Social media and recruitment : exploring usage, ethical boundaries and relationships amongst 21st century Maltese recruiters

Abstract

In this day and age, social media is undoubtedly one of the most dominating and intrusive factors of our lives. It thus comes as no surprise that social media use in recruitment has increased exponentially, becoming part-and-parcel of the hiring process. Nonetheless, challenges and drawbacks arise. This literary work serves as an investigation into the relationship between social media and recruitment. In brief, this consists in questioning the validity and reliability of information found online by recruiters and the legality and ethicality of their hiring methods. Additionally, the relationship between recruiters and Human Resource departments, questioning the durability of their relationship and the lifespan of this intermediary. Finally, this study shall delve into the future of social media in recruitment and whether such data could override and replace the traditional résumé. This study aspires to give a somewhat clear picture of the present situation in Malta by showing that recruiters rely heavily on data found online, through various social media platforms even though such practices may indeed blur ethical boundaries. Notwithstanding the general belief that the advantages of this tool largely outweigh its drawbacks, Maltese recruiters still consider traditional methods to be indispensable. Contrastingly, potential employees are well aware that recruiters engage in profile screening online, prompting them to alter their social media platforms. Such results, detailed in Chapter 4, conclude by questioning the risk of owning a social media profile as a candidate and the credibility of this information from a recruiter’s perspective. In light of all this, the author is of the opinion that educating students and future employees about data security and privacy could help decrease the drawbacks of using this medium.