Social Media Recruitment: Communication Characteristics and Sought Gratifications

Do network externalities and perceived gratifications boost WeChat continued use? Combining perspectives of network externalities and uses and gratifications

Rapid burgeoning of mobile social media has become the primary channel by which individuals construct interpersonal networks and contact with each other recently. The primary objectives of this study are to explore how and whether network externalities would enhance WeChat users' distinct types of perceived gratifications, and how such perception of gratifications subsequently impacts their attitudes and continuous usage behavior. This article utilized a structured web-based survey questionnaire to conduct empirical research, and gathered and analyzed data of 788 WeChat users by structural equation modeling (SEM) approach. Perceived gratifications are categorized into three dimensions: hedonic gratifications, social gratifications, and utilitarian gratifications. Obtained outcomes reveal that both referent network size and perceived complementarity are positively and significantly associated with all three dimensions of perceived gratifications. Additionally, hedonic gratifications, social gratifications, and utilitarian gratifications are positively related to users' attitudes toward WeChat, which, in turn, are significantly correlated with their continuous usage behavior. These findings contribute to the growing body of literature on WeChat user behavior, offering novel theoretical insights for academics and practical implications for mobile social media operators.

Problematic utilization of online social networking site in Chinese college students: prediction of personality and dynamic mediators

Utilization of online social networking sites (SNSs) is often problematic in young people. However, studies seldom seek to understand personal differences and deep-seated reasons in its problematic utilization. This study aims to explore the longstanding and recent psychosocial predictors of problematic utilization of WeChat friend center (PUWF) longitudinally. A total of 433 college students (17-25 years old, male/female ratio: 389/44) were investigated over 2 successive years (T1: first year; T2: second year) using the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire, Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Checklist, Social Support Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and the problematic utilization scale of the WeChat friend center which was developed in this study. Correlation, regression, and structural equation analyses were conducted. A problematic utilization scale of the WeChat friend center was developed with Cronbach's alpha of .836. 21.02% of students reported WeChat PUWF. Males utilized the WeChat friend center less than females, and females were at higher risk of PUWF, which was correlated with worse mental health. In the longitudinal prediction, regression and modeling analyses showed that apprehension of personality predicted PUWF consistently and directly, and this was partially mediated by T1 depression and T2 negative life events. Resultys suggest that females are at higher risk for PUWF. Apprehension personality has a direct and indirect effect on PUWF through recent depression and life events. The findings help to recognize individuals at risk for PUWF as well as to better prevent it, and provide suggestions as to the functional design of SNSs according to different need of users. Core tips: Utilization of SNSs is often problematic in young people. However, personal differences and deep-seated reasons in its problematic utilization has been poorly revealed. Through a longitudinal investigation, this study confirms that females are at higher risk for PUWF. Apprehension personality has a direct and indirect effect on PUWF through recent depression and life events. The findings help to recognize individuals at risk for PUWF and give theoretical evidence to the functional design of SNSs for diferent users.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-022-03150-7.

A social media engagement framework for applicant attraction and retention: #SocialMediaCongruence

Purpose

The social media (SM) engagement framework consists of dimensions of employee privacy expectations and organizations' social media orientation. Further, the social media privacy orientation model provides better understanding of complexities of selection and retention created by the social media landscape.

Design/methodology/approach

Organizations are increasingly seeking talent to support burgeoning social media strategies. Qualified employees may be expected to have related professional experience and an active personal social media presence. In contrast to this evolving demand, prevailing guidelines suggest applicants minimize their social media activity altogether. These restrictive guidelines may be better suited for organizations that prefer or require high levels of discretion on social media given the differing engagement expectations across firms and among individuals.

Findings

How the congruence between an employee's expectations of privacy on SM and the organization's expectation of employees' SM usage affects applicant attraction to organizations and employee retention is outlined. Propositions are offered to foster research in this area.

Practical implications

Social media congruence is an important consideration for human resource (HR) policies and associated training.

Social implications

Public policies toward the use of social media in recruitment and privacy should consider social media congruence.

Originality/value

The model advanced in the paper provides organizations and applicants with a stronger understanding of the complexities surrounding the use of SM in selection and retention decisions.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-05-2021-0260

Social Media, Quo Vadis? Prospective Development and Implications

Over the past two decades, social media have become a crucial and omnipresent cultural and economic phenomenon, which has seen platforms come and go and advance technologically. In this study, we explore the further development of social media regarding interactive technologies, platform development, relationships to news media, the activities of institutional and organizational users, and effects of social media on the individual and the society over the next five to ten years by conducting an international, two-stage Delphi study. Our results show that enhanced interaction on platforms, including virtual and augmented reality, somatosensory sense, and touch- and movement-based navigation are expected. AIs will interact with other social media users. Inactive user profiles will outnumber active ones. Platform providers will diversify into the WWW, e-commerce, edu-tech, fintechs, the automobile industry, and HR. They will change to a freemium business model and put more effort into combating cybercrime. Social media will become the predominant news distributor, but fake news will still be problematic. Firms will spend greater amounts of their budgets on social media advertising, and schools, politicians, and the medical sector will increase their social media engagement. Social media use will increasingly lead to individuals’ psychic issues. Society will benefit from economic growth and new jobs, increased political interest, democratic progress, and education due to social media. However, censorship and the energy consumption of platform operators might rise.

Twelve Tips for Utilizing Residency Program Social Media Accounts for Modified Residency Recruitment

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Social media use across the health professions has significantly expanded in recent years. Specific attention has been paid to both the value of social media use in graduate medical education with residency program twitter accounts. More recently, social media has been examined for its role in supporting the rapid expansion of information exchange and connection across digital and virtual platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the ongoing response to the pandemic, the 2020-2021 residency application cycle is anticipated to be a completely virtual interview process. Here, we draw from our collective experiences managing, maturing, and maximizing social media accounts for residency programs and GME to provide practical tips for using social media for the upcoming virtual interview season.

The Effect of Different Rejection Letters on Applicants' Reactions

Organisations appear to pay little attention to rejection letters, considered a special form of organisational communication, despite a growing body of literature that shows they play an important role in terms of employer branding. This study aims to empirically test how applicants’ perceptions are affected by differently manipulated rejection letters. In detail, a sample of 138 rejected candidates filled in an ad hoc questionnaire on perceived selection procedure fairness and satisfaction, after receiving a rejection letter where we had manipulated time latency, the politeness formula and customisation. Results suggest that providing a timely, customised and informal notification is something agreeable, which is able to affect, above all, fairness perceptions and intention to re-apply. In detail, the time latency in giving feedback appears to affect the relationship between fairness perception and organisational recommendation and acts more as a mediator rather than an antecedent variable. Considering that providing feedback is a relatively low-cost activity that at the same time has a big impact on job applicants, our results show that organisations should be sensitive to negative feedback communication, especially in relation to response time, in order to support their employer branding.