I am very interested in the development of social media and its impact on corporate organizations and professionals. Lately, there has been more and more emphasis placed on the effective development of an acceptable online presence, as well as the avoidance of making errors in professional judgment by posting and sharing inappropriate material online. Celebrities have often been kind enough to lay the ground work for some of these “dos and don’ts”, but I have also heard stories and examples of employees being reprimanded and fired for inappropriate behavior online.
Several examples of social media include LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace, PROpenMic, and Twitter. These organizations have been developed and become extremely popular and widespread in recent years. Through this study, I plan to address these questions and topics:
- How and to what extent do HR departments and professionals screen employees before hiring by searching and examining their online presence?
- What do they look for?
- How many business organizations and what kinds of business organizations practice this?
- How can social media be used as a tool to enhance one’s job application, professional career and networking abilities?
- What does a professional online presence consist of?
- What are the effects of social media as a screening tool on college students and recent graduates?
I plan to conduct this study through research over the next few weeks. Here is a tentative brief timeline which may change as my project develops:
- Week 1, July 6-10: Research social media, its beginnings, outreach, and published research on social media as an HR tool; look for blogs to follow regarding social media topics; continue to brainstorm questions regarding the effects of social media on hiring/firing practices in corporate organizations.
- Week 2, July 13-17: Research the growing use of social media in hiring practices, job searches, etc; continue to follow blogs; briefly interview 2-3 HR professionals regarding the use of social media.
- Week 3, July 20-24: Research the use of social media as a corporate tool to enhance advertising, marketing, PR, and employee recruitment.
- Week 4, July 27-31: Research the use of social media as a tool for individuals to build and enhance their professional identity; explore blogging as a career enhancer; address what creates a positive online presence.
- Week 5, Aug 3-5: Draw conclusions.
