Ethics of using Facebook as a recruitment tool

Ethics are the underlying values, beliefs and principles which guide a person’s actions as they navigate through the world (Robbins et al. 2009). As these values, beliefs and principles are unique to each individual there are differing interpretations as to what constitutes ethical behaviour (Schermerhorn et al. 2011). Another distinction that can be made about ethical behaviour is that while an act may not be considered illegal it can be still interpreted as unethical (Driver 2007). As new technologies and social trends are developed the law is often slow to act in regulating its usage, leaving it to be guided by a person’s or organisation’s ethics (Lory 2010). In the following TED Talks (2011) Damon Horowitz raises this issue and questions the need for the development of a “moral operating system” to help govern the ethics of these new technologies.

 

A social trend which is currently experiencing an ethical debate is the use of social media site Facebook as a recruitment selection tool (Lory 2010). There are many media reports of Facebook being used as a recruitment tool for assessing candidacy fit with the organisation which has resulted hiring decisions being negatively impacted (Christofides, Muise & Desmarais 2009). Research by Lory (2010) has indentified that many organisation which utilise Facebook as a selection tool do so under the utilitarian ethics approach; meaning they do not consider breaching privacy of an applicant’s site provided that outcome results in hiring for the greater good of the company. Smith and Kidder (2010) have argued that to access an applicant’s Facebook site leads to potentially unethical behaviour of the employer. In the below video, I discuss this article further as it highlights some key ethical questions faced by both the employer and job applicants. 

References

Christofides, E 2009, 'Information Disclosure and Control on Facebook: Are They Two Sides of the Same Coin or Two Different Processes?', CyberPsychology & Behavior, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 341-345. 

Driver, J 2007, Ethics: the fundamentals, Blackwell Publishing, Carlton, Victoria.

Lory, BE 2010, ‘Using Facebook to Assess candidates during the recruiting process: Ethical implications’, NACE Journal, vol. 71, no. 1, pp.37-40, viewed 28 January 2016, http://cla.umn.edu/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/Facebook_in_Hiring_Ethical_Implications(1).pdf

Robbins, SP, Bergman, R, Stagg, I & Coulter, M 2009, Foundations of management, 3^rd edn, Pearson, Frenchs Forest, New South Wales.

Schermerhorn, JR, Davidson, P, Poole, D, Simon, A, Woods, P & Chau, SL 2011, Management, 4th Asia Pacific edn, Wiley, Milton, Queensland.

Smith, WP, & Kidder, DL 2010, ‘You’ve been tagged! (Then again, maybe not): Employers and Facebook’, Business Horizons, vol. 53, no. 5, pp.491-499.

TED Talks 2011, Damon Horowitz calls for a “moral operating system”, video, 6 June, viewed 27 January 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nG3vB2Cu_jM&feature=youtu.be

The importance of a positive job negotiation

Negotiations are inevitable in life; one such a reason is during a job offer. In this scenario the two parties are likely to be strangers without an established rapport, but with the need for a lasting relationship to occur (Curhan, Elfenbein & Kilduff 2009). Therefore, it is important that the organisation’s representative and the applicant be mindful that the negotiated outcomes symbolise only the defined outcomes and do not represent the feelings about the negotiation process (Wang, Northcraft & Van Kleef 2012). Research has shown that these feelings can predict a candidates’ level of satisfaction and their intention to leave within a year depending if they assess the fairness during the negotiation process in positive or negative light (Wang, Northcraft & Van Kleef 2012).

As these negotiations occur in a context which might result in a person feeling a loss of control and anxious it is important that a rapport is developed as people tend to be unpredictable when they do not understand how the other party will respond (Lee et al. 2015). Dr Colburn-Palo a negotiator trainer for the United Nations recently outlined in a TEDx presentation (below) three pitfalls that occur in a negotiation and how to avoid them.

