Candidate Credibility on Professional Networking Websites
Abstract:
With the academic community’s recent emphasis on research concerning social networking websites like Facebook and Twitter, there is a lack of research on the relationship between professional networking websites and candidate credibility. Due to the increasing popularity of professional networking websites, job seekers are likely to benefit from research on this subject. The researcher asked if Human Resources employees use websites like LinkedIn in their online search of a job candidate, how these individuals judge candidate credibility, and whether having a LinkedIn profile improves a candidate’s chances of being hired. Based on the findings of an online survey administered to 30 Human Resources employees, it has been determined that organizations believe that websites like LinkedIn are valuable tools but do not always trust the information posted on candidate’s profiles. Over half of the Human Resources respondents feel that candidates could be misrepresenting their identities and consult secondary sources to verify this information. This research is significant because it shows professional networking website users that organizations think critically about the information on their profiles regardless of extensive connections and memberships.
Keywords:
professional networking websites, LinkedIn, identity, misrepresentation, social media
