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InformationSchool
Dissertation COVER SHEET (TURNITIN)
Module Code: INF6000Registration Number 140136498Family Name Kibble First Name Matthew
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InformationSchool.
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(b) Subject to the General Regulation on Intellectual Property, I, the author, request that this dissertation bewithheld from loan, consultation or reproduction for a period of [ ] years from the date of its submission.Subsequent to this period, I agree to this dissertation being made available through the Departmentand/or University Library for consultation, and for the Department and/or Library to reproduce thisdissertation in whole or part in order to supply single copies for the purpose of research or private study
Name Matthew Kibble
Department Information School
Signed Matthew Kibble Date 30/08/15
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THIS SHEET MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH DISSERTATIONS BY DEPARTMENTAL REQUIREMENTS.
Awareness and Implications Of The Digital Self in relation to Employability
A study on effective practices in digital presence to improve employability
A study submitted in partial fulfillmentof the requirements for the degree of
MSc Digital Library Management
at
THE UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD
by
Matthew Kibble
September 2015
1
Abstract Background:
Digital identity is a keystone to employability in the modern technological age. Social
network profiles are a representation of ourselves that employers can use to find and assess
candidates, but many are unaware of the information and attitudes they are looking for.
Aims:
To collate a current industry standpoint on the use of social media for employment and
potential employment purposes, also known as socialhiring, through the use of corporate survey
analysis, evaluation of literature and current education practices in the field of online digital identity,
and information professional practices. The final result will be clear and concise recommendations
on how those looking to improved their digital identity to better their employability can do so.
Methods:
The research was split into three phases, that of literature research and secondary survey
dataanalysis, followed by indepth qualitative interviews with information professionals currently
engaged with their digital identities, completed with discussion comparing the results of the first two
phases followed by the evaluation including the recommendations.
Results:
Trends and similarities could be seen in both the survey analysis and the interview
responses, however the opinions and practices of social recruiters and professionals varied
considerably. Three main platforms were identified as being top of the list to social recruitment, all
experiencing a growth in use over the last 5 years. The concepts of Branding, Networking, Conduct,
and Stereotyping represent important steps to improving a professional digital identity.
Conclusions:
Recommendations built using the literature and the interviews are given to those wishing to
improve their digital identity for employability and general professionalism purposes. The study
suffered from too little time being available to improve certain sections. Further academic work could
be performed on the social networks themselves for a larger opinion of their usability, as well as
using the Delphi study methodology mentioned in the selection of research methods
2
Acknowledgements
Thank you to my family and other half Sarah for supporting me through this last year’s endeavours. Though it’s been rough at times, I’ve got through thanks to you all.
Special thanks to Sheila Webber for all of her help during the development of this dissertation, and to the participants of the interview for contributing their time and knowledge
to the study.
3
Table of Contents
1. Introduction and context Research aims and objectives
2. Literature review 2.1 Social Networking and Digital Identity
2.1.1 Psychology of Social Networking 2.1.2 Digital Identity 2.1.3 Legality 2.1.4 Commodity
2.2 Hiring Practices and Jobseeker Trends 2.2.1 Survey Literature Characteristics 2.2.2 Social Recruitment 2.2.3 Trends over time 2.2.4 Mobile Awareness of profile presentation
3. Methodology 3.1 Research Design 3.2 Selection of research Methods 3.3 Limitations 3.4 Ethical aspects 3.5 Interview Construction 3.6 Interview Process 3.7 Data Analysis
4. Results Interview Results
5. Discussion 5.1 Platforms 5.2 Content & Conduct
6. Conclusions 6.1 Recommendations 6.2 Recommendations for further Research 6.3 Personal Development
References Appendixes
4
1. Introduction and context This research will address how employers are currently using social media and online
resources to assess potential candidates during the recruitment process; as well as current
opinions and practices of information professionals who are currently engaged with and
developing a digital identity.The main topics of study, taking into account research already
performed on social networking site, will be ideas such as what uses and limitations certain
sites have over others, and how best for professionals to build a digital identity in the current
market.
Information will be drawn from literature on the topic of socialhiring, though this is a
relatively burgeoning area in terms of academic research. Research of hiring managers and
interviews with existing professionals, including their personal recommendations, will be
conducted with the intent to help new professionals develop their digital image.
The need of this research has come about from the apparent lack of any course or
tuition being available at the University of Sheffield that teaches students awareness of how
information posted can be seen and used by companies; and how to use differing social media
to their professional advantage. In an interview with Dan Schawbel (Hall, 2013), whose
company 'Millennial Branding' conducted a survey on student use of different social networking
sites in 2013, he noted that “the LinkedIn numbers are low because students aren't thinking
about networking until after they graduate” and that students don't feel they can work with the
system as most do not have a professional career to present.
Whilst most of the research conducted within this study will mainly only be relevant to a
western demographic, it will also be useful for those who have moved or plan to move into
western society. The growing population of international students within the UK (HEFCE, 2015)
means there will be more learners who are unaware of the current social recruiting climate, and
thus need the additional tuition on how to use it to their advantage.
Research aims and objectives This study is qualitative in nature. Two core research aims are posed to help clarify the
research problem, and each core aim involves follow up objectives.
Aims:
To collate a current industry standpoint on the use of social media for employment and
potential employment purposes, also known as socialhiring, through the use of
5
corporate survey analysis, evaluation of current education practices in the field of
online selfpromotion, and information professional practices.
To provide clear and concise recommendations for those looking to improve their
digital identity to better their employability options.
Objectives:
Review literature on improving social media practice studies. However, it should be
observed that most material currently consists of surveys and business insider articles,
as opposed to academic papers and peer reviewed studies.
Qualitative research analysing; evaluating and contrasting current corporate surveys
on socialhiring within the last five years to produce a list of social networking sites that
employers are using to influence decision making during the hiring process, and to
identify key areas potential employers are monitoring.
Researching teaching blogs and academic papers concerned with social media
presence training.
Using information collected through surveys and literature; interview information
professionals that use social networking to promote themselves and discuss how they
approach different platforms of media to build their professional portfolio based on
experiences and personal opinions.
Analyse results to support information from initial research and present findings
Aspects of behavioural psychology should potentially be addressed, especially with
regards to differing opinions of different social networks and generational opinions, however
this will be secondary research, only undertaken if the project span permits.
LinkedIn and Facebook will be the two key platforms observed within this study,
however Twitter may be included depending on responses from observed literature and the
interviewed professionals.
This research will be valuable for future learners who otherwise would not study or not
be presented with the opportunity to study what their digital image can do for their professional
lives. Presentation of evidence, and making clear and relevant recommendations will be key to
the success of this study, with awareness as the foundation of whether this information is
presented as education for learners, or training for professionals to teach forward.
2. Literature review The literature review will examine two main areas of research. The first being how
6
users approach social networking and digital identities. To better understand where digital
identity originates, it is important to assess the platforms they are built through and how users
treat and interact with such services, including issues such as privacy and selfdisclosure. This
also extends to current training practices which educators use to better understand users
opinions of the service. Stereotypes, a topic touched on in this study, actively influence what
employers may want to see of digital profiles and it is important to observe movements to break
away from these outdated habits. Users should also be aware of the legal attributes to use of
these services and how it can affect their prospects, including the value of their information as
a personal commodity.
The second section will involve analysing social recruitment The concept and ideas
based on engaging with social media and networks for recruitment and talent attraction (Alder,
2011) and current corporate and jobseeker trends. The main objective of this study is to
assess what platforms are and how they could be used by both parties in the current job
seeking market, what information employers are looking for, and how that information is being
used. To better understand where companies and other jobseekers are orientating their
resources, annual surveys have been compared for areas of activity growth and decline. This
also relates to the growing trend of mobile job hunting and social recruiting, a topic that should
become more prevalent in the coming years. Also, a statement regarding the characteristics of
the analysed survey data has been provided to acknowledge the possible bias of these
corporate sources.
All information has been collected through academic papers, case studies, corporate
surveys and various reports, blogs and articles on the topics.
2.1 Social Networking and Digital Identity
2.1.1 Psychology of Social Networking As of current, the motivations of users for developing their social network profiles seem
to rely on the psychological and physical features that they are built around. An example such
as Joinson's (2008) study report that motivations such as shared identities, social investigation,
content sharing and social connectivity are key reasons for social network use. Similarly,
Bumgarner (2007) identifies aspects of personal expression, social utility, collective
engagement and monitoring as motivations too. Feuer (2011) suggests the reasoning for the
rapid embrace of social networking is “intrinsically personal” and satiates a fundamental need
for social interaction and a feeling of belonging.
Special & LiBarber (2012) conducted a more indepth study, based in a small
southeastern university in North Carolina USA, into motivations of undergraduate students and
7
Facebook, and how they treat selfdisclosure and how that influenced their overall experience
of the site. The study method involved participation of students in an extended quantitative
survey with sections drawing on ideas and methods of scale based on the literature. The two
key explanations outlined were that users who were actively engaged in developing their profile
and users who gave higher levels of disclosure had higher levels of satisfaction.
It must however be noted that these results will have fluctuated since their release as
large scale issues surrounding online privacy have been reported since the study was
conducted.
Looking beyond the dominant group of social media users Millennials it’s also 1
important to understand perspectives from later generational perspectives. Smith & Kidder
(2010) provide personal experiences of these generations, MBA students that they have
lectured, in relation to their treatment of Facebook in a hiring environment. Generation Xers , 2
having experienced the social media burst during the midst of their careers (some of whom
were no doubt hiring professionals), saw disclosure on Facebook as a sole responsibility of the
user and all information not protected was fair gain for backgroundchecking. Boomers on the 3
other hand chose to either empathise with younger users, sighting the platform as a potential
bias when reviewing candidates, or they stood heavily on the side of constant monitoring of
users, termed as “Helicopterparenting”.
Whilst this study looks to provide insight mainly to those newer to career and digital
identity development, it is important to understand the mentality of those who readers will
almost certainly be interacting with.
2.1.2 Digital Identity Digital identity defines the separation between how users express and present
themselves online against how they are in real life. The lack of governed social values within
the digital populace offers users a unique experience to present themselves as they actually
are (Camacho et.al., 2012). This can also be incredibly beneficial to people as disclosure
practices and how the collective react to them can also teach users social etiquette through
implicit means. The study conducted by Camacho et.al. (2012) at the University of Rovira
assessed users awareness of privacy features and digital identity with regards to Facebook.
Students were initially asked questions about their awareness, then with the use of the
application “The Museum of Me” (Intel, n.d.) to present a digital gallery of what information was
actually visible to other users. The consistency of positive response to the applications
portrayal reflects that users are in fact quite aware of the content they post and what their
1 Millennials typically defined as those born between the mid1980s and late 1990s 2 Generation Xers typically defined as those born post baby boomers; averaged between early 1960s to early 1980s 3 Boomers typically defined as those born post World War II; between the mid1940s to late 1950s
8
digital presence actually looks like, though participants did express a desire to “be themselves”
rather than tailor their presence to fit a criteria.
