Social media as a recruitment tool used by organisations to reach out the right talent : a case study within the five star hotels in the Maltese islands

Abstract

The twenty-first century is an era where digital technology is an integral part of our lives. Social media has radically transformed the way we communicate, the way business is conducted and our lifestyle. The introduction of social media, has subsequently also impacted the recruitment process; it has evolved and social recruitment has become the new trend. As a result of this, organisations are not only using social media to promote their products or services, but also to reach out talent. The aim of this study is to explore whether Human Resources professionals within the five star hotels in the Maltese Islands are using social media as a recruitment tool or not. The researcher will also analyse how social media is being used and whether or not it is an efficient tool to attract and recruit talent. This study will provide an in-depth literature review about the evolution of recruitment; what is social media and the impact on Human Resources; the social media tools and sites used for social recruitment; the benefits and challenges of using social media as a recruitment tool and social media’s presence within the hospitality industry. The research findings were brought out from a number of qualitative interviews with the Human Resources Managers of the majority of the five star hotels in Malta and Gozo. Findings from this study indicate that the use of social media as a recruitment tool in Malta and Gozo is relatively new and is constantly evolving. The majority of the hotels use it as part of their recruitment strategy. Furthermore, it also resulted that social media is an efficient recruitment tool because it is cost effective, targeted, has a wide-reach and also produces quick results. However, it was also found that it has a number of challenges, which can lead to severe consequences for the company. This study points out the importance of keeping up-to-date with the new trends in order to remain competitive and to have a social recruitment policy in place in order to safeguard the company’s interest.