Digital footprints and recruitment: an experimental study on the impact of social media content on hiring decisions

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dc.contributor.authorTurker, Nazli
dc.contributor.authorUnguren, Engin
dc.date.accessioned2026-01-24T12:29:28Z
dc.date.available2026-01-24T12:29:28Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.departmentAlanya Alaaddin Keykubat Üniversitesi
dc.description.abstractIntroduction The aim of this study is to reveal the extent to which and the ways in which the content that candidates share on their social media profiles influences the evaluations of decision-makers in recruitment processes.Methods To that end, an experimental study was conducted with 480 managers and human resources specialists authorized in recruitment processes at four- and five-star hotels in different regions of T & uuml;rkiye. A fictional scenario was developed to create a realistic recruitment situation. Participants were randomly assigned to a control group and two experimental groups, where they examined r & eacute;sum & eacute;s of candidates together with social media profiles, manipulated to appear either professional or non-professional, and evaluated their hiring intentions. Thus, the study tested the weight of personal signals perceived from social media posts, alongside the professional competencies and experience stated in the candidates' r & eacute;sum & eacute;s, in the decision-making processes of evaluators.Results The findings show that social media content significantly influences perceptions of professional competence and person-organization fit, thereby altering hiring intention. In particular, negative social media content was found to overshadow the professional competence signal, even for highly qualified candidates, leading to a prioritization of perceived cultural fit. In contrast, professional content enabled candidates to send a positive fit signal, supporting hiring intention.Discussion and conclusion Social media profiles function as a strategic moderator that reinforces or weakens the technical signals presented in r & eacute;sum & eacute;s and substantially shapes the perceived suitability of candidates. These results indicate that social media content is not only a supplementary source of information but also a strong signaling mechanism that guides recruitment decisions. The study makes theoretical contributions to Signaling Theory and provides important practical implications regarding the use of social media in recruitment processes.
dc.identifier.doi10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1693850
dc.identifier.issn1664-1078
dc.identifier.pmid41229601
dc.identifier.scopus2-s2.0-105021502712
dc.identifier.scopusqualityQ1
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1693850
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12868/5390
dc.identifier.volume16
dc.identifier.wosWOS:001611390700001
dc.identifier.wosqualityQ1
dc.indekslendigikaynakWeb of Science
dc.indekslendigikaynakScopus
dc.indekslendigikaynakPubMed
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherFrontiers Media Sa
dc.relation.ispartofFrontiers in Psychology
dc.relation.publicationcategoryMakale - Uluslararası Hakemli Dergi - Kurum Öğretim Elemanı
dc.rightsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.snmzKA_WoS_20260121
dc.subjectsocial media
dc.subjectprofessional competence
dc.subjectperson-organization fit
dc.subjecthiring intention
dc.subjectsignaling theory
dc.subjectexperimental research
dc.titleDigital footprints and recruitment: an experimental study on the impact of social media content on hiring decisions
dc.typeArticle

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