Rony Ross, founder and executive of Panorama Software, advises that there are five components to a successful negotiation strategy, especially for if one feels threaten as a smaller less powerful party. According to Goudreau (2012) Ross defined her strategy to include:

• Remain results orientated: as this allows for the discussion to revolve around the facts and removes yourself from this issue helping to keep the situation unemotional.
• Show respect: be respectful of the other party and their interests as this will increase the changes of it being reciprocated.
• Define your concerns: by being open the other party you are establishing an honest rapport which can be built upon.
• Work as a team: by avoiding ‘I’ statements you avoid entering your ego into the negotiation and allows for discussion of mutual benefit to take place
• Connect with body language: use positive and engaging body language to communicate interest in what the other party is saying to enforce your honesty within the relationship.  

By completing a successful negotiation keeping these factors in mind it is possible to establish a positive working relationship after a job negotiation.

References

Coburn-Palo, N 2014, Why Negotiations Fail, online video, viewed 15 January 2016, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e53NFoQ6oSM>

Curhan, JR, Elfenbein, HA, & Kilduff, GJ 2009, ‘Getting off on the right foot: Subjective value versus economic value in predicting longitudinal job outcomes from job offer negotiations’, Journal of Applied Psychology, vol. 94, pp. 524-534.

Goudreau, J 2012, The Secret Art of Negotiating: Take Your Ego Off The Table, viewed 19 January 2016, http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/10/08/the-secret-art-of-negotiating-take-your-ego-off-the-table/#2ec180687224

Lee, DS, Moeller, SJ, Kopelman, S, & Ybarra, O 2015, ‘Biased Social Perceptions of Knowledge: Implications for Negotiators' Rapport and Egocentrism’, Negotiation and Conflict Management Research, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 85-99.

Wang, L, Northcraft, GB, & Van Kleef, GA 2012, ‘Beyond negotiated outcomes: The hidden costs of anger expression in dyadic negotiation’ Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, vol.119, no. 1, pp. 54-63

Non verbal communication through facial expressions and their impact in job interviews

Communication consists of both verbal and non verbal communication. Non verbal behaviour can be separated into two categories: physical attractiveness and non verbal behaviours (Tsai, Huang & YU 2012). Facial expressions are considered a non verbal behaviour and there have been numerous studies undertaken as to their universality. Through these various research efforts seven universal facial expressions have been identified as per figure 1 (Matsumoto & Hwang 2011).

Figure 1: 7 universal facial expressions

Research has also identified that these facial expression can be shown in either macroexpressions:  expressions involving the whole face lasting between 0.5 to 4 seconds, or microexpressions: expressions which only last 1/30 of a second and are likely concealed emotions (Matsumoto & Hwang 2011). In the business world understanding these expressions can help people improve their interactions with others, especially microexpressions, as these can aid in the development of rapport, trust and aid in creditability assessments and truthfulness (Matsumoto & Hwang 2011).

Researchers have also conducted studies into the use of facial expressions in job interviews and have found that interviewees who use positive facial expressions during their interview are able to portray themselves as being more hireable, competent, motivated and successful than the applicants (Nguyen et al. 2014). The reason for this can be attributed to the immediacy hypothesis, which states that through the use of immediacy behaviour (such as smiling) an applicant is able to show a perceptual availability superior to other applicants leading to a positive effect on the interviewer (Nguyen et al. 2014).

An interviewer will use non verbal behaviours to connect personality characteristics, for example smiles, eye contact and head gestures can indicate directness, honesty, and friendliness (Tsai, Huang & Yu 2012). For example, smiling can indicate positiveness in an applicant (Eunson 2012).

Although the use of facial expressions has an impact on the interviewer's perception of the applicant, they must support quality verbal content as the interview is designed to investigate an applicant’s skills, knowledge and abilities (Tsai, Huang & Yu 2012). 

References 

Eunson, B 2012, Communicating in the 21st century, John Wiley & Sons Australia, Milton, QLD.

Matsumoto, D & Hwang, HS 2011, 'Reading facial expressions of emotion', Psychological Science Agenda, May 2011, viewed 15 January 2016, http://www.apa.org/science/about/psa/2011/05/facial-expressions.aspx

Nguyen, LS, Frauendorfer, D, Mast, MS, & Gatica-Perez, D 2014, ‘Hire me: Computational Inference of Hirability in Employment Interviews Based on Nonverbal Behavior’, Multimedia, vol. 16, no. 4, pp. 1018-1031.

