity for organisations.

In order for organisations to successfully exploit any of the opportunities

Sociocruitment offers, it will require them to make greater investment of time,

understanding and effort; in case organisations are not willing to fully commit, they

should remain using their established methods, as other recruitment methods are

tested and have proven effectiveness.

5.4 Limitations

Time and access restrictions, caused the research to have certain limitations, these

limitations are outline in chapter 3.12, it was further felt that further research could be

conducted to enhance the understanding, recommendations are made in chapter 6.3.

Recommendations


6 Recommendations

Recommendations


6.1 Introduction

The final part of this report covers the recommendation. As stated early on by the

author, making recommendations is a key objective of this study and they would be

made based on the findings retrieved through conducting the primary and secondary

research.

This section outlines the possibilities, organisations can consider for successfully

implementing a strategy to conduct recruitment on Social Networking Sites.

The recommendations are based as stated on existing literature and the primary

research, allowing organisations to consider the issues highlighted in this report and

the analysis of the primary research.

Recommendations


6.2 Recommendations

The following recommendations are made for organisations, which are considering

commencing using Web 2.0 technologies.

6.2.1 Have a strategy

Using Web 2.0 technologies can offer many advantages to organisations, nevertheless

some issues can arise. It is important for an organisation to draw a strategy for all Web

2.0 activities. They should define which of the tools they wish to use and which

websites seems to match the organisation’s aims and objectives. As discussed in the

contemporary report, there are many different Social Networking Sites; each target a

different audience, hence careful selection can have a greater positive impact.

When developing a strategy, key personnel should be consulted and every member

affected should have a clear understanding of the approach.

6.2.2 Online Social Profile

Organisations not ready for Sociocruitment can still easily become part of Social

Networking Sites, without taking any risks. Many Social Networking Sites allow

organisations to make a profile or start a group. This is an excellent method to engage

with users of Social Networking Sites and show off your brand.

Organisations could further exploit online profiles and groups, by sending newsletters

to members and encourage a two way communication process, allowing the

organisation to receive direct feedback, which can be used to improve service or

product.

Recommendations


6.2.3 Social Bookmarking

Social Bookmarking is an excellent way for organisations to disseminate information, It

is free, it is done for you and it can reach millions of people. By simply integrating

Social Bookmarking into the corporate website, organisation allow the visitors to share

the content of the website on hundreds of sites, which on its turn can be viewed or

shared by millions of people. Proper use of this tool can outperform large

advertisement campaigns.

As discussed in this research, if organisations integrate Social Bookmarking on their

career pages, it will allow the visitors to share an interesting vacancy among its online

network, not only is the advertisement being done for free, it can lead to higher

success rates, as research revealed that 90% of the respondents would check a

vacancy if forwarded by a friend.

6.2.4 Build applications

The underlying technology of Web 2.0 is accessible for everyone. It can allow

organisations to create their own tools which can be shared on Social Networking

Sites. For instance, a simple application could be developed by an organisation to

automatically display the organisations latest vacancies on a Social Networking Site.

This form of Sociocruitment could encourage people to initiate contact with the

organisation.

6.2.5 Explore opportunities

People within a company are an excellent method to discuss opportunities. Most

people use Social Networking Sites; hence there is a great probability that employees

Recommendations


within the organisation are using them. Organisation should encourage employees to

share ideas on how Web 2.0 can be used to benefit the organisation.

6.3 Further Research

The contemporary research used a limited sample; it was felt that if the research

would be conducted on larger scale this would be beneficial in identifying differences

among users of different demographics.

Research should be conducted to evaluate the tools current Social Networking Sites

offer to organisations in order for them to successfully recruit.

Further research could be conducted to investigate which factors affect people when

they select a tool to find a job.

References


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Appendix


Appendix

Appendix


Appendix 1 – Questionnaire

Appendix


Appendix


Appendix 2 – Questionnaire Results

Appendix


Appendix


Appendix 3 – Interviews

Appendix


power of social networking sites

Documents

context of recruitment

respondents author

rgu mr sutherland

mr bill sutherland date

contemporary research

excellent supervisor

mr sutherlands critical

haterd consultant