A similar application called “Take this Lollipop” (Zada, 2011) was released to the
masses to bring attention to the same issue, whilst doing so with a much more malicious
undertone. In an interview with the New York Times ‘Bits’ Blog, Zada (Wortham, 2011)
commented that, “When you see your personal information in an environment where you
normally wouldn’t, it creates a strong emotional response...”. The underlying principal of these
two studies was regarding becoming aware of what information users disclose online and how
a user’s life was being portrayed virtually.
LinkedIn as a social networking site is a far less discussed topic outside of those such
as Facebook and Twitter. Access to relevant digital identity training for students and young
people represents a minimal landmass of information in a sea of potential. Most education of
this nature is limited to those on business and/or marketing orientated courses, with small
deviations into economics (Gerard, 2012; McCorkle & McCorkle, 2012). Gerard (2012)
discusses how a module of their course was built around discovering and experimenting with
LinkedIn to better a student's portfolio and network of contacts. Overall, students found
themselves becoming more aware of themselves as potential professionals and how they could
improve their digital and real life image by examining coworkers and experts profiles.
However, a third of students did not find the site to be particularly useful when it came to
networking, a somewhat odd result considering the implicit nature of both the site and the
assignments, resulting in Gerard's recommendation of providing a more active introduction to
the site, including a “skills inventory” or “personal skills assessment”.
A notable element change to digital identity in the last decade, especially with regards
to jobs that provide frontend services and promote workplace communities, is adapting to
current social themes and deconstruction of stereotypes. In 2015, there have been numerous
campaigns in support of changing public views on certain career types. The
#ILookLikeAnEngineer campaign (Lang, 2015) looked to bring to light some of the
misapprehensions by both the public and employers about women in the field of engineering
and how they are both consciously and unconsciously being segregated as less capable in
comparison to the stereotypical male engineer of White or Asian ethnicity. The dialogue
created by this campaign mainly revolved on the issue of sexism in industry, but it also
contributes to the practicalities of digital identity. Would tailoring your digital image to a
stereotype be beneficial to your job prospects, or is it better to break the proverbial mold to
make yourself stand out?
One other such career involved in adaptation has been that of the information
professional or Librarian. Murphy (2012) suggests that conversely emphasising oneself as
‘cool’ and inline with current social trends in fact validates the librarian stereotype, noting what
is actually needed isn’t flash or a life story but solid evidence that people are successful in what
9
they do and how they did it, at least when the resulting resource is intended to help those
wanting to enter to profession. The article makes reference to the Library Roots/Routes project,
however the information contained within this project has expired and the majority of
contributions are no longer publicly accessible.
Costa & Torres (2011) discuss the importance of consciously developing ones
personal digital image/footprint. There was also discussion on the ideas of open and closed
activity; whether your work/profile should be visible or not. The aim is to create as much
openness with content whilst still maintaining a lower vulnerability of that information being
abused. Interestingly, a similar study Costa & Torres (2011) were involved in, PELICANS
(University of Strathclyde), found that students were unconcerned with authoritative figures
checking their networks if they'd given express permission to do so. PELICANS also reported
that some social networks imply this level of engagement like blogs, open access platforms
and professional profile sites, where as Facebook is mainly considered to be a personal space.
Costa & Torres (2011) also report on importance of indirect digital identities. Every
person has some form of digital identity, no matter how fragmented, whether it be through
direct or indirect participation. Tagging, school records, mentions by third parties and any
comments made on blogs or articles can be traced back to you in some way or another, even if
you were not the one who created them. Smith and Kidder (2010) discuss from an employers
standpoint the need for hiring professionals to be aware of instances of exaggeration and
falsification within users profiles, such as friends creating photoshopped images or details
being altered for comedic effect. Whilst agreeably this does fall to hiring professionals to
distinguish these errors, monitoring of ones own digital identity should be a significant priority
for anyone engaged in professional development, isolating instances that maybe miss construe
or be unjustly used against their employment prospects. Whilst the study was mainly Facebook
based in it’s research, much could be generalised to apply to both LinkedIn, Twitter and other
digital profile platforms.
In summation of their study, Smith and Kidder (2010) conclude with a final piece of
cautionary advise to those engaged in developing their digital identity:
“Be attentive to what your online profile says about you; focus on presenting the
identity of someone that would make an excellent employee.” Smith & Kidder, 2010
2.1.3 Legality Guerin (2015), a contributor to the law advice site NOLO, addresses statistics of
companies searching user's online profile, highlighting elements that they cannot legally use in
their decision making, such as ethnicity, pregnancy, or political/religious views. It's also noted
10
that some employers may attempt to request user passwords from prospective and current
employees to better examine their personal profile, the reasoning behind this being that
markets are now more competitive. Whilst this idea is supported by Wilson (2014), another
reason is presented that there has been a growing trend over the last several years of users
publicly shaming or ranting about previous places or people of work, a major deterrent for
potential employers. Whilst legally, every person has the right to personal privacy, laws outright
banning the practice of hiring decisions being made using social media, whether candidates
agree to comply to their use or not, are inconsistent across the developing world.
A separate legality to take note of is the FCRA (USA) and Consumer Protection act
(UK) which both in turn require companies to have written consent before retrieving candidate
information through background checks (Federal Trade Commission, n.d.; Legislation.gov.uk,
1987). Terms and conditions of job applications will almost certainly in some way cover this
consent, however it does mean any candidate can ask to review what information was used.
Lusk (2014), an associate at Lamb McErlane, ascertains that a revised data protection act or
additional data protection law will be required to fully prevent employers from abusing
information discovered from social media profiles, both with regards to consensual and
nonconsensual methods.
However, despite these legal footholes, employers do control the distribution and
management of jobs and hiring, and being considered for a job should be seen not as a right
but a privilege (Smith & Kidder, 2010). Managing privacy functions and practicing discretion will
deprive any need to involve legality, though awareness of data protection law changes and
platform terms and conditions alterations would also be advised.To give some context, an
online survey commissioned by Skandia (Rimmer & Musson, 2011) showed that only 7% of
adults read the Terms and Conditions of products or service before signing up. By not paying
attention to these privacy settings, users are leaving themselves susceptible to exploitation and
allowing personal information to be harvested. They are also not utilising platforms
appropriately as they don't know who can see the information they post.
2.1.4 Commodity Over the past decade, it’s come to be general knowledge that Digital Identity is our
most/ if not one of our most valuable commodities (McEwan, 2011; Willcock, 2011; Seljan et.
al. 2007).
Selijan et. al. (2007) conducted a study among students at Faculty of Humanities and
Social Sciences in Zagreb, attempting to ascertain reliability of eidentities. The study
concludes that there is a vital need to educate students on management and responsibility of
their online identity, citing that twice as many students (14%) would be willing to sell their
identities than to give them away/share them. Whilst this study mainly represents what could
11
be described better as electronic personas rather than digital identities, there is a clear idea
that information, factual or fictional, is a personal commodity even amount younger users.
2.2 Hiring Practices and Jobseeker Trends
2.2.1 Survey Literature Characteristics It should be noted that portions of the information contained within the collected
surveys data have been created or investigated to promote a sponsored and/or commercial
product. As such the information may represent a certain bias towards one product over
another, in example TheLadders (2012) directly compares it's own service against LinkedIn
and some of the quoted data could be seen as directive towards promotion rather than fair
comparison.
Another point is that data contained within these surveys has been orientated,
collected and processed by American based companies, and whilst respondents have not been
noted as limited to national participation only, the results may be skewed towards an American
jobmarket perspective.
2.2.2 Social Recruitment As a much more recent phenomena, the academic study and peerreviewed research
on businesses using social networks to judge prospective employees is minimal. Most
information is based on surveys, both quantitative and qualitative, to gain knowledge of the
current state of corporate engagement. An article by Snowdon (2011) outlined several rules of
social recruitment for jobseekers: having a digital identity is a necessity, build yourself as a
brand but be cautious, communicate with employers, assess networks, and research what
information can be found about yourself. It is hoped that this study will further support and
extend on these rules.
A survey conducted by Harris Interactive © on behalf of CareerBuilder (Grasz. &
Erwin, 2013) presented percentages of companies using socialmedia to examine candidates
before hiring them, and what were the most frequent reasons for dismissing or approving a
prospective employee. Of the 2100 companies who partook in the survey, 39% of active hiring
managers and human resource professional said they used socialmedia sites to examine
potential candidates.
A similar study done more recently by Jobvite (2014), examining 1855 companies,
contends that this number has now in fact reached over 93%, and that using social networking
sites to research applicants is now ‘the norm’. Of the currently available networks, LinkedIn
12
(94%) and Facebook (66%) were most frequently used for social recruiting.
Nikoloau (2014) provides a study examining the differing activity of professionals, both
those looking to hire and those looking for employment, between professional social networks,
such as LinkedIn, and personal social networks, such as Facebook. The main hypotheses
presented proposed that LinkedIn was in every situation the preferred medium for professional
development of the digital persona. Some notable factors with regards to this study was that:
younger users were more extensively engaged with Facebook than LinkedIn in comparison to
older users, and job seekers were less inclined to see the different application abilities between
the two sites in comparison to recruitment professionals.
From personal experience observing the development of Facebook as a social
platform over the last half a decade, this disparity to how users treat and engage with their
profiles as a means of sharing information and opinions is highly evident. The issue however is
with regards to the types of information being divulged. The consensus from hiring
professionals and companies (Jobvite, 2014; Grasz & Erwin, 2013) is that the following
information types will almost certainly negatively impact your application:
Use or discussion of drugs/narcotics
References to firearms
Posting of explicit or inappropriate media
Discriminatory comments on race/religion/etc.
Poor grammar and communication skills
And images of alcohol consumption however this trend has been in decline over the
last 3 years [Jobvite: 2012 47% | 2014 44%] and is considered a neutral factor by
around half of hiring professionals.
Interestingly the posting of political opinions was mostly seen as a neutral factor to
applications, though this maybe due to current laws regarding discrimination against using
such factors in hiring decision making.
A more recent report by Grasz (2015) continues to support the elements above, with
an additional reason for rejections being “Bad mouthing of a previous employer or employee”,
an issue mentioned previously by Wilson (2014). Whilst a proportion of users feel use of
Facebook to be a private platform, the shareability of the information posted defeats this ideal
(unless privacy settings are applied). With regards to voicing concerns about employers or
colleagues, it is advisory that if you would not say this information directly to them, reconsider
putting it online (Landau, 2009), as it may still reach them. This applies beyond termination of
employment.
