Online and social media recruitment

Purpose – This paper aims to reflect on issues concerning online and social media recruitment in hospitality organisations. It considers the implications for employers and prospective employees, discussing areas of mutual relevance. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on existing research to examine the subject of online and social media recruitment. Secondary sources are used to provide a framework for the consideration of online and social media recruitment for hospitality organisations. A model for understanding online- and social media-empowered hospitality recruitment is proposed. Findings – Considerations for employers include website attributes, issues of fairness in the recruitments process and brand reputation. For prospective employees, the considerations centre on public and private online profiles. Considerations common to both include the value of an online presence, the blurring of boundaries in online information and legal implications. Research limitations/implications – This is a discussion paper drawing on evidence from previous research to explore recruitment issues in the hospitality industry. It raises the profile of recruitment issues, mapping the field and providing the basis for further exploration. Practical implications – The paper provides a basis for understanding the impact of online and social media recruitment trends and issues and considers the implications for hospitality employers and prospective employees. Originality/value – The paper’s contribution is its reflection on debates from different disciplines and in offering the dual perspective of employers and potential employees from which to consider emerging themes as they relate to online- and social media-empowered recruitment.