Using ZMET for Investigating the Role of Social Media in the Employment Process

The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of social media in the employment setting as it is perceived by the job seekers. The study is a qualitative investigation in which thirteen in-depth interviews based on Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique (ZMET) were conducted in order to gain a deeper understanding of the link between social media and the process of employment. The 22 elicited bipolar constructs associated with the role of social media in the employment setting were framed into six deep metaphors: Connection, Resource, Journey, Control, Affective Distress and Transformation. The size of the sample and the deeply subjective nature of answers provided by the subject’s limits the generalization of the results for a wider range of job seekers in the social media environment. This research provids an insight into deep-seated motivations, attitudes and behaviors involved in the use of social media by job seekers.