Examining the criterion-related validity evidence of LinkedIn profile elements in an applied sample

Abstract

As social media use has grown over the past decade, both academics and practitioners have increasingly debated the appropriateness of using data from social networking sites in hiring contexts. Although the use of social media in recruitment and staffing processes has become commonplace, a corresponding increase in empirical investigations of this practice has not been achieved. Now more than ever, industrial-organizational (I–O) psychologists and data scientists are well positioned to offer evidence-based insights regarding this common practice. Despite being the most widely used professional social networking site, validity evidence of the relationship between LinkedIn profile elements and organizationally relevant criteria remains equivocal, and researchers have specifically called for more work on LinkedIn as the basis for social media assessments. Using a field sample of financial services professionals, the present study seeks to examine the criterion-related validity of LinkedIn incumbents' professional profiles (n = 486) using objective sales performance metrics. In addition to potential privacy and ethical concerns, and with few exceptions, the results largely suggest that LinkedIn profile characteristics are not strongly correlated with organizational metrics. Potential uses, recommendations, and limitations based on the criterion-related evidence are discussed herein.