Grasz’s (2015) report also outlines some positive elements that influenced a third of
the surveyed companies to hire personnel, these being:
13
Background information supported the job qualifications
Great Communication Skills
Creativity
Personal site conveyed professionalism
Personality was seen as a good fit to the company
Fabrication or augmentation of personal details or skills represents a large issue within
social recruiting (and recruitment in general), with some 27% of Facebook and 31% of Twitter
users admitting to inflating their skills to improve their digital resume (Jobvite, 2015), supported
by an uncited statistic by AOL Jobs (The Society of Human Resource Managers, 2012) who
similarly reported a 26.5% response to the same effect.
Social recruiting does in part allow hiring professionals to ween out falsified
applications. In one study, 24% of hirer's found candidates had lied about their qualifications
through social media research (Grasz & Erwin, 2013), whilst another study conducted by the
Society of Human Resource Managers (2012) reported that the number of actual resumes that
contained falsifications was closer to half (53%). Factors cited as false information included:
Misleading information (78%)
Fraudulent qualifications (21%)(2)
Inflated salary claims (40%)
Inaccurate Job descriptions (33%)
2.2.3 Trends over time To better understand a market, it is vital to observe its trends and changes over a
period of time; whether this is annually, monthly, weekly, etc. depends on the market. Jobvite’s
Social recruiting and job seeker surveys (Jobvite, 2012; 2013; 2014; 2015) have been
monitoring corporate and job seeking habits consistently over the last 6 years. The full list of
released statistics can be found transcribed in Appendixes 1.
What is immediately observable is an overall increase in the use of social networks
over the last half a decade for recruitment purposes. Between 201014 LinkedIn and Facebook
have seen a 20% increase in use for social recruitment, with Twitter behind at 15% (peaking in
2013 at 55%). Other sites included Google+, personal blogs and Youtube, however these
appear to be more novel and may represent more job specific candidate markets.
A key disparity observed with regards to the Job Seeker survey (2015) statistics, is the
proportion of seekers who do not use or are engaged with LinkedIn when 94% of employers
say they use the service to recruit (Jobvite, 2014). This is especially apparent of those who are
lower earners | <25K 10% | 2549K 18% | and there is a distinct trend of those with lower
14
levels of education being less likely to have engaged with the service, with only 51% of
graduate degree level students and 20% of high school (further education) level of lower.
A consistent trend of around 3 in 4 hiring professionals reported that they had
successfully hired a candidate who was identified or introduced using a social networking
platform, with 93% in 2014 saying it was likely they would view a candidates online profile
during the vetting process, and 55% claiming that information found through social networks
influenced their decision (up from 44% the year previous). When comparing LinkedIn and
Facebook as methods for seeking and acquiring jobs, LinkedIn clearly represents the superior
platform with the majority of companies admitting to hiring through the service, a distinction
observed by Nikoloau (2014) previously. However, this has dropped considerably in the last
year (Jobvite, 2013 92% | 2014 79%). Even accounting for discrepancies between the
respondents of one year against another, this change is dramatic and could be contextually
seen as a need for other profile platforms to be utilised along site it.
2.2.4 Mobile Awareness of profile presentation Mobile social recruitment and jobseeking is another high value area. Around half
(47%) of millennials use their mobile phone to perform tasks such as job searching and
updating of profile information (Jobvite, 2015), whilst over half (57%) of recruiters currently
invest no resources into mobile ready career sites (Jobvite, 2014), though it is expected this will
decrease as 51% of employers claimed to be planning increased investment in the technology.
Research carried out by TheLadders (2012), displayed that recruiters only read a
resume for approximated 4 to 5 minutes, with key areas of usability being the format with which
the information is presented, followed by the readability and professionalism of the content.
Adaptability of profile information, not limited to visual design but also information
content, needs to be assessed. LinkedIn with it’s social sharing capabilities make it invaluable
to those applying for jobs, with many companies and site already allowing for LinkedIn profiles
to be used instead of CVs. However the success rate of candidates that have used this method
is yet to be proven or statistically supported.
3. Methodology A qualitative study was decided upon due to the topic’s hypothetical nature and
objective to build results comparing primary and secondary data in a systematic way (LSE,
2014). In essence the study is to find meaning and reasoning behind professional digital
identity development using differences and similarities between populations, those being
15
jobseekers and hiring professionals. Both these perspectives were required to gain a full
picture on the topics, platforms, and practices discussed.
The research was split into three phases, that of research and secondary survey
dataanalysis, followed by qualitative interviews with information professionals, completed with
discussion and evaluation including recommendations.
3.1 Research Design The first phase of research was to draw in quantitative data from existing surveys
surrounding hiring professionals and social recruitment (Jobvite, 2014; Grasz et.al., 2013;
Nikolaou, 2014). Using secondary analysis of the data, we would then observe what sites they
are using, and what information they are/are not looking for. Research on current job seeker
trends was also observed to better understand current user engagement and habits with sites
and services. Data analysis has also be done with regards to how students practice
selfdisclosure and privacy management.
The second practical phase consisted of indepth qualitative interviews to explore
current trends of information professionals and their opinions on how best for beginner users to
approach their digital presence. Questions were built using the research from the surveys,
specific features of the particular sites in question, as well as suggestions brought forward from
the literature (Gerard, 2012). LinkedIn and Facebook were to be the two main social
networking sites being discussed, however the study looked for alternatives too, such as
personal blogs and websites and what features are most important.
The intention of the interviews was to draw on personal experiences of a select few
professionals; experience related to developing their digital profile, what uses and opinions
they hold for various social networking services, and how those developing their digital
presence should present themselves to achieve an optimum job seeking response.
The third phase was to analyse the results of the interviews and the data gathered in
the surveys to produce a set of recommendations for users to best approach social networking
awareness and to give supported statements on current professional trends that will support
their employability prospects.
3.2 Selection of research Methods As stated previously, the research phase of this study mainly involves analysis of
secondary data sources during the literature review, collating and comparing trends and
variances from corporate survey sources and professional blog articles. Most sources have
been independently retrieved through global search engines and the StarPlus Library
16
catalogue, using search terms such as social networking, hiring, social recruitment and job
seeking trends. Literature has also been suggested by third party contributors such as
supervisors and colleagues. Academic papers were assessed with regards to relevancy to the
project, and sections of the literature review were based around their related topics.
The search term ‘social recruitment’ was a byproduct of researching through corporate
surveys allowing to further synthesise relevant results, including looking into webinars and 4
business reports.
The chosen method for the practical phase of this study is that of a small scale
indepth qualitative interview with professionals currently engaged in managing a professional
online profile. Interviews provide a prominent usefulness for gaining personal experience or
stories from behind a participant's experiences (McNamara, 1999), seeking to cover both
factual and semantic information (Kvale, 1996). The process is to be semistructured in nature,
to allow for set questions based on the initial phase data trends to be presented and
interviewees questioned on whilst also allowing interview to be restructured and additional
questions asked should any prominent points become apparent or issues occur, errors which
should be addressed during and after the first interviewee completes the section.
The Delphi study method, a method for structuring and identifying trends through a
group communication process (StittGohdes, Crews, 2004), was considered as an alternative.
The initial phase analysis would yield statistical trends which could be matched up against
relevant industry practitioners, creating a panel of experts who would provide responses to the
trends and queries based on the data, with reasoning behind their response being required. All
results would then be analysed to compare them to the initial trends, anonymize, and
presented to the interviewees as a whole to allow for a group perspective on the queries and
allow for those who wished to change or augment their responses to do so. This group
mentality would in an optimum environment eventually provide a group consensus with each
query.
The key pitfalls of this method involved a mixture of time dependency and limited
scope. Coates (1975) presents the view that the Delphi method is almost a last resort for
dealing with issues of high complexity, and that one should “expect very little of it compared to
applicable analytical techniques.” The process of collating appropriate participants, in an
amount significant enough to meet the parameters of a qualitative data collection, whilst
managing interviewee availability within the initial and subsequent interviews, analysis and
presenting each data set would have involved a much lengthier process than was available for
this study. Linstone and Turoff (2002) identify two weaknesses that correlate to the issues
presented, those being:
4 Webinar The combination of Web and Seminar a session involving presentation and discussion on a topic through use of online facilities
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The demanding nature of the Delphi and that participants need to be considered more
as consultants than volunteers and should be compensated as such
The imposing of monitor views and preconceptions resulting in a strict format which
doesn’t allow for contribution from alternative view points
3.3 Limitations Due to the relative time frame that this study took place in, consideration was taken
into account as to whom would be available to respond to interview requests. Sufficient time
had to be allowed for candidates to chose an appropriate and available date/time. Precautions
were also taken to decide not only whom will be available, but provide accurate and honest
responses. Unfortunately despite best efforts, a total of three candidates were available for the
interview period, others being either on academic leave or travelling during the assigned week.
The preferential goal of this study was a candidate count of between 510, however the data
acquired by these three interviewees was rich enough to support the study sufficiently.
Reaching potential candidates through travel proved impractical, especially as the
majority were abroad, thus all interviews were conducted using the Skype video and instant
messaging application. Additional software was brought in to record the conversations for
review and transcription purposes. This method however was not without fault, as difficulties
were experienced maintaining a connection during one of the interviews, so much so that the
video function was disconnected to allow for better sound quality. Despite the applications
efforts, in this particular instance the interview was moved to a telephone conversation, though
this too suffered from a bad reception. The recording of this particular interview was also
disrupted and the file corrupted, however despite some information having to be recovered
post interview via email, notes taken were sufficient to advance the study.
On a final note, during review of the results, some questions were deemed irrelevant
the the study objectives, an issue that may have been altered had there been a pilot study to
begin with, and thus were not included in the discussion. However, the data retrieved is still
informative and has been recorded for potential external use.
3.4 Ethical aspects The research that this project undertook can be broadly defined as the use of existing
knowledge to develop, design and construct an improved product. A researcher conducting
human subject research should be aware of the ethical issues surrounding topics of
questioning and inquiry. Before any study, interviewees should be briefed regarding the
purpose, nature and procedures of the study; allowing for appropriate consent to the
information they provide. All recording equipment must have be addressed prior to use.
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Information that is sensitive, both professional and personal, to the participant were not to be
addressed at any point. No vulnerable groups were to be directly involved at any point within
this research. Participants may have declined to answer specific questions, and had the ability
to withdraw from the session at any time, for any reason. In compliance with the University of
Sheffield's fundamental principles of research ethics (UoS, n.d.), participants were not to be
exposed to unnecessary levels of risk, personal information and data would not be disclosed
without consent and all information collected was to be stored securely.
