Social Networking Websites in Personnel Selection A Signaling Perspective on Recruiters' and Applicants' Perceptions

Industry surveys and media reports suggest that recruiters increasingly use social networking websites (SNWs) in the selection process, but corresponding scientific research is still limited. Using signaling theory, we examine SNWs as a new way for applicants to signal their qualities to recruiters. Results suggest that recruiters and potential applicants (students and graduates) both perceive professional SNWs (e.g., LinkedIn) as a potential antecedent of Person-Job fit information and personal SNWs (e.g., Facebook) as a potential antecedent of Person-Organization fit information. When evaluating the same SNW profile, recruiters and potential applicants focus on different sections of the profile (e.g., recruiters focus more on job-related information), but they tend to infer similar personality traits. Implications for using SNWs in selection are discussed.