Decisions, Decisions: Cybervetting through the Eyes of Students

How do students believe employers use social media in vetting job candidates? In this instructional experiment, students evaluated three hypothetical job candidates who had divergent social media presences. Questionable content, even if through an indirect link, was thought to reflect on a candidate's character and was extrapolated to future work performance. Professionally related social media activity boosted perceptions of both the candidate's character and skills. A nonexistent online presence prompted polarized assumptions--most frequently that he/she was asocial, deceptive, or technologically inept. Findings from this activity can inform business educators and help students develop a sharper awareness of how employers might weigh the online profiles of job candidates.