For this research, ethics approval was required from the Information School Ethics
Board. The research ethics application was submitted within 4 weeks before the research, to
account for the average 2 week waiting period plus possible issues. Informed consent was also
to be required and a signature provided by interview participants before the interview. This was
done through a clear consent form presented at the start of all studies. As the final study
contained no participants under the age of 18, the research did not need to gain consent from
the participants’ parents or guardians. Copies of the Ethics Approval letter and the Consent
forms can be found in Appendixes 2 and 3 respectively.
3.5 Interview Construction The interview was conducted in a three stage structure. Responses to the first section
influenced inclusion of the third section due to relevancy of experience. The first section was
intended to ascertain information regarding experience the candidate had had in relation to
employment and roles. The information required consisted of the following points:
How long had the interviewee been employed in their current role?
If this was shorter than a period of 5 years (point of which most corporate surveys had
begun to publicly divulge research with regards to social recruitment) then to enquire
about their application experience.
Had the interviewee ever been involved in the recruitment of staff or personnel?
Whilst most experiences of this nature potentially could predate use of social
recruitment, it was deemed appropriate that those with experience could contribute to
what information hiring professionals were looking for.
The second section was designed to discover personal experiences, preferences and
opinions of social networking platforms and applications; information from the perspective of a
professional who is already engaged in developing their digital image. The queries presented
would contain a mixture of openended questions on use and preferences, as well as opinions
on statements and theories brought forward from the literature review. The information required
consisted of the following points:
Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter represented the main three social networks of choice
for jobseekers and social recruiters (Jobvite, 2014; Jobvite, 2015).
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How do the professionals engage with these sites?
Do they engage with any other forms of social networking or digital profile
building?
What are their benefits?
Which are the most/least important on a professional level?
How often do the professionals develop their digital identity?
Reflecting on the information from the surveys on social recruiting, it could be
determined that, overall, LinkedIn is seen as the more effective professional
recruitment platform than Facebook. Would they agree with this statement?
Have interviewees had more success in terms of developing their personal profile
through facetoface interactions or online networking?
Commenting on the stereotyping case studies (Lang, 2015; Murphy, 2012), have the
interviewees ever altered their online behaviour to match these trend ideals?
What tips do they have for new professionals and/or persons building a digital identity?
The third section is intended to support ideas brought forward regarding social
recruitment and hiring, however questions should account for the minimal time that social
recruitment has been an accepted tool for hiring. The hypothesis for this section is that most
answers should trend along side and improve on the data collected in the corporate surveys.
The information required consisted of the following points:
Had the interviewee ever used digital profiles to vet their candidates? (pre or post
interview)
Using responses from Social Recruitment Survey (Jobvite, 2013; Jobvite, 2014), in
their professional opinion, indicate between positive, neutral or negative how elements
of a candidates digital identity would affect their candidacy. Factors such as:
Spelling or Grammatical errors
Images or references to Alcohol Consumption
Volunteering or donation to Charity
Politically themed posts
Profanity
Multiple elements have not been brought forward from the surveys for various reasons.
‘References to guns’ has not been included due to the varying nationality and locations
of the interviewees, possibly generating a biased result. ‘References to religious views
or symbolism’ have not been included due to illegality of using this information as a
source of dismissal (Guerin, 2015). The overwhelmingly negative majority for
references to drugs and posts of a sexual nature (Jobvite, 2014) validated no need to
further question this element.
Ranking of four attributes of an applicants profile in terms of importance:
Qualifications the official completion of an accredited course
Skills a demonstrable technical ability or proficiency with a tool
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Experience
Attitude
Term definitions have been provided for Qualifications and Skills due to variance in
how they can be interpreted (Miller, 2015).
Finished interview questions can be viewed in Appendixes 4.
3.6 Interview Process Individuals were chosen based on quota convenience sampling (Gravetter & Forzano,
2015) with those chosen representing information professionals currently engaged in digital
identity development. All communication prior and post interview was conducted via a
designated University of Sheffield email addresses to limit personal data security issues. Each
candidate was suggested by the study supervisor, whom also made initial informal contact to
verify their interest in participating. Once a list had been culminated, each candidate was
contacted formally giving a short summary of the interview topics, available date and time slots,
and a brief statement regarding ethics of the procedure. After confirming a slot, candidates
were sent the consent form with the criteria of it’s completion before the interview could take
place.
Before each interview, Skype and the recording software were tested for technical
problems (mainly audio and video) and questions were printed off to limit sound feedback to
interviewees from tapping of keys.
At the time of interview, each interviewee was welcomed, a statement regarding the
ethics being observed during this study was repeated, interviewees were asked if they would
prefer their responses to be recorded anonymously or not, and the questions were begun.
Upon completion, the interviewee was thanked, the question regarding anonymity was
repeated, and the call was ended, which in automation stopped the recording.
Once interviews had been completed, notes taken during the event were transcribed
electronically into the results table [see appendixes 5] whilst recordings were examined for any
missed information and for interviewee quotes.
3.7 Data Analysis The two sets of data within this work, survey and interview, were summarised into key points
using tables.
The analysis of the survey records was condensed to statistics that would be relevant
to both the study topic and the intended study recipients, namely jobseekers [Appendixes 1].
Omissions were made regarding any information that would not influence the readers potential
to develop their digital identity. As part of the Trends of Time section, responses of similar or
21
exactly the same questions were colour coordinated to better allow for reflection.
The interview responses were condensed to: the social platform involved in the
response, followed by bulletpointed key information [Appendixes 5]. This was to better
compare the data on a global study scale, rather than just per question. Quotes were also
transcribed regarding specifically interesting or influential information provided by the
interviewees.
During the discussion, the information collected in the interviews and the survey data
analysis was used to compare against the ideas, trends, and recommendations brought
forward from rest of the literature review.
4. Results As mentioned previously, the results of the secondary data analysis have been
included in the literature review. Ideas, questions and observations have been brought forward
to build this qualitative interview to test the data against those who are experienced in digital
identity development, and have found success using social networking applications in a
professional capacity.
Interview Results The full table of results can be found in Appendixes 3. Questions will be referenced
using their associated section number and letter, whilst attendee answers will be referenced
using their associated interviewee letter.
Twitter most certainly represented the majority in terms of overall experience and
positive contribution to the interviewees digital professional presence, with various functionality
such as the consistent feed of informational resources, the accessibility of it’s messaging
service and it’s Tweet chat functionality being some of the key reasons for it’s effectiveness. 5
The ability for constant interaction and exchanging of information both via desktop and mobile
interfaces, whilst comparable to Facebook, provides a public facing platform displaying
constant engagement at a near daily rate. Another intrinsic feature mentioned by interviewee C
[Question 2E] was the break down of societal blocks, allowing for a diversity of users to
connection with each other globally. As a source of information, the interviewees noted Twitter
as mainly providing:
5 Tweet chat is a term used to define a live organised even where users of the social network Twitter are invited by a singular user to ask questions regarding a topic or theme, or it involves creating an identifiable phrase known as a hashtag (#) to which any user can contribute to a conversation topic, even start a dialogue and build contacts with an authority on that topic (Cooper, 2013).
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Advertisement and sharing of jobs, opportunities or events
Keeping up with technological, political, and literacy teaching trends
Tracking organisation and colleague developments
Exchanging of ideas and concepts
LinkedIn stands secondary, however represents a much different experience for all
interviewees. Whilst information sources such as job advertisements and tracking of
organisations and colleagues are mentioned much like Twitter, the eponymous nature of the
service and professional reputation of the site creates a less rapid and more constructive
environment for professional digital identity.
Whilst it was unanimously agreed upon by the interviewees that LinkedIn was superior
over Facebook as an effective professional identity tool [Questions 2G], critique was given with
regards to some of it’s functionality. Attendee C notes a lack of search definition against:
Voluntary and Paid roles, Parttime and Fulltime work, and Academic and Private sector work;
all of which play against LinkedIn as an optimum jobseeking application. Attendee C also
discussed a personal experience involving the use of LinkedIn’s messaging system to relay a
job opportunity to a previous student, whom they otherwise could not find (user was
anonymous on Twitter) or contact directly (Facebook required a friend request first).
Attendee B, having been active the most recently in terms of jobseeking, suggested
taking these functions of eponymous profiles and unrestricted dialogue, and using them for
researching not just opportunities but the people associated with them. Some examples might
include:
Line Managers
Previous holder of the position applying for
Team or Department members
The objective of this endeavour is compatibility, not just in relation to a potential colleagues
personality but how you yourself will fit when working with them.
Facebook however appears to stand in very little favor amongst the interviewees, all
citing the platform as more for private use than anything professional (outside of organisation
group pages). Interviewee C in question 2F and interviewee B in 2A mention Facebook’s
inability to allow communication with another user without ‘friending’ them first, a connection
seen as something much more personal than is needed. Both Twitter and LinkedIn do not
require a confirmed connection for communication to take place. Interviewee B expressed
serious issues with some of the business practices of Facebook and it’s subsidiaries such as
Instagram, an image sharing application that came under public and media scrutiny in 2012
when it was discovered during a terms of service update that they could license any images
posted using the platform without the users consent or financial reimbursement (BBC, 2012).
The interviewee [B] also mentioned a “lack of freedom to managed online identity”, which was
in relation to the inability to delete a Facebook profile once created, only to ‘deactivate’ it.
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Blogs were an evident part of each interviewee’s digital identity, some being used for
presenting research or areas of self reflection, whilst others saw it as a professional portfolio of
work and career journeys. On reflection of responses, it's clear that each interviewee is
engaged with a combination of platforms that best suite their professional needs.
The frequency of which users should update their professional profile [Question 2D]
varied depending on the intended content and the user themselves. Significant alterations such
as changes of employment were seen as vital and required immediate management, despite
their preferably infrequent nature. Attendee A and C both expressed frequent management of
their LinkedIn profiles, but less so for blogs.
Discussing stereotyping of the information professional community [Questions 2I], all
interviewees had in some way actively engaged with displaying themselves outside of the
stereotype, though not necessarily consciously. Adaptations included were: the adoption of
Twitter as a networking platform, the participation of social media campaigns involving posting
of visual media, and promoting services using current online applications and programs. In
example, two of the attendees (B and C) are actively engaged in Second Life and have used it 6
to present lecturers, connect with others, and display themselves as engaged with current
technology. A similar trend mentioned by attendee C was the movement of various education
professionals to engage students using the video game Minecraft , extending ideas and 7
themes usually taught using MOOCs (Massive Open Online Course).
