Facebook and Human Resource Management - Research Paper Example

Facebook and Human Resource Management This paper is going to investigate the role that Facebook can play in HR strategies. Through the years, it has developed from a simple networking site to a sophisticated digital community frequented by hundreds of millions of people interacting, sharing content and creating relationships. The website has numerous characteristics and functionalities that can be used with several of HR initiatives. Those organizations, hence, which are increasingly turning towards technology in its operations will find Facebook aligned with several its objectives and could benefit immensely if adopted as an HR tool. It is important to highlight that Facebook is a social networking website. Simply put, it is an online or digital community wherein its users can socialize virtually: meet, interact, share photos, videos, news, among other information. It is a network of close to a billion users, connecting friends, families, strangers, coworkers, and so forth, regardless of location and time. The framework is simple and appealing: Profile pages are created so that individuals can post and share information about themselves. Gunter (2010) explained that such architecture creates an environment that encourages members to log in regularly in order to keep track of what friends and colleagues are doing, sharing their own activities, interact about interests and hobbies, send messages, and join groups and networks, among other things (p. 1). These characteristics and capabilities underscore why Facebook can impact human resources management. They reveal how majority of the workforce logs in to the website daily. In the United States, there are close to 100 million Facebook users. A Pew Research Center study found that of those who use social networking sites, 92 percent use Facebook, followed by MySpace with a meager 29 percent (Hampton et al., 2011). The bulk of Facebook users are dominated by 18-44 year olds, able-bodied people that constitute the workforce or at least could qualify as workers (Statista, 2012). These user demographics access their Facebook account at least a month through different devices such as computers and mobile phones. This figures and statistics underscore why human resource managers turn to the platform for several of their activities and initiatives. This section provided the details why Facebook can be important to HR. To say that the facts cited were significant is an undertatement because the opportunities depicted are extremely numerous especially in the context of human resources management. For this paper, the information becomes critical in explaining how Facebook can be integrated in the implementation of two specific HR initiatives of my organization. The first is recruitment and the other is employee evaluation. Recruitment Platform As a sophisticated social networking hub, Facebook can provide several tools by which human resources managers could recruit employees. Fundamentally, there are two important utilities available to human resources managers: recruitment and vetting of potential new hires. The Facebook engine has an excellent data sorting mechanism that can enable recruiters to search for specific target population. For example, if a company wants somebody from a specific location, school, or interests among others, it can tailor its profile searches accordingly. What this means is that human resource managers have better control with regards to who are recruited to undergo the hiring process. In addition, job seekers are also increasingly turning to Facebook for career opportunities. Many organizations found it necessary to create their own Facebook recruitment page. The real-time interaction between users provides a better alternative for companies to expedite their recruitment process in comparison to the use of a recruitment firms or sites. In this case, job seekers and the organization directly communicate with each other, significantly streamlining the process. The experience of ChemCo, a United Kingdom-based company, can demonstrate these recruitment opportunities: ChemCo has developed an expertise in recruitment via social networks… This is now a strong recruitment channel and attracts people of all ages and backgrounds… ChemCo has a full-time Internet Recruitment Manager… All these measures have significantly expanded ChemCo’s resourcing channels in the UK and enabled the company to recruit not only a diverse population but also individuals who would not otherwise have reached the ChemCo recruitment process in the normal way (Cohen, 2010, p. 141). What made the difference for ChemCo in their use of Facebook is the manner by which their recruitment model came to integrate a communistic element that made it possible to achieve a cost-effective, efficient and swift recruitment strategy. This approach is particularly effective especially in human resource recruitment trends today that emphasize the need to actively seek out non-mainstream candidates and find them exactly where they are. Facebook made this happen. An underlying principle in this process is the degree of engagement between an organization and its potential hires and employees. Facebook is a close and collaborative type of community and the relationship forged out of the interactions therein suit the best practices in recruitment today. This is also highlighted in the case of vetting new employees. According to Veer (2010), it only takes five minutes to conduct a background check on a job candidate in Facebook: Head to the Search box, type in the candidate’s name and the system does all the work with few clicks of the mouse (p. 7). The information provided in Facebook are extensive. While some of them may not be true, the content of a person’s profile will most likely show a pattern of behavior, mark of character, interests and skills. The data that can be collected can often lead to the identification of red flags (i.e. candidates posing nude, drunk, etc.) In addition, because Facebook is a network, there are instances when a recruiter or a human resource manager could have mutual friends with the candidate being vetted. He or she can ask for an honest feedback or character reference easily. The network is useful both for the organization and the job seeker to find their objectives through their network of contacts. Employee Evaluation Once employees are hired, it is rudimentary to evaluate their performance periodically in order to ensure that productivity and positive output. Facebook is now increasingly being used in this area as well. This is especially true among technology and virtual organizations, wherein performance appraisals are often done electronically. For example, Accenture tapped Facebook to develop a system wherein employees can post status updates, photos and two or three weekly goals that can be viewed by colleagues, supervisors and human resource managers (Lussier, 2011, p. 253). It does not only enhance the performance appraisal because of the ease of communication and evaluation involved in the process. Facebook also made it possible to document the elements involved in the appraisal easily. Considering Facebook’s capabilities, HR managers can use the platform both in the areas of developmental performance appraisal and evaluative performance appraisal. Facebook provides an effective framework for gathering data about past, present and future performance of employees. It can, hence, inform human resource decisions with respect to this area. Conclusion It is important to remember that the fundamental goal of human resource management is to enhance organizational capacity by way of improving its workforce. Facebook, certainly, figures prominently in this area as it offers mechanisms and tools in specific stages of this objective. First, it allows human resource managers to specify a pool of candidates to go through its recruitment process. Secondly, the website can help in identifying and reaching the best people by providing organizations with ready and accessible information available through personal profiles and networks. Finally, Facebook contributes to the maintenance of quality employees through its capability to help in performance appraisals. Hence, in adopting Facebook as a component of an integrated human resource management strategy, HR managers are now in better positions to achieve their goals and responsibilities. I have learned that, as pointed by the evidences mentioned in this paper, Facebook can be crucial in ensuring that organizations can become more capable in hiring and maintaining the right pool of employees, working and functioning at the appropriate places within the right times. The model is not really revolutionary because what is being done – with using Facebook - is merely an upgrade by integrating a variable that facilitates process. References Cohen, E. (2010). CSR for HR: A Necessary Partnership for Advancing Responsible Business Practices. Sheffield, UK: Greenleaf Publishing. Gunter, S. (2010). Sams Teach Yourself Facebook in 10 Minutes. Pearson Education. Hampton, K., Goulet, L., Rainie, L. and Purcell, K. (2011). "Social Networking Sites and our lives." Pew Internet and American Life Project. Retrieved from http://pewinternet.org/~/media//Files/Reports/2011/PIP%20-%20Social%20networking%20sites%20and%20our%20lives.pdf. Lussier, R. (2011). Management Fundamentals: Concepts, Applications, Skill Development. New York: Cengage Learning. Statista. (2012). "Distribution of Facebook users by age group in the United States from 2009 to 2011* (in percent)." Retrieved from http://www.statista.com/statistics/183669/us-facebook-users-by-age-group-since-2009/. Veer, E.A.V. (2010). Doing Business on Facebook: The Mini Missing Manual. OReilly Media, Inc. Read More