You Saw THAT?: Social Networking Sites, Self-Presentation, and Impression Formation in the Hiring Process

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn – individuals have more opportunities than ever before to present themselves in public using social networking sites (SNSs). However, individuals tend to live segmented lives and often develop different selfpresentations depending on the audience. The combination of opportunities to present publicly and presenting different selfpresentations can have unforeseen impacts for job candidates. From employers’ perspectives, access to this public information represents a new source of information about job candidates. This paper studies how self-presentations of candidates in SNSs affect impressions formed of candidates by individuals faced with a hiring decision. Utilizing the selfpresentation and impression management literature, a model is developed and tested utilizing data from an online surveybased experiment. Findings of the study suggest information from self-presentations is seen as valuable, yet can create ambiguity for decision makers. Implications for theory and hiring organizations assessing the influence of SNSs on hiring are discussed.