Question 2J represented the pinnacle ideal behind this study, examining what
professionals considered key tips for those setting up their professional digital identity. In a
longer study, the optimum method would be to reinforce these suggestions through quantitative
methods, however even as stand alone responses they represent a valid and invaluable
perception. Topics identified by these responses can be separated as such:
Branding both interviewee A and B discussed ideas related to personal branding,
including: research and limitations on the platforms used to present yourself,
consistency of your ‘brand’ across platforms, and an awareness of how branding is
determined based on a 3rd party perspective, quoting Jeff Bezos (founder of
Amazon.com) “Your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the
room.” (May, 2012)
Communication interviewee A and C defined personal philosophies when
6 Second Life (n.d.) an online virtual world created by Linden Lab. marketed as a creative and exploratory community of selfexpression. Users create avatars along with digital personas and then communicate with others, participate in games, and interact with physical elements in virtual spaces built by both the developers and the users. 7 Minecraft (Lamont, 2014) a sandbox virtual reality game created by Mojang, designed as a creative adventure platform where players can either explorer randomly generated content or build their own world using square block (and various other mediums)
24
communicating with others, both professionally and personally. Interviewee A idealised
communication through any application to be very responsive, advising to reply to any
messages as soon as received, if not within the day. Interviewee C idealised the
sharing of ideas, quoted as saying, “Share what you have and give to other people and
you’ll be amazed what you get back.” Described as a philosophy of instructional
librarians, the objectives included: sharing of ideas, offering help, and asking for
assistance.
Experimentation as mentioned in branding, researching the platforms used to
present oneself should be a serious and constant endeavour, but this also means
experimenting with new platforms. Features to consider include: privacy, company
history, longevity and sustainability of its function, and purpose of the platform as a
product. Interviewee B and C both mentioned their use of Second Life in both growing
their networking reach and influencing their digital identity.
Researching into Job or career specific platforms will almost certainly be a positive influence on
ones digital identity. Both interviewee A and B were engaged with Academia EDU and all
interviewees had some manifestation of a blog containing research (though the application
used varied).
Progressing to the third section, whilst two had been involved in hiring personnel, no
interviewee had been involved with social recruitment practices. Despite this, both were asked
to comment regarding their professional stance on elements that might influence a hirer’s
decision [Question 3B]. Responses were as followed:
Spelling/Grammar errors and profanity were concisely viewed as negative influences
Images of Alcohol consumption were negative but with a small amount of discretion
Politically themed posts were neutrally influential, dependent on the tone used
Volunteering or donating to Charity were neutral, though it was advised that the two
were not synonymous and that volunteering could be considered a positive if viewed
as relevant experience to the position
Whilst separated by questions, two of the three candidates made reference to variation
in social recruiting strategy when considering the grade of the job being applied for. Interviewee
B mentioned during question 3A that whilst they had not used social recruiting to vet their
candidates, this was due to the entry level status of the role and an ethical principle of allowing
a fair procedure uninfluenced by external resources. However had the role been at a higher
grade, an example given as management, they would have certainly investigated their digital
presence. Likewise interviewee C for question 3C noted that, for a starting professional looking
at an assistant or supporting role, this will almost certainly affect the importance of different
attributes of a digital profile, those including: Qualifications, Skills, Experience and Attitude. The
reasoning for this response was that persons applying for a managerial or senior roles would
be considered more favourably when presenting relevant experience, where as a new
25
professional will not have/will have far less experience. Therefore it can be established that
applicants should deeply consider what employers expectations are of attribute importance
based on the role being applying for.
An additional observation to the results is the increased detail that interviewee B gives
with regards to question 2A. The interviewee in question has in fact produced written and
presentation literature on the topic of digital identity and employability through social media
previously, which almost certainly represents the reasoning for such detailed responses as
they will be more familiar with the platforms.
Interviewee B also provided valuable insight into using social recruitment from a
prospective employees perspective, using LinkedIn to research various individuals related to
roles being applied for. These might include: Line Managers, Team or department associated
with the role, and possibly even the previous occupant of the job being applied for. The core
object of this endeavour would be to observe career journeys and general workability to
establish if the role would be a positive fit.
5. Discussion 5.1 Platforms
Whilst suggestions will be made during this section, please note that use of social
networking and digital identity construction is largely subjective, built around personal
preferences, and no one method will suit all. Using the information gathered it should however
be said that LinkedIn is one of the first platform users should be invested in to build a
professional presence. As pointed out by the interviewee results and literature, the platforms
job seeking and profile display (TheLadders, 2012) functionality may not represent the pinnacle
of efficacy, but its consistently high probable use by employers to perform social recruitment
(Jobvite, 2014), the accessibility of its messaging system and an inherent reputation as a solid
professional profile building platform suggests it is a mustuse service. This is further supported
by the platform’s use in education (Gerard, 2012) where awareness of professional identity and
methods for improvement both saw positive development.
With that said, it’s concerning that students and those teaching social media
awareness have not put more attention into LinkedIn, as there is a considerable lack of it’s
engagement by younger users. The data contained within the latest Jobseeker survey
(Jobvite, 2015) supports Schawbell’s (Hall, 2013) statement that low numbers of students are
engaging with LinkedIn. The percentage usage increasing depending on the level of education
completed also supports the statement that students are/were not considering networking until
postgraduation, however even at postgraduate level the engagement percentage is still far
lower (67%) than the 94% of hiring professionals using the service (Jobvite, 2014)
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Twitter as a service to present a detailed profile is limited, however the value of this
social network is based more in its recording of engagement and attitude towards a user’s
professional development. Elements such as who you follow, how you interact with others,
what information you post or reblog , defined as retweeting on Twitter, can create a far more 8
meaningful web presence to prospective employers than bibliographic information.
There was a consensus amount the interview respondents that Twitter represents a significant
tool, possibly the best currently, for information sharing and digital identity enhancement.
Similarly an article by Greider (2014) gave five reasons for professionals needing to use twitter,
all of which are reciprocated by the interview respondents. Those being:
Listening Staying current with news, job opportunities, events, etc.
Learning Access to plethora of articles, blog posts, initiatives and research
Marketing The ability to successfully engage with users demonstrates an “ability to
deliver concise and purposeful messages” (Greider, 2014)
Connecting Identical to Communication in the results, Webinars and hashtags
provide a common topic for users to connect and build professional networks of like
minded individuals
Branding Ability to share own content and views on topics, building a microblog of
professional attitudes and engagement, whilst also connecting to your personal identity
These rules match well against the advice the interviewees gave, as well as the rules put
forward by Snowdon (2011).
Whilst Twitter does represent a less popular service in the survey analysis than
Facebook (Jobvite, 2014), this maybe perhaps due to its less eponymous nature (i.e. the use of
nicknames or pseudonyms), thus making it more difficult for recruiters to find a candidate’s
profile. In continuing with the idea of branding brought forward from the results, keeping all
professional profiles consistent in elements such as username, location and details (though this
will vary in quantity depending on the platform) will optimise not only personal brands but will
also build search engine optimisation (SEO) to allow employers to locate potential candidates
with greater efficacy.
There were two viewpoints on the user of Facebook: that it was a private personal
space where only those with permission could access someones content, and that of not
involving yourself with the site to avoid these issues of privacy all together. This former camp
does reflect the mentality mentioned as part of the Boomer population and their opinions of
Facebook (Smith & Kidder, 2010), however this only applied to one of the two types of Boomer
opinions mentioned in the study, that of those who are empathetic and cited the platform as a
potential cause for bias, and the interviewees who responded this way did not all come from
8 Reblog the reposting of content generated by another user with indication back to the original post and/or user.
27
this generation. These mentalities were also somewhat inline with the PELICANS research
conducted by Costa & Torres (2011). Conversely, the response to ‘avoid the site all together’
reflects against the other concepts brought forward by Costa & Torres (2011); those of
consciously developing a personal footprint to manage information posted by other people
about oneself, as without a profile this is not possible.
Whilst to discount Facebook from a digital identity portfolio may mean reduced risk for
exploitation, companies are, in the majority (66%), still using the service to research candidates
(Jobvite, 2014), and having no profile with the service may still negatively affect your prospects
as it reflects against your engagement with current technology trends.
The interviewees each listed several digital identity platforms outside of Facebook,
Twitter and LinkedIn, displaying a customised selection of available services that met the
needs of their profession, in example the used of Academia EDU, Library Blogs and Google
Services [Question 2B]. This echos the trends observed within the social recruitment surveys
(Jobvite 2012; 2013; 2014) where, whilst the main three platforms maintained their high
percentages of use, more platforms were achieving percentages significant enough to be
included in the published survey results. With this in account, taking time to research and utilise
career orientated services and platforms will almost certainly increase both access to job
relevant information and improve ones digital identity, as employers will be looking for role
relevant engagement. When experimenting with these platforms, care must be taken to
observe the suggestions made in the results.
An observation regarding the differences between employer and employee use is that
the statistics only emphasis hiring professionals using the service for a single task, where as
the interviewees (our representative of employees) find multiple facets of value. In almost all
cases the usage results contrast between those how are hiring and those who are building their
digital profile. In example, Facebook was second highest for social recruitment usage, but
lowest in the opinion of the interviewees.
5.2 Content & Conduct Comparing the latest Jobvite survey (2014) against the interviewees both reinforced
and contrasted the results regarding how hiring professionals react to certain elements of a
digital profile. Profanity, Spelling/Grammar errors, and references to alcohol consumption were
still considered negatively, and Political posts were neutral. Where as Volunteering and
donations to Charity received a far more neutral response in comparison to their positive result
in the Jobvite survey (2014). This could be due to a number of factors, such as confusion over
the mixing of two different activities as one option (volunteering and donating), or a career
culture difference where these activities do not represent as much influence as they would for
other areas of work. It maybe said that the career orientation of the interviewees toward
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information literacy and as information professionals, grammar and spelling errors would
almost certainly rank highly negatively, however reasoning on a larger scale would presume
that a competent level of grammar would be necessary to undertake most modern jobs, as
good communication skills are vital. Users who may not be fluent in the national language or
suffer from dyslexia might find this practice unfair or discriminatory, though through the process
of networking it would be hoped that these users would improve. This also brings back to
another point made by attendee C to ‘ask for help’. Digital identity is not just about building a
profile, it’s about connecting to others and building a network.
Users also need to consider how they present themselves online on any platform. The
research by Grasz & Erwin (2013) and the Society of Human Resource Managers (2012)
regarding falsified information is one of the key reasons that legal advances, such as those
suggested by Lusk (2014), have been slow in adapting to digital identity privacy. Wilson’s
(2014) observation of users publicly shaming others (persons and companies) could also be
considered a contributing factor. Companies had a legal obligation to background check
candidates for possible issues that may make them incompatible with the role. It is a user’s
responsibility to consider the information they put out, how that information can be viewed and
if it is consistent across their entire digital presence.
