Participant One – Mandie Garth
Mandie has over 20 years experience working in Human Resource (HR) management, specifically in recruitment and on-boarding. She has worked for both private and public companies, where she believes recruitment is an essential core business component that can determine the future success of a company. Being an active member of the Australian HR Institute, Mandie utilises e-recruitment tools in the assessment and review of potential job applicants.
Interview Questions and Answers
1) After an applicant has applied for a job position online, do you review their LinkedIn and Facebook profiles? Why these platforms?
The popularity of the internet as a recruitment source now sees a variety of white-collar positions being advertised across platforms such as LinkedIn or Seek. I review an applicant’s LinkedIn profile, however, not their Facebook profile. LinkedIn is targeted as a professional platform, with opportunities for a candidate to display their background/ relevant skills and experience. I primarily use LinkedIn to cross-check with one’s uploaded resume. However, I do not check one’s Facebook profile as I believe it is strictly a personal platform and raises ethical concerns regarding privacy and inclusion.
2) Do you believe it is important to be able to review university graduates LinkedIn and Facebook profiles? Is there a specific criterion to which recruiters follow or is it individualised for each recruiter?
From a traditional HR recruitment perspective, Facebook and LinkedIn would not be my first point of assessment. I believe one’s resume and cover letters can provide a sound base for evaluation. However, for future university graduates, these platforms may offer more insight into one’s personality and character, especially considering they are new to the workforce and their network base is likely to be on a small-scale. I would say there are broad guidelines to follow, however, modes of e-recruitment are changing rapidly, thus individualised approaches are becoming the “norm”.
3) What do you think are the pros and cons of using LinkedIn and Facebook when evaluating a prospective employee?
4) Do you think the moral, ethical and social risks that may arise from reviewing an individual’s online profiles, are enough to deter recruiters from using these platforms entirely?
Due to the rise of e-recruitment and social media tools within the recruitment process, I do believe the risks are becoming invasive. However, I do not believe the risks will deter individuals from using these platforms entirely – probably due to the cost and time savings for organisations. I personally do not use these platforms as a primary source, rather in addition to a range of tools. It is important recruiters use these platforms at their own discretion to avoid any potential risks.
5) Do you think LinkedIn and Facebook are an effective and fair means to evaluate a future university graduate on? If yes, why. If no, please explain.
Overall, I do not believe these platforms are entirely ‘fair’, which comes down to the fact that discrimination may arise for potential university graduates. Individuals may not have the same access to these platforms or they may be immediately dismissed based on their profiles. If a future graduate is not taught how to present themselves online, both in a professional or personal setting, they may miss out on opportunities.
However, moving forward, I do believe LinkedIn and Facebook are an effective means as a result of time and cost efficiencies and should only be used in conjunction with other efforts. With a further increase in awareness regarding online professional behaviour, recruitment tools may be effective.
6) Do you believe the recruitment process has experienced added-value as a result of being able to assess individuals based on their LinkedIn and Facebook profiles?
Yes, overall I believe additional exposure ultimately enables a recruiter to source more information on potential candidates, thus increasing chances of putting forth the ‘right’ candidate.
Review of Future Marketing Graduates LinkedIn and Facebook Profiles
Participant one has reviewed each student’s LinkedIn and Facebook, providing recommendations on certain elements within their profiles.
Brittany Ritchie
Facebook
Conor Robinson
Facebook
April Verjoustinksy
Facebook
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