Tsai, W 2012, 'Investigating the unique predictability and boundary conditions of applicant physical attractiveness and non-verbal behaviours on interviewer evaluations in job interviews', Journal of Occupational & Organizational Psychology, vol. 85, no. 1, pp. 60-79.

Target Recruitment - Using audience differences

Recruitment plays a crucial role in human resource planning and the success of the organisation as it provides the organisation with the human capital to achieve their strategic goals. It is important that the recruitment strategy used to attractive potential employees is effective and tailored to the desired audience of the recruitment effort (Compton, Morrissey & Nankervis 2014).

The targeted recruitment requires an organisation to design an advertisement which catches the eye of the desired applicant while also discourage those who would not be suitable for the position, but it must also promote the image of the organisation (Compton, Morrissey & Nankervis 2014). This can be achieved through the targeted recruitment method which is based on interactional psychology, by speculating the differences within the audience to target potential employees in an effort to achieve person-organisational fit. This requires an organisation to target individual differences through either surface level factors, such as demographics, or deep level factors, such as values and attitudes (Casper, Wayne & Manegold 2013).

A recruitment campaign which targets surface level factors, appeals to the needs and desires based on attributes such as gender, race, parental status and education (Casper, Wayne & Manegold 2013). The linked advertisement sourced from Seek.com for Horizonone is an example of surface level factors as it concentrates on the education levels of the audience. A potential applicant is able to discern if they are the intended audience through the emphasis placed on the education level as well as the professional language which has been used.

Due to the realisation that diversity within an organisation has multiple benefits; organisations are starting to target minorities within their recruitment efforts by highlighting the organisation’s diversity climate (Casper, Wayne & Manegold 2013). An example of this is Suncorp, in a recent advertisement placed on Seek.com. The diversity culture has been highlighted so that audience members who intrinsically feel that this is important are drawn to the position. It is particularly highlighted through the image used in figure 1. 

Figure 1: Diversity Policy Example

By understanding that there are differences in the audience which view their advertisements, organisations are able to target selected criteria through the emphasis of surface level or deep level factors to tailor their advertisements to encourage action from their desired sub sector in that audience. 

References 

Casper, WJ, Wayne, JH, & Manegold, JG 2013, 'Who Will We Recruit? Targeting Deep- and Surface-Level Diversity with Human Resource Policy Advertising', Human Resource Management, vol. 52, no. 3, pp. 311-332.

Compton, RL, Morrissey, B, & Nankervis, A 2014, Effective recruitment and selection practices, 6th edn, CCH Australia, Sydney, New South Wales.

Horizonone, 2016, APS6 / EL1 Financial Compliance Officer / Manager, viewed 5 January 2016, http://www.seek.com.au/job/30119978?pos=14&type=standard&engineConfig=&userqueryid=137441785209188633&tier=no_tier&whereid=

Suncorp, 2016, Financial Control Advisor, viewed 5 January 2016, http://www.seek.com.au/job/30130486?pos=8&type=standard&engineConfig=&userqueryid=137441785209188633&tier=no_tier&whereid=

Welcome

Welcome to my blog for Communication in Professional Contexts. 

I hope you will join me as I learn about the challenges and mysteries of communication in the 21st Century. This is the 3rd blog which I have been tasked with, however, I find I am still learning all the intricacies required for this platform. I hope that I can make our journey together over the next 12 weeks engaging and insightful. If there is a topic which you wish to discuss or debate please comment or contact me (form to the right), I love knowing other's perspectives as this is how we learn and grow. 

A little about me, as we become friends on this adventure. I am from Bundaberg and I am attending the local campus as I complete a Bachelor of Business majoring in Human Resource Management and Management. Due to my major in Human Resources I have decided to take a Human Resource approach to the topics which I discuss. 

I have working experience in various industries including hospitality, electrical, manufacturing, education. I am currently working part-time for a small family business which operates in the manufacturing industry.  

                      Figure 1: Hello Waving Bear 

                      Source: Giphy 2015

Reference
Hello Waving Bear 2015, digital image, Giphy, viewed 11 November 2015, http://gph.is/1a60JrD