Regarding stereotyping of the profession, the main objective for campaigning against
the stereotypes is to alter public perception to diminish chance of discrimination and
misjudgement through misinformation. The interviewees’ response was not necessarily about
changing any concept of physical appearance but about engaging with users through modern
methods, such as Second Life and Minecraft. Much as Murphy (2012) discussed, this
movement was more about adopting new technology to show a better understanding of user
needs, thus improving ones personal image and professional digital profile. Using Twitter,
profession specific sites and blogs to discover new techniques for professional development
are what is truly needed to break stereotypes.
6. Conclusions The aim of this study was to collate an current industry standpoint on the best use of
social networks and social media to improve a person’s professional digital identity. The end
result would be a selection of recommendations that would be built using a mixture of literature,
secondary data analysis and primary qualitative data from professionals currently engaged with
their digital identity.
Various methods were chosen to research literature, as outlined in the research
methods. The literature included: Webinars, Articles, Survey Reports, Academic papers, and
29
Blog posts. Search keywords were chosen and developed throughout the study, with discovery
of relevant terms such as ‘social recruitment’ being incredibly beneficial to minimising issues of
insignificant results.
Multiple surveys were analysed during this study, including one that had annual
records of the same survey report, allowing for better comparison and support to the final
evaluations. The key platforms identified by employers were that of the three core social
networks: Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Other platforms were discussed to provide a wider
palette of options. Information that should or should not be included as part of a professional
profile, or would benefit or adversely affect ones digital identity, was qualitatively backed by the
literature research, the survey analysis and the interview data.
Teaching examples of social media use and awareness were used to better the
recommendations through comparison to successful tutelage and lesson responses. Personal
blogs, articles and academic papers were considered for both methodologies and their
subsequent results and successes. The literature in this area was sparese as this area of study
is still in its infancy and a limited number of educators have produced written work on their
methods.
The interviews were constructed using ideas, supported statement and themes
brought forward from the literature review, with the intent to build a more qualitative set of
results and recommendations for users. Professionals in varying stages of their career were
interviewed and results that coincided with the literature were compared in the discussion,
where as new ideas were considered by relevancy as to their inclusion in the
recommendations. While it is good that the analysed surveys have been supported by the
findings of the interview research, it would almost certainly benefit further to continue the study
with more participants to investigate if more conclusions can be drawn from the research.
6.1 Recommendations The following key elements emerged during this research, and as such will represent
the recommendations towards those aiming to better their digital identity:
Social Networks Experiment and chose what best suites you and your profession
Whilst this study may outline a few social networks, it is clear there is a disparity between
social recruiters and professionals in their usefulness. Of the three main platforms, it would be
advised to engage with at least one or two that suite the needs of the professional and/or
jobseeker. Consider aspects such as usability, networking potential, core functionality,
platform reputation, longevity and how it will improve your digital image.
LinkedIn is a great way to start to build a portfolio of professional work, qualifications,
and skills, as well as a less invasive networking function than Facebook. However be
aware that this is a freemium service and contacting those outside your networks (plus
other functionality) is stuck behind a pay wall.
30
Twitter, whilst not necessarily as active as a social recruitment tool, provides a quick
and simple way to engage with others in your profession and build a profile that
reflects your interests and level of engagement. The networking and information
sharing capabilities of this platform, if engaged with properly, will definitely assist in
improving your professional identity.
Facebook should be considered with caution. If treated as a public platform, conduct
yourself professionally in all posts, engage with companies and use the search
functionality to better prepare yourself before interviews. If treated as a private
platform, manage your privacy settings accordingly to provide some information to
prove existence but limited beyond this. The latter option will still allow you to manage
background digital identity (images or content posted by friends) but consider any
content you post before doing so as there will always be potential for it to become
public.
Experiment with other platforms as well. Those who present experience and skills through
portfolios might consider blogs, where as academics might engage with Academia EDU. Use
the aspects above to evaluate a service before investing too much into it.
Branding Keep consistent and eponymous
When setting up your online digital identity, consider yourself as a brand and your information a
commodity, trying to sell yourself to potential employers. This means assessing your content
from the perspective of users you want to see your information, and creating a consistency of
personality and levels of engagement across your digital presence. This also requires any
profiles intended to contribute to a professional identity be eponymous to build structure to your
‘brand’.
Content & Conduct Be critical consistent and eponymous
Whatever platforms are chosen to present a digital identity, be vigilant with privacy and know
where you stand legally. This may involve searching yourself via search engines periodically to
understand what results come first, and monitoring news and microblog outlets for
developments in privacy of social media. Aspects identified by hiring professionals that
supported applicant successes, and should be considered as key areas of development and for
when considering platform use, where identified as follows:
Evidence of good communication skills
Creativity
Professionalism of digital identity
Conversely, a few elements stood out as mustavoid with professional digital identities:
Bad mouthing of employers, employees, or coworkers even post termination
Any references to illegal activity
Grammatical errors
31
Like branding, this means being critical of the content you post online, and possibly even
looking to third partiess to assess your profiles.
Networking Communicate and share with others
Asking for help should never be considered a hazard, as this builds not only knowledge but
connections between professionals. As mentioned by an interviewee in this study, “Share what
you have and give to other people and you’ll be amazed what you get back”. Proving you have
the ability to communicate well (as mentioned above) by evidence of a public facing platform
like Twitter will be advantageous to your digital profile and job prospects. Similarly, monitoring
and visibly engaging with news, events, and current development in your field of work will also
be positive influences.
Stereotyping Show enthusiasm
Breaking stereotypes may have started as engagement with current social trends, but needs to
also involve evidence of adopting new technologies, working methods, and being the best at
what you do and sharing your knowledge.
6.2 Recommendations for further Research As addressed in the limitations, the interview portion of this study was not conducted
with as many candidates as initially anticipated. If repeated, not only would it be recommended
to increase the number of interviewees but also to possibly conduct additional interviews using
the insights collected during the first round (such as the result regarding differences between
the job grades and attribute importance). This research should also be considered as very
American orientated (due to the survey sources) and, whilst the UK is consistent in adopting
US trends quickly, results cannot be considered consistent with other regions.
The Delphi study would have been a viable methodology for this work had there been
sufficient time. It may have even been useful to apply it to the employer research however
finding a suitable population that would eventually return a consensus on a subject would be
much more difficult, and thus require even more time.
Whilst large amounts of research have been conducted against Facebook from almost
all types of population, the negative elements expressed by interviewee C pose deeper
questions regarding LinkedIn’s usefulness. A study from the perspective of professionals on
the services provided by LinkedIn would give great insight not just to potential users but to the
site itself.
6.3 Personal Development At a critical point in my professional career, this research has been invaluable to
myself as it hopefully will be to others. As a millennial, I shared some of the mentality outlined
32
in this research and have since reconsidered aspects such as my conduct, privacy settings and
choices of social networking platform, much to the betterment of my prospects. It will be
interesting to see what other platforms come to light in the future and I’m eagerly awaiting this
years social recruitment results to further my studies in the topic.
Word Count: 11,711
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Appendixes Appendixes 1
Jobvite Social Recruitment Survey 2010 Do you or your company use social networks or social media to support your recruitment efforts?
82%
Which of the following social networks or social media do you or your company use, or plan to use, for recruiting?
LinkedIn – 78% Facebook – 55% Twitter – 45%
Have you or your company successfully hired a candidate who was identified or introduced through a social network or social media?
58%
Rate the quality of candidates from these sources: referrals, job boards, social networks, direct sourcing, 3rd party search firms, campus recruiting, SEO, corporate career site, internal transfers.
Referrals – 25% Direct Sourcing – 22% Internal Transfers – 25%
How do you use the online profiles when reviewing candidates?
Always use – 32% Occasionally –38% Never/If Provided – 30%
Jobvite Social Recruitment Survey 2011 Do you or your company use social networks or social media to support your recruitment efforts?
89%
Which of the following social networks or social media do you or your company use, or plan to use, for recruiting?
LinkedIn – 87% Facebook – 55% Twitter – 47%
Have you or your company successfully hired a candidate who was identified or introduced through a social network or social media?
63%
Rate the quality of candidates from these sources: referrals, job boards, social networks, direct sourcing, 3rd party search firms, campus recruiting, SEO, corporate career site, internal transfers.
Referrals – 29% Direct Sourcing – 25% Internal Transfers – 23%
How do you use the online profiles when reviewing candidates?
Always use – 49% Occasionally – 28% Never/If Provided – 23%
40
Jobvite Social Recruitment Survey 2012 Do you or your company use social networks or social media to support your recruitment efforts?
92%
Which of the following social networks or social media do you or your company use, or plan to use, for recruiting?
LinkedIn – 93% Facebook – 66% Twitter – 54%
Since implementing social recruiting, how have the below changed?
Increase Decrease Same
Time to Hire
14% 20% 38%
Candidate Quality
49% 3% 24%
Candidate Quantity
43% 3% 30%
Employee Referals
31% 2% 38%
Have you or your company successfully hired a candidate who was identified or introduced through a social network or social media?
Yes – 73%
How would you rate your social recruiting skill level?
Exceptional – 5% Strong – 25% Moderate – 41% Novice – 25% Nonexistent – 4%
How many job opening do you anticipate filling in the next 12 months?
100+ 28% 50100 – 17% 1050 – 30% 510 – 15% 05 – 11%
Through which of these networks have you hired?
LinkedIn – 89% Facebook – 26% Twitter – 15%
Rate the quality of candidates from these sources: referrals, job boards, social networks, direct sourcing, 3rd party search firms, campus recruiting, SEO, corporate career site, internal transfers.
Referrals – 52% Direct Sourcing – 47% Internal Transfers – 43%
How do you use the online profiles when reviewing candidates?
Always use – 48% Occasionally – 25% If Provided – 13% Never – 14%
How would you react to these
41
possible items discovered while reviewing a candidate's social network profile?
Positive Neutral Negative
References to doing illegal drugs
2 8 78
Posts/tweets of a sexual nature
3 21 66
Profanity in posts/tweets
2 15 61
Spelling/grammar errors in posts/tweets
2 33 54
Pictures of consumption of alcohol
1 37 47
Membership in professional organisations
80 10 1
Volunteering/donations to charity
66 22 1
Political post/tweets
2 62 18
Overtly religious posts/tweets
3 53 26
Reference to burning man
3 29 18
Jobvite Social Recruitment Survey 2013 Do you or your company use social networks or social media to support your recruitment efforts?
94%
Do you plan to increase your investment in any of these candidate recruiting sources in 2013 compared to 2012?
Social network – 73% Referrals – 62% Corporate Career site – 61% Direct sourcing – 57% Internal transfers – 45% Campus recruiting – 42% Job boards – 39% Search engine optimization – 37% 3rd party recruiters/search firms – 19%
Which of the following social networks or social media do you or your company use, or plan to use, for recruiting?
LinkedIn – 94% Facebook – 65% Twitter – 55% Blogs – 20% Google+ 18% Youtube – 15%
Have you or your company successfully hired a candidate who was identified or introduced through a
78%
42
social network or social media?
