Virtual identity in social media as a source of information in the recruitment process

Problem:The objective of the study is to reflect on virtual identity in social networking sites as a source of information in the process of recruitment employees. The main aim of this study is to present the current state of the use of social media by enterprises and human resources departments as well as to introduce the phenomenon of cybervetting. Screening social media to find out about a candidate is not a sanctioned technique in human resources management, moreover –it is considered unethical and unlawful.TheCOVID-19crisishasalsoaffectedtheprocessofsearchingandrecruitingemployees.In2020,duetotheunexpectedepidemiccircumstances,hiringnewstaffmemberswaspossiblebyuseofe-recruitmenttoolsonly.Regardingthedominationofvirtualrecruitmentintheeraofapandemic,thequestionofusingsocialnetworksasasourceofinformationaboutacandidatebecomesevenmoreinterestingandworthexploring.Asnumberofresearchshow-socialmediascreeningorcybervettinghavebecomeapopularpracticeusedbyrecruitersworldwide.Methodology: The study involved a literature overview, analysis and synthesis.The question of virtual identity in social media as a source of information in recruitment process was posted and analyzed referring to current literature and human resources management practices collected in HR blogs in the Internet.The research question is current and multidisciplinary, and the in-depth study of the issue is needed. Though, findings contribute to the research in communication studies and management. Conclusion: According to recent studies, the use of information from social networking sites in human resource management is increasing despite the ethical concerns that this topic raises. Anotherissueinterconnectedwithmediascreeningisofethicalconcern–whethertheuseofinformalsourcesaboutthecandidateintherecruitmentandselectionprocessislegalandmorallyaccepted. Virtual identities in SNS are valuable information enabling companies to minimize the risk of hiring not appropriate candidates. The results of discussion carried out and the conclusions contained in the paper may constitute the basis for further exploration of the problem.Key words:social networking sites, recruitment process, cybervetting, social media screening.