Understanding Gen Y Benefits Preferences from Their Online Social Media Profile Pictures The Making of a Fast-and-Frugal Heuristic to Manage the Gen Y Talent

Abstract

Generation Y employees rate benefits as one of the most important aspect of job satisfaction. Building on the literature on the relationship between employees’ personality and their benefit preferences, we carried out this study to investigate if Facebook profile pictures (FPP) mediate this relationship. The rationales behind our study are mainly the following: one, the pervasiveness of Facebook among GenYers; two, currently pictures being used more and more for communication; three, profile pictures being the most viewed aspect of one’s Facebook profile; four, personality types determining the selection of Facebook profile picture; five, although personality of people remains relatively stable over time their choices and preferences change; and six, they are largely misunderstood, hence need attention regularly. We employed an online personality test measuring the Big Five personality traits, a Web-questionnaire to know respondents’ benefits preferences, and a small report containing some public data concerning their Facebook accounts. Along with examining the correlation between personality traits and benefits preferences, we also investigated the mediation of FPP on this correlation. Our findings imply that FPPs can potentially give cues to benefits that Gen Y employees prefer. We conclude that combining FPP with personality type can be a more reliable means to assess Gen Y employees’ benefits preferences.