Through which of these networks have you hired?
LinkedIn – 92% Facebook – 24% Twitter – 14%
How do you use social media for recruitment?
LinkedIn Facebook Twitter
Search for Candidates
96%
Contact candidates
94% 19%
Keep tabs on potential candidates
93%
Vet candidates preinterview
92% 31%
Vet candidates postinterview
35% 18%
Post jobs 91% 48% 43%
Showcase employer brand
65% 47%
Generate employee referrals
51% 31%
How would you react to these possible items discovered while reviewing a candidate's social network profile?
Positive Neutral Negative
References to doing illegal drugs
1 7 83
Posts/tweets of a sexual nature
1 16 71
Profanity in posts/tweets
2 15 65
Spelling/grammar errors in posts/tweets
2 33 61
References to guns
1 31 51
Pictures of consumption of alcohol
1 39 47
Volunteering/donations to charity
65 26 1
Political post/tweets
2 65 18
Overtly religious posts/tweets
2 55 28
43
How likely are you to review online profiles when reviewing candidates?
Likely – 93%
Would you reconsider a candidate based on content viewed in a social profile, leading to both positive and negative reassessments
Yes – 42% No – 58%
What do you look for in a candidate on social networks?
LinkedIn Professional experience Length of professional tenure Specific hard skills
Facebook/Blogs/Twitter/G+ Cultural fit Industryrelated posts Professional experience
Since implementing social recruiting, how have the below changed?
Increase
Time to Hire 33%
Candidate Quality 49%
Candidate Quantity 43%
Quality and Quantity of Employee Referrals
32%
Rate the quality of candidates from these sources from 1 to 3, where 3 represents the highest quality
(Percent noting 3 for each) Referrals – 64% Social Networks – 59% Corporate career site – 59%
Applicanttohire ratio and average employment length, job boards vs. referrals and company career pages
% of applicants 42% Job Boards 39% Referrals
% of hires 14% Job Boards 61% Referrals
% of hires that stary >3 years 14% Job Boards 43% Referrals
Do you expect the hiring environment to get less competitive in the coming year
Yes – 1.5%
The most competitive fields across the 1000+ companies on the Jobvite platform
More likely for competition in hiring 74% Manufacturing 74% retail 72% technology 63% healthcare
Average Time to Hire – Days 55 Software Engineering 47 Product Management 45 Data Science/Analysis 43 Marketing 41 Project/Program Management 40 Sales and Account Management
44
Jobvite Social Recruitment Survey 2014 Expect hiring to become more competitive in next year
Yes – 69%
How many job positions to you plan to fill in next 12 months?
1150 – 34% 100+ 22%
Types of jobs hoping to fill? Engineering – 38% IT – 48% Operation – 49% Marketing – 41% Sales – 50%
Why do employees leave your company?
Higher compensation – 61% Better title – 25% Geography – 32% Flexibility to work from home – 14% Alignment with company culture – 19% Longterm growth potential – 44%
How long do new hires stick around for on average?
5+ years – 32% 35 years – 38% 2 years – 18% <=18months – 12%
Do you plan to increase your investment in any of these candidate recruiting sources in 2014 compared to 2013?
Social network – 73% Referrals – 63% Corporate Career site – 60% Direct sourcing – 57% Mobile career site – 51%
Where are recruiters finding the best candidates?
Referrals – 60% Internal transfers – 54% Direct source – 51% Intertohire – 40%
Which of the following social networks or social media do you or your company use, or plan to use, for recruiting?
LinkedIn – 94% Facebook – 66% Twitter – 52% Google+ 21% Blogs – 20% Youtube – 15%
How do you use social media for recruitment?
LinkedIn Facebook Twitter
Search for Candidates
95% 17%
Contact candidates
95%
Keep tabs on potential candidates
93%
Vet candidates preinterview
93% 32%
Vet candidates postinterview
35% 18%
Post jobs 92% 48% 39%
45
Showcase employer brand
59% 44%
Generate employee referrals
51% 32%
Have you or your company successfully hired a candidate who was identified or introduced through a social network or social media?
73%
Through which of these networks have you hired?
LinkedIn – 79% Facebook – 26% Twitter – 14% Candidate blog – 7%
How likely are you to review online profiles when reviewing candidates?
93%
What do you look for in a candidate on social networks
LinkedIn Facebook
Profession experience
97 20
Length of professional tenure
96 14
Industryrelated posts
88 27
Mutual connections
93 35
Specific hard skills
95 13
Cultural fit 80 46
Examples of written or design work
83 24
Have you reconsidered a candidate based on content viewed in a social profile, leading to both positive and negative reassessments?
Yes – 55% 61% Negative 39% Positive
No – 45%
How would you react to these possible items discovered while reviewing a candidate's social network profile?
Positive Neutral Negative
References to doing illegal drugs
2 7 83
Posts/tweets of a sexual nature
1 17 70
Profanity in posts/tweets
5 22 63
Spelling/grammar 3 24 66
46
errors in posts/tweets
References to guns
2 32 51
Pictures of consumption of alcohol
2 43 44
Volunteering/donations to charity
65 25 2
Political post/tweets
2 69 17
How much do you/your company spend on social recruiting?
None – 33% $1999 – 41% $1000+ 26%
Since implementing social recruiting, which of the following have improved?
Quality of candidates – 44% Quantity of candidates – 44% Timetohire – 34% Employee referrals – 30%
MOBILE RECRUITEMENT 51% plan to increase investment in mobile recruiting
How do recruiters engage? Post Jobs 22% Search for candidates – 36% Contact Candidates – 41% Post jobs on social media – 30% Forward resumes to colleagues – 40%
43% Job seekers using mobile in job searching 59% of recruiters currently invest nothing in mobile career sites
How have you seen improvement through use of mobile career sites? (percentage of companies that saw improvement) Improves timetohire – 14% Improves quality of candidate – 13% Improves quantity of hires – 19% Improves quality/quantity of referrals – 10%
Jobvite Jobseeker Survey 2015 Jobseeker research 2015 – What social networks are used for job seeking?
Facebook – 67% Male: Female – 71: 55 Across all income level, Facebook is the
social network of choice <25K – 68% 2549.9K – 59% 5074.9K – 67% >75K – 68%
Twitter – 45% Male: Female – 51: 29 Lower income job seekers less likely to
use twitter <25K – 35% 2549.9K – 19% 5074.9K – 47% >75K – 54%
LinkedIn – 40%
47
Male: Female – 41: 36 Serious lack of low income seekers
<25K – 10% 2549.9K – 18% 5074.9K – 34% >75K – 56%
Education High school or less – 20% 4 year college degree – 51% Postgrad – 67%
Instagram – 31% Pinterest – 25% Snapchat – 17% HOW?!
Inflating Skills? Twitter – 31% Postgrad – 20% 4 years college degree – 18% High school or less – 9%
Facebook – 27% 2x men fabricate references on facebook compared to women
Mobile – Which of the following activities have you completed during your job search on a social network and on which device: mobile/desktop? 47% of Millennial using mobile in job search
Update professional information on Twitter – Mobile: Desktop – 15: 16
Search for jobs on Facebook – Mobile: Desktop – 13: 15
Update Facebook profile – Mobile: Desktop – 13: 17
Update LinkedIn profile – Mobile: Desktop – 9: 14
Where do job seekers perform mobile job searches and for how long?
In Bed – 47% During Commute – 38% In a restaurant – 36% On the job – 30% During a meeting – 21% In the restroom – 18% In a gym – 5% In a bar – 8% Under 6 minutes – 20% 610 minutes – 32% 1130 minutes – 28% 3159 minutes – 6% Over an hour – 14%
Proportion of interview types Inperson – 61% Phone – 26% Writing Tests – 18% Lunch/drinks – 16% Panel – 16%
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Appendixes 2
49
Appendixes 3
The University of Sheffield. Information School
Awareness and Implications Of The Digital Self in relation to
Employability Researchers Matthew Kibble – [email protected] – 07540884905 Purpose of the research To explore current social networking practices and opinions of information professionals
and their thoughts and ideas on best professional practices for beginner users to
approach their digital presence with.
Who will be participating? We will be inviting a selected participants (maximum of 10) who are experienced information professionals. What will you be asked to do? You will be asked to complete a brief demographic questionnaire to profile our participant group. Then I will conduct a 30-60 minute interview regarding professional opinion and personal practices on optimization of web presence. LinkedIn and Facebook will be the two main social networking sites being discussed, as well as alternatives such as personal blogs and websites. What are the potential risks of participating? The risks of participating are the same as those experienced in everyday life. All data will be recorded anonymously. What data will we collect? Responses will be transcribed and audio recordings taken for each interview, to prevent data loss during transcription. What will we do with the data? All data will be analyzed for inclusion within the dissertation. After successful completion of the work the data will be permanently deleted from all storage devices. Will my participation be confidential? Information that is sensitive, both professional and personal, to the participant will not be addressed or recorded at any point. You will be asked whether or not you wish to be anonymous. If you wish to remain anonymous, then all data will be anonymised. If you wish to be named, then your wishes as to the form of name and as to what it is acceptable to disclose will be followed. All data will be stored securely on a private cloud drive for use by the researcher/s and their supervisor. What will happen to the results of the research project? The results of this interview will be included in my final dissertation which will be publicly available approximately six months after the interviews have taken place. The results
50
may also be included in journal publications. To view the finished work and results, please contact the Information School at the University of Sheffield. I confirm that I have read and understand the description of the research project, and that I have had an opportunity to ask questions about the project. I understand that my participation is voluntary and that I am free to withdraw at any time without any negative consequences. I understand that I may decline to answer any particular question or questions, or to do any of the activities. If I stop participating at all time, all of my data will be purged. I understand that my responses will be kept strictly confidential, that my name or identity will not be linked to any research materials, and that I will not be identified or identifiable in any report or reports that result from the research. I give permission for the research team members to have access to my anonymised responses. I give permission for the research team to re-use my data for future research as specified above. I agree to take part in the research project as described above. Participant Name (Please print) Participant Signature
Researcher Name (Please print) Researcher Signature Date
Note: If you have any difficulties with, or wish to voice concern about, any aspect of your participation in this study, please contact Dr. Jo Bates, Research Ethics Coordinator, Information School, The University of Sheffield ([email protected]), or to the University Registrar and Secretary.
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Appendixes 4
Section 1
A. Current career information – i. What is your current Job Title and for how long have you been in this
role? ii. If this is under 5 years, ask about how they retrieved and applied for
said role [referral, job board, etc.] B. Have you, at any point, been involved with the hiring of staff or personnel? (If yes,
include Section 3 questions)
Section 2
A. Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter represent three of the most influential social networks from both an employer and jobseeker perspective. Do you engage in these networks, and if so, what do you use them for?
