Social Media as a Recruiting Tool

Social Media as an Employee Recruitment Tool Sarah L. Bicky Hospitality Management Syracuse University and Linchi Kwok (Lingzhi Guo) Hospitality Management Syracuse University ABSTRACT Social media can be used in the hospitality industry as a recruiting tool. Social networking sites are able to provide a method for recruiters to build two-way communication and engage job candidates. The appeal of lower costs for corporations also makes social media an attractive recruiting method. However, there is a lack of information about how job candidates perceive social media in the job search process and their ability to examine job openings. This proposed study will survey job applicants and examine their reaction to an organization’s employment brand, the company website, and the applicant attraction to a company. In addition, it will study job applicants’ expected commitment to the company after hire. Keywords: social media, recruiting, hospitality INTRODUCTION The usage of social media sites in the hospitality industry is often primarily used to draw guests to properties and increase customer loyalty. With Generation Y being a prominent player in the job market, there is now a stronger emphasis on using social media to engage and recruit employees. This poses the question: how do job applicants see social media as a recruitment tool? Social media plays a very important role in people’s lives. It is identified as a “free participation that allows (communities) to get engaged and build genuine relationship[s]” (Narvey, 2009). Examples of social media include Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Twitter, and Second Life. While there are design differences between these sites, the basic components are the same (Smith, 2010). LinkedIn and Facebook, however, stand out as recruiting tools since they both include job-posting features for recruiters. Facebook and LinkedIn are most popular among young professionals. In a study conducted on 430 employees, LinkedIn and Facebook use is