The Pros And Cons Of Social Media

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Social media sites are now finding their way into workplace. Now, social media sites are not just a place where you post photos of your pets wearing cowboy hats. Human Resource professionals now see Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook as an avenue for finding and recruiting promising potential employees. A survey carried out by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) revealed that 77% of firms use social media when selecting candidates for positions. (Global HR Research, 2015). However, weighing the benefits and risk of using social media in hiring decision making is a significant risk that professionals advice should be considered when designing a recruitment strategy. According to a research from the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) and ACAS, approximately half (45%) of human resource decision-makers now make use of social media tools when recruiting; with a further 16% planning to do so in the future (ACAS, 2013).
Self-expression on social media can come with a cost if an individual act carelessly. Information, photos and …show more content…

religious and demographic information) of the applicant. The use of these information for recruitment purposes is illegal and can also lead to charges of discrimination. Some of this information includes the religion, age, national origin, or race of the applicant. Screening a candidate out because of his or her presence on social media can also inaccurately reflect the work ethic of an applicant. Just as the name implies, social media sites like Twitter and Facebook were primarily designed for social use and not as an avenue to display work samples and professional skills. Also, because not all applicants make use of social media networks, using social media in screening can create an unfair advantage or disadvantage for candidates that make use of social media. (Durham Chamber of Commerce,

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