B. Do you engage with other methods of online professional profiles such as academic
profiles, Youtube and personal blogs, and if so what do you use it for?
C. What benefits would you say you have gained through these services? (E.g. better networking, found a job, created a professional organisation)
D. How often would you say you are developmentally engaged with your online
professional profile, in example updating of biographical information?
E. What information or networking platform is most important to you in maintaining your professional online profile, i.e. what do you engage with most? And why?
F. In opposition, what information or networking platform is least important to you in
maintaining, and why?
G. Analysing information collected from corporate and academic surveys, LinkedIn was seen as a more effective tool for professional recruitment and job seeking than Facebook. Would you agree with this statement?
H. Which would you say is more effective or you've found the most success with and
why? i. Facetoface networking ii. Online networking
I. Stereotyping in career paths from an external perspective is all too common. In
example, recently there was a viral trend on social media titled #ILookLikeAnEngineer, a campaign to break down the idea that engineers (or the best engineers) are male and White/Asian. There has been a similar movement with career librarians attempting to present themselves as 'wacky' and 'cool' (more so anything opposite of the stereotypical cold, dominating and conservative characteristic portrayed in media) to connect better with a more modern crowd. (though some say this actually enforces the stereotype as it's evident that the act is a media stunt).
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Have you ever made a conscious effort to break away from the stereotypes of an information profession/librarian?
J. What tips would you give someone, not specifically an information profession, on
developing a professional digital presence?
Section 3
A. During any experience you've had hiring or assessing a potential employee, have you used online profiles to vet candidates pre or post interview?
B. Of the following features of a digital profile, please indicate between positive, neutral or
negative how they would affect your opinion of a candidate: i. Spelling or Grammatical errors ii. Images or references to Alcohol consumption iii. Volunteering or donation to charity iv. Politically themed posts v. Profanity
C. Rate these attributes in order of positive influence on an application:
i. Qualifications ii. Skills iii. Experience iv. Attitude
(What are your reasons for this arrangement?)
Appendixes 5
Question /Candidate Name
Eva Hornung (Interviewee A) Eleni Zazani (Interviewee B) Esther Grassian (Interviewee C)
Section 1 Biographical
Ai. Current Job Information
Librarian Trinity College Dublin Jan 2001
Liason Librarian (Engineering Material Sciences) Imperial College London Sep 2014
Retired as of June 2011 Adjunct Librarian Pierce College (LA, California) February 2015
Aii. Application process (if applicable)
N/A Online Application through University website No CV Role requirements statement
Found through Jobs.ac.uk Also using LinkedIn Alert
system
N/A
B. Involvement in Hiring of Personnel (If Yes, include section 3)
No Yes Yes
Section 2 Social
Networks and Digital Identity
A. Engagement and Uses Facebook, LinkedIn & Twitter
LinkedIn Professional only Advertising events with
professional organisation
Job offers Not aware of anyone
having received a job offer through this service (in Ireland)
Careful of what is posted as is aware that potential employers may view their profile
Twitter Professional only Only recently adopted
No Facebook: LinkedIn
Eponymous nature of the service no (reduced change) fake or overly fantasised profiles
Twitter Used from inception Exchanging ideas with other
people Sharing information instantly Job adverts internal and
external Event advertisement
Broadcasting Building networks Participated, facilitated and
Facebook: Rarely used Personal only
Twitter Constant Learning
Experience News and information feed Organisations and People Keeping up with:
Technology Political
developments Teaching Social media Interesting Ideas
and concepts LinkedIn
the technology Used as part of job and
has a personal account publications
and resources festivals and
events Facebook
Private use only However is used as
part of Academic and Special Libraries presence
Also linked to Twitter
set up Tweet chats1
Online course exchange of ideas MOOCs
Note taking for quotes Direct messaging options
LinkedIn Professional facing network
very little private information or personal interaction
Engage in discussion regarding posted work closest point to personal interactivity
Posts blog updates to relevant groups
Job Alerts Have been
approached by recruiters using messaging system
Aware of other professional/s (independent business owner) using recruitment through LinkedIn
Checking colleagues profiles Uses to research various
individuals related to a job opening:
Line Manager Previous holder of
position Team the role is
associated with Looking for career journeys, reputation, general workability, etc.
Facebook Not used at all Doesn’t trust the business
Display of profile Professional contact Candidate Searching
practices and privacy behind the site
Ownership of posted information and data is undefined e.g. instagram being able to sell photos
Communication only works if person/s have met IRL and have befriended them
No option for deletion of information, only deactivation
“Lack of freedom to manage online identity”
B. Engagement and Uses Other Online Platforms
Academia EDU advertise publications
with the aim to begin networking with interested parties
Blog Does not have a blog
but is engaged in other’s
Finds the line between personal and professional being too blurred with this platform
LibFocus Library blog Youtube
Used as a tutorial tool
Blog Posting of researching
Google Scholar Academic Used for indexing of previous
works Youtube
Not used for broadcasting Snippets of exploring
different platforms research Academia EDU Researchgate Flickr
Generating single base of media content rather than posting everywhere
“Exercise in open practice” 2ndLife
Attending professional talks Networking
Youtube Teaching examples Recordings of conferences Testing tool
Google Sites Creation of blogs
Professional Profile Teach Information
Literacy and Critical Thinking
Initially a LibGuide but migrated after access loss due to employment change
LLILI LifeLong Information Literacy Initiative
N.B. Google sites took down random sites in 2014, therefore consideration is being made to move back to LibGuides
C. Benefits of Social Network usage
General knowledge Youtube has contributed as a problem solver tutorials
Following of events either directly or through a colleague
This involves consistency of profile
Continuation of organisation work post employment or fiscal changes Migration to free services
Better Networking capabilities information and imagery (profile images are the same across platforms)
“Breaking the 6 degrees of separation into 2 or 3”
Powerful in bringing people together
Devised filters for content well informed for you to develop your own interests
“Sharing culture”
Advertising of Events Blogs but requires
constant feeding Push and Pull Technology
Google Apps Great for collaborations, surveys
Take advantage whilst free
D. Frequency of digital profile development
Academia EDU every two months LinkedIn Consistently
Only at significant changes Often recently updated LinkedIn profile
E. Most important network or information to engage with
Academia EDU Networking capabilities Newsletters Plethora of information
Twitter Immediacy of
information
Twitter The accessibility of having
the application ready on mobile devices
Twitter Ability to Post and alert
those that follow you Events Issues
Diversity of People Global connection
F. Least important network or information to engage with
Facebook Considered a personal
platform More for gossiping and
chatting than professional development
Flickr Least beneficial to
professional image Impractical in terms of time to
benefit ratio
Facebook Personal social networking
only Private life Inability to contact others
without friending first N.B. Mentioning of study involving migration of users from Facebook to Snapchat Looking at tool lifespan
G. LinkedIn was seen as a more effective tool for professional recruitment and job seeking than
Yes however is unaware of anyone who’s been hired through either platform
Yes Facebook should be personal only considered to be objective rationale LinkedIn was born professional and therefore has a better reputation amongst professionals
Yes however LinkedIn features could be improved:
Volunteer and Paid jobs should be separate
Distinctions between parttime and fulltime
Facebook. Would you agree with this statement?
Categorization of Academic and Private sector work (as private firms will more likely have paid for higher search results)
H. Which have you found more effective; Facetoface networking, or Online networking?
Facetoface preferable Ability to read body
language limitations of emotional
connection Online networking does however represent an almost limitless time frame in which to connect with others.
Depends considers issues of introvert/extrovert personalities Facetoface preferable
Both are effective but facetoface is preferable. 2nd Life
represents a virtual environment which simulates facetoface networking
More personal than a webinar
Involves a personality that another person has built or duplicated from themselves
ACL Virtual worlds group monthly program global
I. Have you ever made a conscious effort to break away from the stereotypes of an information professional?
Constantly Most information professionals encountered do not fit the stereotype but all have had to respond to it at some point Considers it more important to act naturally and to work to the best of their ability rather than fit a predetermined ideal
Did participate in the librarian movement Used a combination of professional profile image and 2nd Life persona Considers older generation to currently be the limiter on breaking stereotypes due to their conservative views Progress has taken place but will be a long time before a full break away
Not a physical adaptation However Second Life could be considered an adaptation
Adapting new technologies and engaging in new methods of teaching
Try and attract new users workshops, classes
N.B. Mentions teaching method of using Minecraft to teach digital citizenship
J. What tips would you give to someone, not necessarily an information professional, on
Choose wisely and limit your digital presence
Two detailed profiles should suffice additional sites should
“Online presence is our personal branding” A brand is not necessarily a product but a broad concept “Your brand is what other people say about you
“Share what you have and give to other people and you’ll be amazed what you get back.”
Philosophy of instructional librarians
developing a professional digital presence?
be used for external references
Consider the options best suited to your profession e.g. Academia EDU for academics
Communication should be seamless responses should be returned within a day (at minimal to acknowledge receipt of correspondence)
when you’re not in the room.” – Jeff Bezos Expose yourself the way you want to be seen and be honest Don’t create a persona Keep everything consistent in the message you give about yourself
Share with others Offer to help others Ask for help
Try new Technologies however assess them first as company products:
Privacy Query company history Consider longevity and
sustainability What is the purpose of this
tool? Why is it here?
Section 3 Recruitment Experience
A. Have you used online profiles to vet candidates pre or post interview?
N/A Has been trained to be an interviewer was aware of digital profile checking however chose to avoid due to a mixture of fairness and the grade of the position Only done once Unbiased to keep strictly with their applicational statements Fairness to give each candidate a fair shot at the position without external influence However managerial jobs would have involved social recruitment vetting higher grade roles require deeper forms of vetting candidates, including incorporating digital identities
No involved before common use of social media
B. Please indicate between positive, neutral and negative, how these features of a digital profile would
N/A Spelling/Grammar errors Negative Images of Alcohol consumption Negative Volunteering or Donation to Charity Neutral
Spelling/Grammar errors Negative Images of Alcohol consumption Neutral/Negative Volunteering or Donation to Charity Neutral (possibly positive for
affect your opinion of a candidate:
Spelling /Grammar errors
Images of Alcohol consumption
Volunteering or Donation to Charity
Politically theme posts
Profanity
Politically theme posts Depends on the tone used to express these themes Profanity Negative
volunteering) Politically theme posts Neutral Profanity Negative
C. Rate these attributes in order of positive influence on an application:
Qualifications
Skills Experience Attitude
N/A Experience Skills Attitude Qualification
Entry level candidate Qualifications Attitude Skills Experience MidHigh tier grade candidate Qualifications Experience Attitude Skills N.B. Entry level position would not have as much experience, whereas higher grade jobs would require it