Synthesis Paper Essay Example

Brown, V. R., & Vaughn, E. D. (2011). The writing on the (Facebook) wall: The use of social networking sites in hiring decisions. Journal of Business Psychology, 26, 219-225.

The article focuses on ascertaining the possible risks that are associated with misuse of social networking sites (SNSs) by employers while screening potential job applicants. The authors note that there are certain opportunities for organisations to come up with the creation of policies related to searching SNSs in the overall screening and hiring process altogether. Some of the most notable existing risks that relates to adoption of informal SNSs extends to perception of invasion of applicant privacy, a definite lack of clearly identifiable theoretical components necessary for the entire screening process; as well as lack of information data that is needed to support the presumption that the data adopted in the screening process is indeed relevant to the job position at hand. The article further posits that there might be distinct variability in the form and degree of information that is publicly accessible across a different set of the applicant tools. Certainly, an applicant’s shared information could be distorted by social desirability or higher levels of self-monitoring.

In this regards, human resource managers are called to formulate policies that cannot result to in the breach of applicant’s privacy. They are also asked to establish a conceptual consideration to the theoretical constructs whenever they are engaged employment screening process. The legal implications of SNSs, hiring managers can engage in shuffling through a pile of resumes within a private location while online searches might result to a weak situation that could lead to bias. The article thus, provides pertinent information on how an organisation can go about handling risks associated with adoption of SNSs in screening potential employees.

Roberts, S. J., & Roach, T. (2009). Social networking web sites and human resource personnel: suggestions for job researches.

The article notes that even though social networking websites presents an opportunity to connect, it can also results to issues whenever possible employers resort to searching potential job applicant’s information through them. It is evidently clear that recruiters are now presenting a warning to universities career resource centres that they are engaged in analysing SNSs hence a need to inform students on how to go about their online presentation.

This article presents crucial information about how a person can market themselves within the online platform. The Internet can be successfully used for personal branding. The article ascertains that individuals could efficiently control their online persona by way of pitting information out there on numerous online platforms. In so doing, the article provides useful information to potential applicant’s on how best to create a personal brand that include; identifying stakeholders; career goals and the level of personal information one can reveal within the online platform.

Ross Slovensky, William H. Ross, (2012) «Should human resource managers use social media to screen job applicants? Managerial and legal issues in the USA», info, Vol. 14 Issue: 1, pp.55-69, https://doi.org/10.1108/14636691211196941

The article provides a substantial number of pros and cons on the use of social media to screen job applicants. The pros include; SNSs avail more honest applicant information when compared to traditional methods where HR managers only relied on information presented in cover letters and resumes; SNSs provide pertinent and complete information in a cost-effective approach; and that organisations are called upon to be cautious of negligent hiring that could extend to legal and ethical considerations. The most notable cons of adopting SNSs include; sometimes information presented within social media is not accurate at all; the SNSs maybe the wrong website given that a single person can have numerous imitations of accounts hence presenting them in a bad way; SNSs information might result to reinforcement of initial decisions; and, also provide a platform for presenting privacy issues.

The article presents a significant set of information on matters related to legal and ethical issues. As a professional communicator, the article fairly informs me that the act of using a job applicant’s SNSs could result to violation of privacy policies hence an organisation could be liable for the breach of contract doctrine. Most managers adopt SNSs for purpose of screening potential job applicants and expect that these platforms offer honest and accurate information about them. They also do this as a cost-effective way of garnering informational data on a potential applicant. However, it is also likely that the data could not be accurate in portraying an applicant as a potential employee and also its adoption could raise fairness concerns.

Davison, K. H., Maraist, C., & Bing, N. M. (2011). Friend or foe? The promise and pitfalls of using social networking sites for HR decisions, Journal of Business Psychology, 26, 153-159

The article ascertains that there has been a significant rise in the use of social networking websites in the process of making HR decisions. The authors note that the lack of research and suggestions to aid in the use of SNSs has resulted to HR professional’s either using them properly in one instant and improper in another model. As a professional communicator, this article provides pertinent information on how social networking can be effectively used to reach a wider set of audience for their job postings as well as provision of informational data on its underlying culture; goals and mission.

However, it is important that organisations desist from only relying on this mode of social networking process. The article notes that organisations is exposed to risks associated with limiting applicant’s pool by way of failing to sharing job opportunities as wide as possible hence presenting a possibility of violating civil rights laws.

Berkelaar, B. L., & Buzzanell, P. M. (2014). Cybervetting, person–environment fit, and personnel selection: Employers’ surveillance and sense-making of job applicants’ online information. Journal of Applied Communications Research, 42(4); 456-476.

The article notes that cyber-vetting could result to a legitimised and overall practiced process in relation to the meanings of fit especially what constitutes the concept of good fit. Cybervetting is presented as a risk work since it posits uncertainties in the hiring process; it is perceived to be a model of reputation management, which focuses on presenting corporate image as a foundation for efficient and effective sound corporate governance and efficiency concerns whenever bad fit results to employers suffering high turnovers.

As professional communicators, this article provides useful information on the manner for which socio-technological competencies and persistent aspects of identity could affect personnel selection and career management process. It calls for HR managers to attend workshops focuses on unintentional biasness and inconsistencies within both the online and offline information. There is a recommendation that one should engage in improving the communicative and technical competencies that are deemed fundamental for efficient and effective as well as ethical use of informational data. The authors ascertains that employers should always assess Cybervetting collective consequences that should extend to determining applicant’s attributes and assessing environments that could result to attaining a short and long-term goals and objectives. As a professional communicator, the article provides reliable information on selecting environments that is deemed to be fit for assessments.

Drouin, M., O’Connor, K. W., Schmidt, G. B., & Miller, D. A. (2015). Facebook fired: Legal perspectives and young adults’ opinions on the use of social media in hiring and firing decisions. Computers in Human Behaviour, 46, 123-128.

The article notes that there has been increased level of social media adoption in employment-related decisions. The authors note that SNSs plays a significant role in human resource practices and, as a result contributed to a substantial number of decisions that resulted to litigations. Legal concerns are said to arise when organisations fires employees for their social media conduct, which could be unrelated to the workplace settings, rules and policies. Given that there has been a series of negative reactions from the public, this has led to some form of legal protection for employees through state laws.

As a professional communicator, I could use this article as it provides pertinent arguments that could be adopted in day-to-day operations. It is important to understand that social media policies do not exist or sometimes insufficient. In this regards, public opinions and suggestions related to how to use social media in employment opportunities would certainly assist to reframe the future policies. It has also been noted that the possible opinions related to the appropriateness of adopting social media profiles presents employment decisions that are framed by individual attributes like in the case of Big-5 attributes assessed in numerous studies.